Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-21
TIfE END or AN ERA.
An Incisive Statement Of Certain PoIit-
icaI Facts which nre of special Inter-
est 10 the Democratic Party.

W. 70
From the Boston Herald.
A sectional division VI our country, po-
litically which separates iG into northern
and southern states, cannot continue more
than a very few years longer, unless the
southern portion content itself with being
permanently out Of the majority in the ma
tional government That division has,
however, now continued for hundred
years-in fact, from the first foundation of
the American nation. 1t was in the ma
ture Of things impossible that affairs should
be otherwise before the war of the rebel
lion broke out. Two civilizations existed
in the country, diverse in aim, il not in in
terest. The one was in harmony with re
publican institutions, and moved onward
with the march Of the more enlightened
progress of the people. The other felt
forced to protect itself against this ad-
vance Both bred able statesmen, but for
a long time the statesmen Of the South were
more aggressive and influential. This was
because their want Of enterprise in materi
al affairs gave them more time to devote to
politics The North rallied and success
fully resisted at last, primarily because Of
the strong moral sentiment that had sway
upon her people next because the South
in the an xiety for its institution of slavery,
became arrogant, and claimed for it the
service Of the whole country lastly, be-
cause the South was mad enough to com
NIT suicide by arraying itself in arms
against the government.
The close of the war, the abolition Of
slavery, and a triumph Of the North 50 ef
fective as TO exclude the southern states
from representation until granted by the
victors, would seem to have ended this
northern and southern sectional question.
1t has, however, continued for another
quarter of a century in the history of the
government. The strangest feature about
1t is that the South, when at last restored,
was restored with more representation in
the government, absolutely and relatively,
than she had ever had. This fact and the
efforts of politicians to continue the old
strfes which had divided the sections,
have made a North and South still in
he government, when all other logical rea
sons for it had ceased. But the new pow
er given the South in representation has
really been necessary to uphold it. That
power is now TO be parted with. The cen
sus and the new arrangement Of states are
to do the work The South will take her
place when these are completed, and the
apportionment to follow is made, with far
less relative power in the government than
she has had before since the war. As
section she will be enormously overborne
by the North and the West.
In the United States Senate she will be
very early placed in a hopeless minority.
In ht4 ~ e h..
large moccupied territory, from which
both sections would naturally carve out
states In any event the North would
have had the advantage here. As things
are, she really appropriates nearly all the
new states The North before the war had
already admitted Oregon, Kansas and Ne
braska and wrested from the South her
natural hold upon California. Since then
she has admitted Nevada aud Colorado.
These, without a single southern state to
offset them unless it be West Virginia,
which was made by a Republican bunder.
But the North has not exhausted her re-
sources in new states She has remaining
Dakota which she has now decided shall
make two states Washington, Montana,
Wyoming and Idaho, all TO be sooner or
later several very soon admitted The
South has, to offset this New Mexico
alone, There is Texas, with the right of
division into four states, provided in the
act by which she became part of the I'm
ION. But this is to be, of course, in the
discretion Of the Congresses to which these
aspirants to statehood apply 1t is doubt
ful if their permission would be granted,
If asked But it will not be asked Texas
is the most magnificent state today in ter
ritory, in the Union, and it is second to
very few in resources. 1t is in itself al
most an empire, and its ambition is to re
main So There is no desire for division on
the part Of its people. Texas, therefore,
confines its 100, 900 and more Of southern
majority to one state while the same north
ern majority is distributed among half
dozen. This holds the Senate on section
al issue against the South forever.
The increase in favor Of the North in the
other House of Congress is not so absolute
ly overwhelming, but it still sends the
South back to the feeble condition. in point
Of representation, that it was expected to
restrict her to after the war was over.
Texas and Arkansas are TO gain in repre-
sentatlon under the next census, but their
gain will be probably balanced by that of
two western states Of the North alone, while
there will be at least score of additions
from other quarters. This will operate up
Oh lIt lItSlutllldl tlctllbu hH wen Us upon
Congress The day has gone by when
solid South, with New York New Jersey
and Connecticut, can carry the presidency.
1t is doubtful if even Indiana in addition
will be sufficient to afford this ; and if it
would, there are the two Virginias gravi-
tating away from the South. Mason and
DiXon's line threatens TO be crossed if not
moved south in its eastern longitude.
We are very near the end of the north
ern and southern sectional division, if we
we have not already reached it, 1t is no
longer the interest of either party to keep
it up The Democrats must have more
northern states if they are to carry anoth
er presidential election. The Republicans
will probably be wise enough to remove the
barrier TO their carrying southern ones
With this it is to be remembered that the
South has least IF all an interest in remain
ing in that isolation that is implied in the
term being solid in her politics.