Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-21
DEPEW'S ADDRESS.
His Estimate Of Washington, Jefferson
Hamilton, Webster, aud Lincoln
The Drift Toward Capitalization
Will the Pacific Coast Ever Become
Indifferent IN thu IINlNu

AuuAAckcut " tuc OulOu
Portland Oresonian.
The address Of Chauncey Depew
before the Union League club of New
York City, is justly described as
remarkable utterance. His estimate
of Washington, jefferson, Hamilton,
Webster, and Lincoln, is in the main +
just, saving that he is more generous
i'll not describing Jefferson to be what
he certainly was-the most potential
destructive force for evil that ever
impressed himself upon the history of
the country. Calhoun was a meta
physician in politics rather than poll.
tician. Davis was a revolutionary &C.
cidental notoriety rather than states
man Of satanic genius; but Jefferson
was man of genuine genius for
political mischief, and it was his deft.
cunning hand that poisoned the we'll
hitherto unde6led of American pat.
riotlsm and nationality. He construct
ed nothing but evil, save his extra
constitutional purchase OF Louisiana;
he was the destructive genius of our
republic even as Washington, Ham
ilton and Webster were the great
constructive and conservative forces
of America.
Passing to Lincoln, Depew says
that che throttled sectlonalism and
buried it. The republic for which
half a million men had died and a
million been wounded was so firmly
bedded in the hearts, the minds and
the blood of the people that the ques-
ton OF dissolution will never more
form part of the schemes of its poll
ticians, or require the wisdom of its
statesmen and the patriotism Of its
people," To speak accurately Lin
coin throttled State supremacy and
buried it; he certainly scotched rather
than slew sectionalism, which has
still so much life in many parts of the
country that the forces which bind
the Union together to-day are rather
those of commercial strength thar
patriotic quality. The Pacific rail
roads have all been built since thu
war. Suppose them never built, how
long would it be true that "the ques
, ton of dissolution of the Unio1
would not form part Of the scheme
of its politicians, require the wisdom
of its statesmen and the patriotism O
its peop!e?" a century of CONNER
!, cial life and growth of this coast, un
der the same circumstances that ex
) listed at the close of the war, woul'
: hardly find it III a condition OF pas
: sonate devotion to the America
Union, because it is the record @
I history that few free peoples long re
main one people that are not abso
: lutely bound by the ties Of trade an
business selfintcrest. Suppose tc
day there were no Pacific railroads an
no prospect of their construction
would the influences of patriotic sen
timant be sufficient to press the Pa
cific and Atlantic seaboards to eacI
others hearts? Suppose to day tn
Pacific seaboard of Asia was inhabit
ed by a civilization as enterprisin,
u and Intelligent as that of the Atlanti
:, seaboard, does anybody suppose, i
$ absence OF the Pacific railroads, tina
this coast would not naturally dri
away in it's sympathies rather tina
cleave to the union of the dis;ar
IS Atlantic seaboard and the Gres
n Lakes? Without the Pacific raj
n roads and with China, Mexico an
'e South America filled with the teen
IS ing millions of civilization as actlv
TT enterprising, intelligent and valuab
y to us from a trading-point of view /
ID the East Of the United States, woul
is not all the political drift of this Goa
er in another century be in the directio
tt of indifference whether the America
flag floats over US or not?
Eastern critics always smile whe
1t the Pacific coast talks about the da
when it will be as rich and prospe
Gus as the Atlantic seaboard and sa,
''You have splendid climate and Sol
your native riches and resources Al
immense, bat you are geographical
9 on the wrong side of the continen
- The Atlantic seaboard looks towa1
e Europe, while your Pacific coast lool
8, toward China; it cannot find in AS
D. or South America field for trade
es compare with what the East has in
- nearness to Europe, the great civ
90 lied foreign markets of the world
er That is measurably true to-day, but
does not follow that it will always
true. Suppose at some distant d
China should become traversed
railroads, by telegraphs, by stea
navigation; should introduce al
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