The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-09-14
Size Is Not Strength.

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The United States government now extends
its jurisdiction over so extensive scopc of
country, that it is fast losing its unity in its
immensely llleeannssity We -ln mean " this, that the
strength of a republican government lies in
that oneness ofintcrest and of feeling, which
enlists the hearts of the people in every sec
tion in the same enterprises and makes them
work together for objects, of which all can share
the advantage and that, as soon as any coun-
try becomes SO large, and its interests SO diver
siicd, that the prosperity or misfortune of one
section scarcely affects another, then there is
an element of disunion in the very SIZE of the
country Hnd the acquisition Of territory is
solf-dcsructivc. We have in ancient times
the example of Rome, who, while she was con
tent from her seven hills. to speak forth her
sovereign uttcranccs to the people within the
sound of her voice, and bounded her ambition
by the Alps on the North, and the N1cditcr-
rancan and Adriatic on other sides, was the
greatest power in tho ancient world. But
when she had to proclaim her mandates second
hand, by means of military chicftains acting
as her spokesnicn in distant and diverse re-:
gions, the unity Of the nation was, destroyed
and her extension was her ruin.
The same drama is about to be enacted in
our own country. We sec every day the de-
sire cvinccd by the powers that be, sto over
shadow vaster domains with the wings Of the
American Eagle. Now, Of what interest is it
to us of the South, or even to any of the States
on this side of the Rocky Mountains, that the
United States should own the snowclad peaks.
of Alaska, and the iccbound seas between them
and tho North Pole? Or what do the Esoui
maux care for the acquisition of Cuba, or other
India islands Look at the American Re-
public of today. and compare it with the Land
of our forc-fathcrs in 1900. At first glance
one would cxclaim that this is a much stronger
government, than the one of seventy years ago:
but, the close observer will.scc, that much of
the boosted power is apparent only Thtn,
thirteen States were united in interest, and in
looking for territorial extension, they turned to
the domain now converted into the great States
of the West along the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers; and i'll the dcvclopcmcnt of these re-
sources everyone Of the old States felt an ac-
tual and tangible interest. They were suffi-
cientiy near to each other to sympathics with
each others veal or woc 1t was truly "E
fi,ritus uhu.l." But nop, SO diversified arc
tho interests of the people Of the Republic, 80
remote arc the extremes from each other, that
the citizens OF different sections arc strangers
utter strangers to each other
In no respect docs this want of unity dis
play itself more forcibly than in the formation
ofpolitical parties. The country is so large,
that the very issues, upon which the different
parties are fighting in one part Of the nation,
are entirely Ignored in other parts, and new is
sues consttutute M11c the bones Of contention.
For instance, tho States of Maine and Gal
iforna have respectively been the scenes of
great political struggles in the past two weeks
Now we mean to say that although in both
States the contest was between the Republican
and Democratic parties, and upon platforms
which wcro called Republican and Democratic
in both States, ycta California Republican, would
hardly be able to affiliate with Maine Rcpub-
lican, or a California Democrat endorse the
political creed of the Democrat of Maine And.
to take more fnmiicr illustration. the. matter
ofuNlvERsAL SUFFRAGE is becoming an clc-
mcnt OF discord among the Republicans at the
North; while here at the South it is not made
M issu. at all by Conservative Anti-rcpubli-
cans. a.
To bring this to bear upon our present po-