Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-05-01
WANTED-A SOUTHERN STATES
~ MAN.


Not since the memorable winter of 1860
81, when the Senators from the South played
valedictorians in the Senate and passed the
gulf soon to run red with blood, has the
Democratic party enjoyed such an opportunity
to retrieve all its disasters as the present hour
affords. The merchants of the North made
Hayes President. A meeting was called
shortly before the Electoral law passed, and
took place at the house.of VIM. E. Dodge, in
New York, (whom Payne had blackmailed
at the instance of Benjamin F. Butler for
the purpose ostensibly of preserving the pub>
lilo peace, but really to organize the merchant
princes of the North into Presidential junto
When tho secret history of the recent Count
of the Votes" by Congress shall be written,
IL will be found that the merchants of the
North who had secured the campaigning
services of Mr.. Evarts las. fall, as they after
wards won for him the portfolio of the State
Department, supplied the sinews of war and
fought the battle for Hayes. They were tired
of losing money by Grantism. Pacifcation
meant revival of trade which bayonets had
parslyzed. Hayes had to take them on their
own terms or stay at home at Fremont, Ohio.
He took them on their own terms and put
Eyarts at the head of his Cabinet. Down
went Chamberlain, and over goes Packard
But morton in the West, Cameron in Penn
sylvania, aud Blaine in the East, have no idea
of surreudering to the merchants without
fight Politicians of their stripe know that
they are hated by the mercantile money bugs
because, both loving money, one or the other
must retire from the revenues, as their
methods are incompatible. In other words,
both classes distinctly appreciate the fact that
Cotton is King. They both do homage to
the King Great is Diana of the Ephesians,
but greater is King Cotton of the Southern
States.
The fight goes on. When Congress meets
plaintive and sorrowful, ireful and angry, the
heady fighters will join their dark encounter
in the Senate and House. But there are
three factors in the sum. The Democrats
cannot DE counted out. The Radicals, the
Merchants and the Democrats are all parties
to the game. Indeed, taking larger view
of the situation, We find that the second cen>
fury of our history as a Republic begins with
an essential change of circumstances as COM
pared with those which prevailed during the
first century. Hitherto there has been
Northern party and Southern party. That
general description fully classified the polit-
ical divisions of the country. When Jeffer
son founded the Democracy he became the
great Southern leader as Hamilton the Fed
eralist, was and had been the great Northern
leader. When Madison was President and
the secoud war with England was wogcd, the
two great parties were still Northern and
Southern. So with the period covering the
Missouri Compromise Measures, 1S20-1S50,
it was still North and South The war be-
tween the States ten years later still found
the country arrnyed under the same great po
litical and sectional ppellations-North and
South Tho logical end of that distribution
of political power and classification of the
sections came about when Grant went out OF
the White House. The West was at length
a great, distinct, political power. In alliance
with the East the West dominates American
politics In alliance with tho South, either
East or West likewise dominates the govern
ment.
Long heads have for some years foreseen
the change that was working. RadicGlism
had tried to hold the East and West together
and succeeded at tho sacrifice of the country's
prosperity. The long heads were ready to
meet the altered circumstances which tho
logic of our growth had shaped anew. Hence
che Radical domination has been forced under
and commercial supremacy is hereafter the
watch>word which will be heard at Wash
ington.
1.-THE South is wise she too will read Alright
the logic of events. She has suffered. The
iron has entered her soul. She is proud
She may yield to her impulses and give her
foes Ono less her foes to-day than any time
this hundred years pasD the vantage ground
in the coming struggle for power. Her
bright and voluble politicians must curb them
selves. There has been something of hard
ness and epigrammatic sharpness in their
recent language, which should now be avoided.
They should rather trust to the strength of
the idea than to the strength of the express
sion husband the cause by moderating the
feeling and concentrating on the work before
them. Give US popular leader of statesman
like grasp, new Clay, or Douglas, and the
future belongs to the South. For Cotton is
still King, and the introduction of third
great diyision-the West-into American
politics secures the balance of power hence-
forth and perhaps for hundred years to