The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-25

councils and cripple the resources of the
nation; and it was sravely proposed in
congress ut one time to send troops into
Massachusetts to enforce the DEGREES of
that body. Loyal Massa chusetts did
not believe that she, as an independent
colony, should be taxed to pny the expen.
ses Of the Federal government.
So much did the government suffer in
those early days from sectional party.
ism, pride and bigotry, that George
Washington, III his farewell address to
the American people, placed this Sec
tionalism first among the dangers that
threatened the perpetuity Of the republic.
These ARE his words which in the light Of
history seem almost to have been inspired
"ln contemplating the causes which may
disturb our union, it occurs as matter
Of serious concern that any ground
should have been furnished for ctarac-
terizing parties by geographical dis
ordinations, northern and southern,
Atlantic and western, whence designing
men may endeavOr to excite II belief
that there is Il real difference of local
interests and views Notwithstanding
this warning, the sectional party spirit
continued to be fostered, until aided by
Il great wrong that had been left in the
nation and finally became sectional, it
resulted in arrayinS the different Sec
tions of this nation in deadly conflict.
And presented the terrible spectacle of
the people who look back with pride
to the same Washington, Adams, JEFF
ferson, Franklin and Henry and all their
glorious compatriots, the same noble an
cestry, to the same struggles for liberty,
who worship the same God, read the
same Bible, speak the same language,
seeking each others lives on many IL
bloody field. One section striving to
sundcr the Union which the fathers had
cemented with their blood, the Union
of which he who was noblest of them
all, and whom north and south have ey-
err called the Father of his country had
written to his national children Of all
sections. "The unity Of government
which constitutes you one people, is also
now dear to you. 1t is justly so, for it
is a main pillar in the edifce of your
real independence; the support Of tran
guilty at home, your peace abroad; Of
your safety, of your prosperity, Of that
very liberty, which you so highly prize"
The terrible danger from sectional
pride and bigotry, with the aggravation
of a great wrong, shook the nation to
its foundations, but happily under the
guidance of kind Providence and the
leadership of the great hearted but hum
BILE man, the honest "rail-splitter,
whom the people, with happy instinct
for their own safety and preservation,
chose for their leader in the days of
greatest peril, rejecting the brilliant
gcniuses: doctors Of law, and scholarly
politicians, who had been educated in
the refined modern political schools of
policy and diplomacy, the danger was
passed, and the country saved. Here
was man Of whom might be used
the words of Antony over the dead
body of the great Roman, Brutus:
"His life vas gentle and the elements
so m,ced IN him, nature might stand up
and sag to att the ecorld, '7His acrs a
man,"
Sectional jealousy and pride still re.
main, to be used by designing men 70,
their agrandlzement and the country's
ruin, though now held IN check by the
honest sober thoughts of the people TN.
der the leadership of one of the pures1
patriots of this or any other age.
We, as 4 nation, had exalted ourselves
to the sky, over our national improve
ments and enterprises, and that we hac
spanned the continent, bound the At
lnntic to the Pacific with iron rails
Our humiliation was nearly equal to tina
Of the poor hunted stag, when We foune
that these splendid enterprises had en-
tangled US in Credit Mobilier frauds anc
involved our great statesmen in scheme:
of villany, until scarcely an untarnishe(
name could be found. Our wealth ane
inventions are wonderful but they hav,
proved the sources Of greed and the no.
beds Of monopoly. The over estimate
of the value of riches and the desire fol
speedy acquisitions have resulted in ter
rible corruptions; and the betraying o.
trusts, trickery, and dishonesty, hav,
too frequently been the peculiar shrewd
ness and enterprise in speculation, b,
which great fortunes have been amassed
Downright gambling in wheat an,
stocks has been called business enter
prise, and has tended to vitiate publ,
and private morals, weaken credit, ant
to work injury to our agricultural ant
industrial interests. Political positions
which we as Il people, have so hignl
priced, instead Of being conferred upol
men Of honesty aud worth, have be
come matters Of barter and trade
among the venal and ambitious, until i
has seemed at times that we as a nation
were almost ready to follow the fate o
ancient Rome, and to sink from tn
weight of our own corruptious. some
times think that it had been better fo
US had we some of the laws described
bV Dean Swift in his Gul1ivor's Travels