Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-30
DAILY P0ST-INTELLIeENctR
TaE gKpERAL PRINCIPLE ~ III
EaPE

TaE rKpeRAL PRINCIPLE ~ NJ
EsPE
The events u tbs past fee ussEs have
demonstrated in q nssst starting man
DER the extent 70 vhieh the federal
prinespls-essenilaIly &C AussEiean 20
littesI ides-bss been sdopssd n Ia
roys. Tie prinnipIs o. fessrst'on a.
eryssallizsd and HIsd IN the Coz
stltstion Of the United States, u s'ra-
ode goyerprae ntzl idss-so ssDpis. IN
desd, that 10 "a VITO are familiar VIII
IL. 10 seems wonderful THAI j. vas not
pat 70 e prseticsl test centuries before
the time Of Franklin and Jsser>on and
Hamilton. The ida Of extssdinR over
q large territory DIAL system Of go
srnmen. 20 aSjastsd that. While IN al
purely local affairs essE section shall o
sef eovsross. q central power shall eI-
iss which shsII sxert 3 supervisory gov
srumeu. over the zhols, scd shall =
the sole governor IN all matters pertain
& ns to tue whole rather thss to p2rt'
10 90 logical and commands ITSELF %
thoroughly to practical workers 10 the
science of government, that oos w0oia
think II would hsvs been adopted a.
most a. soon a. the commonwealth %
the ancient world began TO extesa
their territories beyond the borders OF
their central cities. Yet never until the
adoption Of the Constitution of the
United Bgatss wAs the federal priRsipis
applied 10 esysFnmsnt on q scale SUN
GENTLY great 10 test ia efficacy, and
even to the present. day the Statesmen
Of many Of the. nations Of Earope look
upon federation a. dangerous fallaey.
seorning federation and opposing Il
as they do, however. tbs leaders OF Ia
ropean political thought ere compelled
70 aoceps IL in fact. II not Ia name.
Events demonstrate the fact that there
IL . central Rovsrnmsnt- intangible,
unsubstsntiaI, without a local hsbita-
tisn, bat still aovernmsnt-Shich ex-
srts q sway over all Earope. IL might
be called . governmental fsrcs or the
m anifes,ation Of q spirit Of conserya
tism rather than 9 government. bot It
exists, nevertheless. IL sTsris re-
straiuing infasnoe upon every nation OF
Earope, and the strongest Of them must
hesitate before daring 10 disregard its
DEGREES. Upon the weaker nations u
exests an innaenos 90 strose that u
amounts In reality 10 an unoreaksble
Law.
IL Isl government without q capital,
without visible head, withou, armies.
naviss or revenue. Sometimes Is ~ re-
belled against. because from its incho-
ate condition It contains elements Of
serious weakness. Bat a. time passes
10 will grow stronger II will crystalline
more and more Il will become more Of
fact and less of an idea Today 1t Is
known by various names II Is the
balance Of power. the peace Of Europe,
the observance Of international lav. In
reality, however, IT is the federal gov
srnmsn, Of Europe selfinteresi IL Its
animatine principle, and treaties are its
laws. Its lawmakers are the premiers
and diplomats who guide the dessinies
Of the nations.
Within the past few days there has
been q remarkable instance OF the ex-
sriion Of this governing force. Greece
was DESTROYS Of plugging int var. II
she had done 80. all Earope might have
been ipiurionsIy affected. All Europe
accordingly determined that she should
do nothing Of the kind. A pressure
was exerted which became stronger and
stronger as Greece exhibited a greater
and greater disinelinstion TO yield 10 1t.
Finally /, was intimsted that Greece
would be compelled 70 respect the peace
Of Europe. evea II the Rrsa, psvers had
10 heht 10 make her do It. Greece &C
oordingiy yielded a. gracefully rs she
could. and the peace Of Europe Is not
disturbed. Another rscentinstance OF
the sxertion OF this coerciye force was
the interference Of the powers in the
var between sesvis and Bulgaria. The
little combatAnss we're allowed 10 go 80
far and no further. when they had
done all the fighting that was necessary
they were stopped. Fifty years ago the
osndics would have gone 90 until one
Of the fighting countries conquered the
other, but the growth of federal ideas
in Earope renders impossible such an
sndisg 10 such vsr at the present day.
What better examples of the appiica
ton Of the federal prisciple coaid there
bsi Greece and Servia and Bulgaria
were checked by the united pswer Of
Europe precisely as Rhede Island. or
Alabama. or California would be
checked by the united power OF the
other Stases II either Of them attempt
ed 10 disturb the peace Of the
Union. France and Austria and Italy
make their osn local laws precisely ~
do Ohio and Texas and Kansas, but
there Ia a Law making power over all
which defines the relations Of each Of
those countries TO the rest Of Europe.
and lays down for each rules Of con
duct which u cannot transeress. II Ia
true that the federal power Of Earope
is sill 90 weak that some Of the greater
powers are able to defy 70. bot II grows
stronger year by year, and the tine is
ne, far distant when every government
in Earope will be eompsllsd 10 seknow-
ledge thsi i,s action Ia regulated and
controlled by higher power. and thai
u mes, eondaes itself In conformity
With . code Of lass which. although
nnwritten. Is perfectly understood.
t,otn Iuxks WH.Fuwu - Tax.a 4.