Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-20
yRIpAY... FEBRUARY 20, 1885
The America Of the Future.

The America OF the Future.
General GRANT was not afraid TO
predict in one of his annual messages
ms President Of the United States that
the day would conc when it would be
possible for one government and one
language TO dominate the world. NJ.
DR. CANDoLLE. I'VE believe it was,)
distinguished frenchman, predicted sew
crsl years ago that the English language
would eventually supersede all others.
III the famous Frenchman is right, and
we have learned which is to be the UNI
versal language, let US next inquire
what form of government is to be the
one that is to extend all over the globe.
The answer--or rather, an snswer--to
this question has also been givcn-by
Professor JOHN FIsKE.
Mr.. FIsKE is man whom we have
for years greatly admired--that is, ever
since he delivered a course of post
graduate lectures at Harvard University.
shout twelve years ago, and published
the same. lie calls himself a disciple
Of HERBERT SPENCER, not greatly
10 his credit as we think. A pro-
nounced evolutionist, Mr.. FIsKE is
nevertheless a rcligionist of certain
sort, and argues with much ability
the existence Of God. Evolutionism.
however, tinges all his teach
iDgs. as we shall find whenever We read
any Of his writings. In setting forth
the reasons which lead him to hold that
the federal form of government is the
only one capable of spreading every
where without becoming despotic, Mr..
FIsKE, as usual. tinges his argument
with evolutionism. He heads his arti-
Gle III is in Harper for March) Mani
fest Destiny" which, by the way let
us say is an evolutionist's phrase, al
though it antedates DkRwIN's teach
ings and in that article he says:
THE work which the English race
began when it colonized North America
is destined to go on until every land on
the earth's surface that is not already
the seat of an old civilization shall be-
come English in its language, in its re-
ligion, in its political habits and tradi-
tons, and, to predominant extent, in
the blood Of its people"
Again;
1.-The day is at hand when four
iifths Of the human race will trace their
pedigree to English forcfathers, as
four fifths of the white people in the
United States trace their pedigree to-
day, and the race thus spread over both
hemispheres, and, from the rising to the
setting sun, will not fail to keep that
sovereignty of the sea and that COM
mcrcial supremacy which it began to
acquire when England first stretched
its arm across the Atlantic to the shores
Of Virginia and Massachusetts.
Mr.. FIsKE holds that eventually Flu
rope will find it worth while to adopt
the lesson Of federalism from the
United States, the permanency of which
has survived the ordeal of the most
gigantic civil war in history, in which
the perpetuity Of the federal system
was, he claims, the fundamental pur-
pose. and the obliteration Of slavery
but an incident. He holds that the
lesson of federalism is necessary TO be
learned, as tending to the diminution Of
warfare by the union OF small political
groups into larger groups, kept to-
gether by community Of interests, and
adjusting mutual relations by legal dis
cussion rather than appeals TO the arbi-
trament Of physical force.
This federalism is the sine qua non.
Without il, there can be no universal
government. The federated States
though "distinct AZ the pillows must
he - one as the sea-" The national
government must not come within the
orb Of any State government. Other
wise, we shall have Mr.. WEBsTER's
States" discordant, discovered, belli-
gercnt.r
But Dir. FIsKE's prediction will
never come true if the judges Of the
United States courts are to follow the
fatal precedent set the other day by
Judges HuoHEs and BOND. The legal
fiction that State may be sued if only
We call the State by some mans name
instead Of her own, must be given up.
The Supreme Court Of the United States
must reconsider that point. There can
be 10 real federalism--no such federal.
ism rs Mr.. FIsKE bases his predic-
tons upon--no federalism worthy OF
worlds acceptance--in a form Of gov
eminent such as we shall soon have in
this country if the United States courts
follow the bad example set them in
Norfolk last week.
:" Oh. reform i, altogether.
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