The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
THE MARCH OF DESTINY.

THE MARCH OF DESTINY.
Our correspondents suggestion from Rich
mond, recently that sit becomes by no means
improbable that single Scott county Democrat,
waiting for the return of his boots, without
the loan of which a vote would have been lost
exercised a far greater influence on the desti-
MES of mankind than does the astronomer
who discovers an asteroid, or marks the period
of some comets return to view,' all appropos
of the election to the national Senate
of Edward A. Hannegan by bare majority
of the joint convention of the Indiana Legis-
lature Of lS43 and the annexation of Texas
by his vote, misses one rather essential condi-
ton of the importance Of that oddly -saved
Scott county vote, in the fact that the vote
was cast in 1876, and the election of Mr. Han
negan occurred three years before. Once in
WHILE as the hymn says, con a slender thread
hang everlasting things but the annexation
Of Texas does not depend from the straps
of pair of boots loaned to a
Scott county Democrat. Besides, we
are much of the opinion of Buckle, that
the march of great events is independent of
the influence of local and minor considerations;
that the movement of the molding powers of
the world is governed by causes as wide and
deep as the effects, and that it is unphilo-
sophical to attribute great result to trifing
motive. If Tetzel had never preached indul-
gences and enraged Luther by the latitude of
his demands, there would have been
a reformation begun against the lax
teachings and semi-skeptical philoso-
ply of the era of Leo X; and
if Columbus had been convinced by the
wiseacres of Salamanca it would liave made
but little difference in the final discovery Of the
western hemisphere. The world had been set
in the right direction, and was sure to gather
momentum like stone rolling down hill, the
further it went. If Gutenberg had not dis
covered the art of printing it would have
soon been discovered by somebody else. If
Napoleon had not been smashed on his
way back from Moscow, or, later, at
Leipsic or Waterloo, his depletion of
French strength would have left him
helpless against the power of Europe,
sooner or later. If the English commander
at Trenton had not put aside the letter warn
ing him of Washingtons return upon his re-
treat to play out a game of whist and the
victory there had never been won. the colo
MES would still have become independent
Macaulay measured the forces Of national
movements better than many-especially than
Alison, who hinges the fate of Europe a
score of times on charge of cavalry or a
rapid march-when he says that if the En-
glsh government had sent Lord Give to
command the forces here against the
sullen colonies, as was intended when
he committed suicide few months before the
battle Of Concord 'fired the shot heard round
the world, his energy and judgment might
have delayed for time 'the inevitable sep
aration.' But he comedies that the separation
was inevitable, and would have come some
time, whatever might have been the end of
the Revolutionary war. So, recurring to the
consideration with which we started, we have
no doubt that Texas would have been made
part of this Union, some time, if all the
propositions of Benton, and Douglas, and
others had failed at the time of their pro
posal. 1t was on the 'sbook of time"
that all American settlements should be
parts of the American Union, and no lucky or
unlucky vote would have changed that final
condition. The consolidation of the American
people in one government was not meant to be
built on the soles of pair of boots. Inop-
perfume, mischievcus, antagonistic to the
present perception Of the interests Of free
country as the annexation Of Texas was, it