Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-25
Mr. Bayard on SectionaIism.

secretary Baya speech IN SG. Louis
on Wednesday was brief and unpreten-
tious: but he made room in it for at
least one declaration of some Importance.
Il wish to say to all men" he remarked,
that the present Administration has
one end, one object, and that is to de-
stroy all sectional feelings throughout
our common country" We are bound
to believe that Mr.. Bayard spoke seri>
ously, and not in irony, or for the pur-
pose of raising laugh, when he gave
utterance TO that remarkable PROPOSE
tion. From his point of view. We must
think, he really feels that the condnct
of the Administration is of a conSerVa>
tive and healing description, and that
special care is taken to blot out the
memories of the war and ring in jubi~
lee of general forgiveness, forgetfulness
and brotherly love and kindness. But
there is reason to say, at the same
time, that the distinguished Secretary
may be deluding himself. Without call
ing his intentions in question, it may
fairly be doubted if his vision is clear
and his understanding thorough and
accurate.
The Cabinet is composed. to start
with, of two men who were conspicur
ously identified with the rebellion, one
who gave it open sympathy, three who
failed to make any record upon the sub
ject, and one who served as commander
of regiment in the Union army. 1t can
hardly be claimed, we think. that such
an appOrtionment of the offices that re :
late directly to the work of carrying on
the Government and enforcing the policy
of the Administration is calculated to
induce forgetfulness of the war or put
aside the idea of sectionalism. 1t has a
tendency, rather, we should say, to pro-
woke very vivid recollections of that
terrible period of our history, and to
suggest the reflection that sectionalism
could not have much more striking
than is to be seen in the fact
that barely one man who helped to de
fend the Union is found among the
Presidents advisers, while the Confed-
eracy is represented by two of its prom
inent supporters and one of its well>
known apOlogists. The candid observer
can not easily avoid the impression that
such an arrangement however well
meant, is incongruous and inconsistent,
to say the least.
There is still more occasion for criti-
cism when we come to consider the
manner in which this peculiarly organ
lied Cabinet has dealt so far with the
task of promoting the one object which
Mr.. BaYard says the Administration is
solicitous to accomplish, to-wit: "The
destruction of all sectional feelings
throughout our common country" Take
Mr.. Bayard's own branch of the public
service, for example. The two leading
foreign missions were given to men of
Copperhead records; two others were be-
slowed upon men who have never had
their disabilities removed; another was
given to man who declared after be-
ing appointed that the suppression of
the rebellion was "a gross and bloody
violation of public rights" and still am
other good place was secured by man
who fought during the war under the
pirate Semmes. In all the list of diplo-
matte appointments there is not sin
gle Union soldier, and not a man whose
course from 1861 to 1865 was strictly
and properly patriotic. 1t can not be