Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-12
MIR. BLAInE ON STATE RIGHTS.

MIR, BLAIhE ON STATE RIGHTS.
Among those who attended thedecora-
ton ceremonies at the Gettysburg ceme-
terry, was ex-Secretary Blaine. Of course
he had something to say, and, as usual,
that something had political bearing.
Mr.. Blaine, in this instance, as in his
eulogy on the life and public services of
President Garfield, seems to have
had in view the hopeless
task of bridging over the
yawning chasm created between the Stall
wart and Half-breed factions by the act
of his now lifeless chief in eliminating
the spoils system from the policy of the
Republican party. The policy of the
Garfield administratio ton was undoubtedly
to place the public good above mere
party expediency and concern. The
support this policy received at the hands
of the people was enthusiastic and con-
fined to no particular party. Its promul-
CATION marks an important epoch in the
political history of the country as being
the first practical political move made
since the close of the Jeffersonan admin
istratlon at the beginning of the present
century, in the direction of the conser-
walton of the material interests of the
nation at the expense of machine poll
tics and politicians. 1t resurrected MIR.
Blaine from the disgrace and obscurlty
into which he sunk under the blighting
influences of the Fort Smith and Multi
gan disclosures; and to his premiership
more than to any other circumstance,
is due the success and promi-
nence that he has achieved
as a quasi exponent sof policy which
persisted with the brain from which 1t
was evolved.
What Mr.. Blaine means when he says
that the battle of Gettysburg" demolished
the theory of state rights,''i certainly
not less self-evident than the purpose
he had in view when he undertook to
put the Democracy on the defensive in
the matter of the Garfield Chase letter. In
the latter case he undertook to put con-
struction on Gen. Garfeld's conduct
to which he had while living given in
the most solemn and formal manner a
fiat contradiction. To assume that Gen.
Garfield could be an enemy of Gen. Rose
Grams or that he questioned his capacity
or loyalty as soldier, in the face of the
fact that Gen. Rosecrans' name was given
precedence on motion of Gen. Garfield,
in the list of distinguished and
msrltorous officers of the late
war to whom congress extended
a vote of thanks, is as absurd as the
theory advanced by Mr.. Blaine at the
Gettysburg decoration services, that the
battle fought on that field demolished
the theory of state rights" 1t is GER
tainly an unfortunate circumstance for
the 'splumed knight" that the most con-
spicuous and pronounced leader of the
States Rights Democracy-Gen. W. s.
Hancock--contributed as much, if not
more, towards the success of
the Union army at the battle
of Gettysburg, as any other
soldier who took part in that memorable
conflict. His sword was unsheathed on
that occasion for the preservation and not
for the destruction of the constitution of
the country The principle of the auton-
omy of the states is as old as the consti-
ton itself and is secured to the present
and coming generations in the tenth ar
ticle of that compacts in language
40 plain as to make palpable
the hypocrisy and discrimination
of Mr.. Blaine's pretended ignorance