The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-23

! tratlOn OF the ABSURD CONFUSION mo WHICH
party politics have fallen with us just now
that the republicans accuse the Southern
democrats, so called, of design to push
the theory of the constitution known to
politicians quarter of century ago as
the estate rights" theory.
There is nothing dangerous about this
theory, as we pointed out on Monday. 10
hold it up as political scarecrow is non
sense; it is an old battle ground, as old as
Jeffersons contests with the tederallsts;
and its revival as a political question: so
far from giving just cause of alarm, Is, IN
fact, very hopeful sign that we are
at last emerging from the dreary
questions which arose out OF the war ana
returning to sensible discussions OF real
questions. For no one, be he ever so much
federalist or whig or whatever he may call
himself, who has been brought up to SIM
cere adherence Of Jefferson and all his
ideas-no such man, we say, it he IS
only little instructed in our polit-
ical history, but will acknowledge
that this is one of the real and proper
causes of division of opinion among our
voters, and that it is u question on which
men may differ without thereby coming to
blows or ceasing to be good and loyal
citizens. estate sovereignty" is another
thing it is-or rather it was, for
it is dead-it was one of those
illogical follies which seized upon the minds
of few fanatics and was used by shrewd
demagogues in the South to befog the
minds of unthinking citizens when the dis
ruption Of the Union had been determined
on, and when Southern statesmen, so
called, idiotically imagined that they would
be suffered to ego in peace"
estate sovereignty" persisted in the war.
Indeed, it would be more correct to say
that it never had real life outside of Gen.
trail Africa estate rights" is different
thing It is the converse of federalism,
and as long as our system of government
endures SO long will parties and party
leaders dispute with more or less intelli-
gence upon the question whether it is wiser
to increase or to diminish the powers Of
the federal government; whether centrali-
cation or decentraliz ation is the best; and
how much the general government should
do, how much ought to be reserved to the
States and to the local and municipal di-
visions. That parties have not been con-
sistent in their views on this ques-
ton is we'll known to every student
of our history. Jefferson, State
rights man and strict constructionist, un-
doubtedly violated his own principles
when he purchased Louisiana; and the
federalists of those days no less violated
theirs when they opposed this act, and held
that no new territory could be acquired nor
any new States admitted to the Union with
out the consent of all the States as States.
In more recent times the democrats, who
pretended to hold State rights views, gave
the widest Interpretation to the powers Of
the federal government in enforcing the
Fugitive Slave act and the republicans,
who were for the most part heirs to the opin-
ions of the old federalists, planted them
selves in those days-in the case of Booth
in Wisconsin, for example-on the most
pronounced State rights ground.
That is to say, while it is real question,
and in the opinion of men on both sides an
important question, it is a fact that our
statesmen have very often been federalsts
while in power and State rights men when
they fell into the opposition; but it is also
true that the people, with remarkable good
sense, have in general known how
to draw the line at the wise mean,
and have checked the tendency either
way when it became too strong. This last
co. ,.,bf 70 10 he
what cautious not to push too hastily and
theoretically those federalist ideas of con-
centrating great powers in the general gov
eminent, which some Of the less instructed
of their men advanced at the extra session.
If they should go so far as to alarm the
popular fears about an over-strong central
government they would run serious risk of
creating a revulsion against their party
such as, in the political slang of the day,
is known as s.tidal wave"
The believers in decentralization, how
ever, cannot deny that public opinion at
this time runs against hem, and is tolerant,
TO say the least, Of large measure of GEN.
tralization and this is SO clear that if the
republican leaders are wise they may easily
use this tendency, not only to their own
advantage, but to the advantage of the
country.
Instead of crying out that ''the South" is
for State rights suppose they were to in
quire if this is really true? Suppose it
were not true? 1t would certainly be an
important fact for them. If it is n fact
that the most influential political leaders of
the Southern States are adherents of the
theory which would give great powers to the
federal government, and that they have
with them large, and indeed the larger,
part of the white voters, this fact de-
serves certainly to attract the attention of
the republicans. 1t could and should be
utilized by them in very important way;