Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-22
EAST AND WEST sECTIONALIsM


that the spirit Of sectionalism in tbil
country was almost exclusively lin
tied to the Southern States, which
were formerly distinguished from
the rest of the Union by the institu
ton of slavery, and that it was only
necessary to remove this one threat
ening peril to the harmony of the
country, which elsewhere was uni
versally patriotic and national, to
insure the general concord. This
theory, however, does not seem to
receive confirmation from such dis
cussion between leading Republican
journals in the East and West as
those in which, for example, the
Chicago Tribune and New York
Tribune are engaged. The Chicago
Tribune in a recent article, thus
spoke:
70 aft it is true that the West has
got about everything else, the reason
is she is possessed of the best quail
flied men for various high offices.
The West has got into the habit of
producing frst-class men for civil
as well as military employment.
The brains and enterprise of the
East are chiefly absorbed in money
getting, stock.obbing and gambling
in Wall street. During the war, the
East was never able to push the
Rebels out of sight of the Potomac,
while the West conquered them in
twelve States. The intellect of the
East was too much engrossed in fill
ing government contracts, increas-
ing the tariff and other gaiEful pur-
suits, to develop a high order of
military talent or craftsmanship;
and they should not now complain
if the West OvershadOws them in
ability for public affairs as well as
in martial rGnOwn.
The New York Tribune quotes
this paragraph, and notes it as "thc
beginning of an illiberal, dangerous
and unpatriotic policy" 1t says it
has Il" always believed in a Union
without geographical limitations.
We never hear the words North or
South, used in a distinctive politi-
cal sense, without pain. In the
same manner We regard the use of
theterms East andi'West.'," Never
theless, it says, if it were to descend
to sectional arguments, it could
show that in politics as well as in
legislation, the West always has had
the advantage of the East. 1t men
tons that during Mr.. Lincoln's
administration there were five West
ern men in the cabinet and two East
eTn men-Stanton, Dennison, Har-
Ian, Speed and McCulloch, against
Seward and Welles. Mr.. Johnson
did not vary the proportion until
Mr.. Eyarts became Attorney Gen
eral. In the Supreme Court we
find five Western judges-Chase,
Miller, Field, Davis, Swayne-and
only three from the East, Clifford,
Nelson and Grier. In the regular
army we believe there ar. five gen
eral officers from the West and but
two from the East" The Tribune
then proceeds to the matter of
legislation, and on this point, it must
be admitted, gives its Chicago name
sake pretty severe dig. 1t says it
is d" almost afraid to estimate the
number of bills before Congress de
mandedby the West, and all wanting
money. We shall do well if we get
out Of the Union and Central Pa
cifc with SjO,OOO,OOO. Kansas has
two hundred miles of subsidized
roads, and there are from fifteen to
twenty other roads in and around
that State. One company wants
, S24, 100000; another by El Paso,
would like the same amount; and
in all We estimate two hundred bills
directly and indirectly for Pacific
Railroad interests. We have given
l24,O00,O0O acres of land and when
we pass these new bills we shall give
in addition S9O,O00,0OO and 100,
600, 600 acres" The Tribune adds
that cit had hoped all these sectiona.
phrases and epithets had persisted
in the war they did so much to foS-
ter" 1t seems not, however. Sec
rotary Seward, who once described
the conflict between North ant
South as " irrepressible," has sine,
the war predicted marked antagon
ism between East and West. Is this
prophecy, too, to be fulfilled?
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