The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-09-28

lurk both in the premise and the concla-
sion, and nobody needs 70 be frightened
ont Of his senses.
The first assumption or implication is
that the South can succeed by itsef, which
it cannot. Even if we suppose It solid
(snd It is by no means certain that It viii
be in Noyember1 it cannot succeed without
the aid OF two or three Of the great Mid
die States, which are most important fac
tors In that sum of producing, commer-
cial, industrial, tax-psying and property
interests which Mr. Conkling AouFishes
in its face. 1t cannot succeed without 50
curing majority of votes in New jersey,
New York, Indiana and some State in
New England and on the Pacific slope.
Now these determining States represent =
very large part of those commercial, In
dustrial and property interests which are
used to make the contrast between the
North and South. If our orator had been
an honest statesman, as he is an ardent
politician, he would have instituted =
comparison, not between the North and
South, but between the Republican and
Democratic States; but tie entire basis
Of his superstructure would have fallen
away and he would have had no scare
crow at ALL
The second assumption is that the South,
which can only win by the assistance Of
these great Middle States, would originate
a policy, if it had the power, certain to
ALLEVIATE their sympathies and support
But what can be more preposteroas than
to suppose that it would run counter to
the convictions and political prospects not
only of these great Middle States, but OF
that very large minority in the Republi-
can States which constitute an essential
part of the Democratic force-nearly half
the people in fact? How soon would it
sink into utter impotence If it attempted
to outrage the opinions or even prejudices
Of the North and West It could not
live year in the enjoyment of its power;
and its allies at the North would be irre-
parably destroyed. Besides, the largest
States of "the South" and those which
are likely to have the most to say in its
councils, are Maryland, Virginia, Ken
tucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas,
which belong to the great middle group,
and whose interests are nearly identical
with those of Indiana, Ohio, New York
and Pennsylvania. Under the operation
of the living forces which bring localities
together they would gravitate more and
more toward these; and no political party,
call it by what name you will, would dare
to come in conflict with the tendencies Of
opinion in these mighty centres of civili-
zation, trade and activity. These States,
though nominally belonging to "the
South" because of their former tolerance
of slavery, are now, under free influences,
rapidly amalagamating with the States
near and around them. They were never
strongly Southern, and have become de-
cidedly Northern. They would never
cling for any length of time to . policy
decisively Southern; their alliances are
with the North and West, and with them
in the end they will be found. =
Mr.. Conkling has done much hitherto to
drive independent thinkers from their Re-
publican adhesions, and his present i'll
judged, illogical and malicious speech will,
we fear, quicken the departures.