The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-07
HON. JAMES G.. BLAINE
Federal Union or Nation?#

OOOl cAl " oA1Oa VI 1SdUlOl!T
Among the hindrances to popular
understanding of national affairs and to the
progress of the country, is the voluble pres
ence of class of political thinkers, quite un-
used to handling large interests and exceed
ingly limited in their views. These gentle
men are often of estimable personal charac-
ter, and influential in their circle of friends
and business correspondents. But they
have some of the simplest political truths
yet to learn, and their delay in getting these
useful lessons by heart and their proneness
to regard the United States as dissected
map to be taken to pieces and put together
again, the Constitution as cheap bit of
stuff to be cut up and sewn into patchwork
in the course of their kindergarten educa-
tior-are exceedingly wearisome and hurt
full i'll effect. These persons suggest various
plans for bettering political affairs; and ID,
gauzy and unwashable texture OF their the
ories of what ought to be compared to
the strong and coarse fibre of their denunci
alton of what exists, is in curious contrast.
Mr.. Edward Hamilton is lively specimen
of this class; and his little political tract, at
present under review, is sample of the
limited, cheap and mischievous ideas of his
kind. The immediate cause of Mr.. Hamil
toms pamphlet was an excellent and COM
prehensive resolution offered in the House
of Representatives by Mr.. Baker of Indiana
on the 18th of March, 1S76l This resolution
was as follows:
Resolued, That the people of the United
States constitute one nation and not a mere
confederacy of States and nations; that the
Constitution was formed by the people acting
in their primary and individual capacity
through their delegates thereto duly constitu-
ted that the Government under the Constitu
ton, is of the people and for the people, and
that in its appropriate sphere the Government
of this nation is sovereign and supreme; that
in its nature it is permanent and indissoluble,
except by the :tion and consent of the whole
people: that no State has any right or authori-
ty to judge of the cOnstitutionality of the laws
enacted by Congress, or to nullify the execu-
ton of the same; and that all overt acts by any
State or people thereof, or secession therefrom,
or of rebellion against the same, constitute
treason; and that the late war of the rebellion,
for the dismemberment of the Union, was
causeless and indefensibe on any theory of
right or Of Constitutional law.
When the vote was taken, all the Repub-
licans voted in favor Of the resolution, all
Southern Democrats against it and most of
the Northern Democrats refrained from vot-
ing
Mr.. Cox then offered neatly worded set
of resolutions, but under the nutritious and
wholesome seeming meal the Republicans
noticed the furtive paw of States Rights and
la, ,l-o +l,o+ ~
ed that every Union man would vote against
the resolutions. All the Democrats voted
for them-the Northerners for the meal and
the Southerners for the cat, let us charitably
suppose. Nine Republicans voted for it,
but the rest of the Republicans AZ in num-
Der voted nay
Mr.Hamilton says that he allludes to these
facts for the purpose of proving that a ma
jority of the Republican still adhere to
the traditions of the founders of
the crack of the radical whip by ex-Speaker
Blaine, out of 1872 members present and
voting thereon, but AZ voted against the
resolutions of Mr.. Cox"
Why the courteous expression of conf
dence in the good sense of his party be
termed the crack of Mr.. Blaine's whip is a
question for the trainers of the vocabulary;
and logic and arithmetic totter together un-
der the burden of Mr. Hamiton's figures
and conclusions All this is in the preface;
let it pass as a nebulous milky way
by which to arrive at the starry spaces
of Mr.. Hamilton's argument in favor of
States Rights. He first considers the time
and conditions of the framing of the consti-
tuition, and brings Noah Webster to the fore
with definitions of the words Federal, Union
ist, Nation, League. He quotes several per-
sons who at various times have expressed
their opinion that this is a league of States,
not nation, and tortures the words of
others to imply that belief. Mr.. Hamiton's
theory is that each part is stronger than the
whole; that half loaf is better than all
the bread; and that number of States,
held in confederation like marbles in a bag,
each one round, hard, compact, rattling
about with the rest so long as the bag hap
pens to hold, then to roll in various direc-
tions as they chance to fall, is better than a
nation built up of solid block upon block,
fitted, cemented, a monument of union and
strength.
| But it is hardly necessary to combat Mr..
| Edward Hamilton's pamphlet as if it had
much coherence or plausibility. The idea
of States Rights is not original with Mr..
Hamilton, bat his presentation of that politi-
cal fallacy is uncommonly amusing. He is
violent in declaring that the Government
has no right to interfere with State elections,
to count ballots, or to protect life and prop
erty. ''If we are a ation," says Mr.. Ham
! ilton, jealous for the integrity of his State
boundaries, ''why should not the Federal
| Government fix the representative districts?
| Why confine them to State limits? Massa-
chusetts is surrounded by other States
north, west and south; why not run these
| district lines outside the State limits into
New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Con
| necticut and Rhode Island? In rising to
| "A Federal Union Not Nation. An Examina