Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-10-27
SECTIONALLSM.
PALACES DIssEcTED BY
THE LEADING COMMERCIAL JOURNAL
OF THE UNITED STATES.


fFrom the New York Journal Of commerce, Sep.
20, 1880.
Senator Conkling is nothing If not
sectional. His Academy of Music
speech is saturated with sectionalism.
From beginning to end it is nm effort
to embitter the North against the
South by burning appeals to old sec.
tional iealousies and hate. Why does
the Senator hate the South 2 The
civil war ended fifteen years ago The
Senator is not weak sentimentalist.
He does not cherish an unmanly, i'm.
placablc hatred Of a vanquished foe,
He does not hate the South on account
ofslavery; for slavery is as dead as the
lost cause. He has but one reason for
hating the South, and this he does not
state, for il would be the instant anti.
dote of all that is baneiul in his speech
He hates the South, because her peo.
pie, by a very considerable majority
are opposed to Mr.. Conkling's party,
Mr.. Conkling chooses to regard this
opposition as personal to himself, as,
in some sense, it is He is the bright
and shining light of Republicanism
He is the exponent and oracle OF
Republican methods and aims He is
standing Republican candidate fol
tho Presidency. To-day he is, by al
odds, the leading Republican of the
country, The South is politically hos
tile to him. Therefore he hates the
South with all the intensity of nature.
How different it would all be, if the
South were Republican TO the extent
of its present Democratic majority
Then Mr.. Conkling would love th,
South. Then be would not taunt her
with decline in population, with pov
erty and with ignorance. Then he
would not Alag in her face her mis-.
fortunes such as they are. Then b,
would make "the solid South" o tern
of praise. Then be would point to hcl
Republican unanimity as model fol
the doubtful North. Then he could
not commend too warmly the rolitica
enthusiasm ofall Soutberners. Word
would fail even him in flattcring tn,
devotion Of the South to politics-ifit
variety were only Republican W,
can imagine the eloquent Senator con
trasting tho profound interest taken
by the South in politics--the mos
profound Of all by her ablcst men
with the languor and indifference o
the North, where our most capabl,
citizens too often shun politics as I
pcstilenco. But, alas, circumstance
alter cases. The South is ovorwhelm
ingly Democratic. Therefore Mr.
Conkling hates her, and tries TO max,
everybody else hate her too. Cold
blooded policy harmoniEes with hi
personal feelings
In pouring out his vials Of hatred up
on the South he runs no risk Of osinl
electoral votes down there. The Re
publioans expect no votes from thl
South. They are making no contes
in that field. Their only battle grounC
is tho North. And they hope TO viii
here by arraying q majority of North
ern people against what they call
solid South. Their weapons are thos
brandlshcd by Mr. Conkling in his grea
neutrality-suspicious., sarcasms
taunts. This Is sectionalism, as cruc
and unjust in its way as any that pre-
oeded IL in the late war on either side
And 1t is full Of dangers, as sectional
ism ever is. Southern slavery ha
ceased TO exist. But, If Northern SOC
tionalism is to take its place as dit
turbing element, the peace Of the coun
try Is again threatened.
We repeat that Senator Conkling
nothing IL not sectional. Ho is n
more national than no is a statesman
He Ia brilliant politician with marrow
sectional views, If he were South