Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-05
DAILY POST-INTELLIGEhcER
THE NEW sECTIosAIIsa.

States Of nsw and wholly undesirable
spirit Of sectionali.m. The old ssc-
tIonslisn-the bitterness aud hostility
between the North and the SOuth-is
essentially thing OF the past IL Is
orystsllyze in history, and its place
hereafter will be upon library shelves
not 10 the hearts and brains Of the peo-
pie. Held tight between stiff boards
and impenetrabIe calf, II zili soon be
familiar only % tbs fev who st dy the
past "a well a. the present. Ii Is sur
prising how rapidly the memory Of The
long political ssrugele which preceded
the rebellion Is fading. The political
msxims, the party cries, even the NAMES
Of the leaders. are remembered only BY
the generation which - passing away.
Those who will guids the destinies Of
the republic in the near future know
nothing OF them. What sehoolboy Of
today knows anything Of Mason and
DiKOn's line Hos many such can
give the terms Of the Missouri oom-
promise How many have even so
much a. heard Of the bred Scstt de-
eision Add yet how short time IL
seems since those terms we're flied with
msaning-since those words we're IA.
niliar to msn and boy alike. OF course.
the memories Of the war will last for
ever. bat they will not be- bitter memo
ries. Americans will ever take pride IN
the deeds OF American soldiers. bat it
will be the deeds, and no the political
conditions which made them possible,
tkat will bs remembered. The institu-
tion which created the antaeonism be-
tween the North and south il dead and
unregretted. The var settled the great
disputed questions. and today nobody
regrets that the deeisioa was as 1t Was.
With the cause of the contention gone,
the contention itself is gone. and sven
its memory will soon be 40 more. The
North and the South will never again
be arrayed against each other.
The new sectionalism, whose ap-
proach 80 many think they perceive.
will divide the Nation, not into North
and South, but into East aud West.
With no radical difference IN liviag sen
timsnt or opinion between the peopls
of the Northern and those OF the south
ern States. the great divergence Of the
views entertained by the people OF the
East from those Of the people of the
West becomes more apparent. There
are grave questions of national policy
Of which the people OF the East almost
unanimously take one view and those Of
the West, with equal unsnimity. snoth-
or. There are divergent interests, and
with divergent interests will come di
vergsnt views. Ga the silver question
and this tariff question the sections are
already practically arrayed against each
other, and other dividing questions will
surely arise in the futare. Tho people
Of the West are more aggressive. radi-
cal and independent than those of the
East, and they will be continually AS
Stunning advanced positions to which
their slower kInsmen will fail to follow
them.
The East, politically speaking. Ia that
section of the country lying between the
Atlantic Ocean aud the Allegheny
mountains. The West extends from the
Mississippi river 20 the Rocky noun
tains. Between these two sections il a
vast border land-the heart Of the Ma
tiop-where Eastern and Western ideas
struggle for supremacy. Here is the
balance of power, and here also is
probably 10 be found the sobersst.
safest and best political opinion. The
Pacific Coast may be regarded as allied
10 the West, although from its geo
graphical position and from the peculiar
nature OF the problems which have been
presented 60 its people for solution,
there have grown up In the Pacific
States opinions and habits OF thought
which are essentially neither Eastern
Hor Western, bat which belong solely
20 the Pacifi, Coast.
A struggle with arms between the
East and the West Ia, Of course, one OF
shs most improbabls events. There are
many things which almost preclude tho
possibility of such thing. The init
mate trade relations between the SEQ
lions, which must always oOntinne, the
vast and powerful States which are
neither Eastern nor Westera, and which
will ever exert conservative aud con
siliatory influence. aud the memory OF
the last disastrous attempt 10 appeal to
arms against the decisioH OF the major
ity, are guarantees of future peace. Ii
Is scarcely within the bounds Of prob
ability that there should ever be an
other armed oontes, between the States.
The future struggle between thu sections
will be political one, and the ma ority
will triumph peacefully at last. The
great border land will be the battle
grouad, and the section which succeeds
in winning II will guide the policy OF
the Nation.
There Is nothing to fear from such q
contest. Indeed, the triumph of the
majority and the yielding Of the min
GRITTY will only exemplify anew the
Rlories and beauties of federation.
Senator Dawes introduced In the Sen.
ate on January 2Sth a bill ito aeeep,
and ratify an agrsemen, made with the
confciers,ed tribes and bands Of Indi.