The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-13
C9Ur Political SitustiOn and its Re-
sDOnsIbiIities.


sion of forces that have long been gathering
and awaiting the itting occasion for the mani
festation of their strength. The avalanche that
tbunders down the mountain side, sweeping
all before it, is no casual or chance occurrence.
The elements have long been preparing for the
event. The snow, the rain, the sunshine, the
frost, and the ever-active force of gravity, have
contributed each its quota, perhaps through a
long series Of years, towards the final, tremen-
dous catastrophe--of which the football of the
passing traveller or the echo of a mountain
song may have proved the immediate occasion.
SO Of a great convulsion in human society,
like the French Revolution or the Slave
holders Rebellion in our own country. These
events are but the consummation, the d6noue-
nent, of causes long in operation, and all tend
ing towards the final result.
True craftsmanship consists in cOmpre-
hension of the philosophy of ideas, and in
practical skill in directing the course of legis-
lation in accordance with those immutable
laws of justice and right which are the foun-
dation of all true human progress. All else
is political quackery and charlatanism.
The great war through which this country
has just passed, involving directly and indi
TeCtly the loss of not less than million Of
lives and five thousand millions of dollars,
was the oOnsummatiOn Of a war of ideas which
had been waging in this country from the
Declaration of Independence down to the
firing upon Fort Sumter Those simple souls
who suppose that this great struggle was
caused by what they are pleased to call few
"fanatics" on either side, the "aboitionists"
and the ''fre-eaters, are to be pitied on
account of their ignorance. They are the
children of that cold ancient man" who
thought that the building of Tenterden Steeple
was the cause of Goodwin Sands. The tribe is
numerous, and will never be extinct until the
logical faculty shall be more fully developed
among the masses of men.
The fundamental idea of the American poll
tical system, as enunciated in the Declaration
of Independence, is the absolute equality of
men in the natural endowment of essential
human rights. This idea, though widely per-
meating the body polite and giving character
to what we call our "free institutions" =" and
stimulating the nation to the wonderful pro-
gress it has made in many directions, has,
nevertheless, never yet found full and COM
plete realization amongst us. There has been
a constant warfare going on between it and the
exactly opposite idea that there is no such
thing as human equality, and that what are
called "rights" are mere privileges, granted
or withheld at the arbitrary election of those
who may be in the possession of power. This
conflict is by no means distinctively American.
It is the grand conflict which divides the
world into the great hostile camps of abso-
lutism and democracy. Our civil war was
one of its most terrible battles, but it by no
means exhausted the contest, even in our own
country. 1t ought to have done so, but it did
not. 1t did strike down one of the chief
Oitadels Of oligarchical power, the Ameri-
can system of chatel slavery; but it
has not yet realized the full measure
of victory in the complete establishment OF
equal rights Aristocraoy still fights despe-
rately to save something from its terrible over
throw. 1t has lost chattel slavery, but il
strives to hold on to its ancient monopoly oJ
political po,0er. 1t would defraud the popular
cause of half its victory. 1t seeks to build VI
an Olgarchy in each OF the late Rebel States
and thus to lay the foundation for anothe
appeal in the future to the arbitrament of ply
sical force. 1t would fOrtiy itself once NOR
with the tremendous power which our system
gives to States in the Union, and thu
panoplied, seek a more favorable occasion tt
strike at the nations life. They who deem
the '1Ost cause" of the Southern Confederacy
to be finally abandoned have forgotten tn
teachings of history, and are put superficial
observers of passing events. Says one OF tn,
chief apostles of the Rebellion, "Every revolv
ing year makes the lost cause more sacred II
the lovers of liberty dearer to the hearts 0
those who were faithful to it from its inception
to its temporary fall" Says another, antioi
pating the accession OF the so-called Demo
cr@uo party to power in Congress, "And theI
virginia shall have her own again; and al
these crushed Southern States shall rise from
the dust and regal" their oon good s,OOrds anc
shields"
The practical question for American statos
manship now to settle, is swhether, by the crea
tion Of Rebel oligsrchies in the sontbor,
Districts, and clothing them with the powar
of States in the Union, we shall prolong tbi
great war Of ideas between republcanism an
aristOcraoy, whi,h has already cost us +
much in blood and treasure, and shall Ia
the foundation for more terrible war in Il
future, with its new hOlocausts of huns