Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-14

superseded. II meant that which for
EIGHT wears we had-a government OF
the bayonet, by the bayonet and for
the bayonet. One who has gained his
title 90 popular applause by moriting the
title OF Gear" very lately renewed bis
adhesion to this peculiar type OF popu-
lar government "They said" he ex-
claimed, Eve could not coerce State.
We coerced eleven. wish our Repub-
licans had more courage, and we should
coerce them until liberty prevails oil
over this land" In one sense
the speech is logical. 1t is the
reasoning of logicians who, false
20 freedom, sought to quell the
free" Only by force bills is the argu-
ment OF the South refuted. And yeti is
a droll idea OF liberty which seeks TO
instill its blessings at the point OF the
sword. The distinction between free
dom and despotism grows SO alarmlngly
indistinct. No better proof could be
given OF the extent to which the move
ment, vainly resisted by the South, has
reyolutionIzed free institutions, than
that such compulsory freedom should
have been the serious thought and pur-
posed order of the day. "What is all
tho noise in the street ?" said q gentle
man in conscrlption time in New York.
"Oh. nothing, sir, said Pat, they are
only forcing a man to turn volunteer. "
Such would be the comedy OF the new
logic if its serious adoption does not
turn it into tragedy.
Nevertheless in the same year in which
Virginia emancipation was receiving such
cold comfort in Ohio, on all other ques'
tions-fnancial economic, and con-
structive-the mind OF Thomas Jefferson
had become the governing mind OF the
country. The principle of "Iustice TO
all and special privileges to none be-
came in this year the unmistakable
choice of the States and OF the people,
and was dethroned only by the civil war.
The tariff OF this year had restored the
revenue standard which, four years
earlier had been displaced. 1t was
soon made manifest that this tariff could
only be criticised as being too high, and
that the welfare of the country called for
still further reduction, which in 1857
was ended.
MASSACHUSETTS WITH VIRGINIA.
Upon this, the only important finsn-
cial issue of the time, Massachusetts was
seen side by side with Virginia-the
State OF the Adamses with the State OF
jefferson. The country was thriving,
and the one problem was to guide the
natural flow Of prosperity within natural
bounds. The type OF government which
bases it appeal for support upon govern
mental aids to special interests, and al
lance, if not partnership with them /;
upon bounties to favored classes and the
influence purchased by such favor !;
had received complete, and, had it not
been for the passions of the anti-slavery
agitation, there is every reason to believe
a final defeat. From the time OF the
decisive overthrow of this class legisla-
ton in 1916, and because OF such over
throw tho country had prospered.T
No party appeared in any force from
1916 to 1860 to dispute the salutary ten
dency OF this legislation. 1t was "a
condition and not theory which was
thus impreguable. The just reward Of
the general industry did not stagger
under burdens imposed for the creation
of excessive dividends TO few. On
every legitimate subject of debate the
State 's-rights administration of affairs
had extorted the acquiescence if not tbs
welcome of traditional foes. Gov
eminent was honestly administered and
not honeycombed by the corruption
which is to-day referred to as the neces-
sity Of politics There was prosperity
without bounties trade without subsi-
dies; a character which could stand
alone, and implore no staff for either
infancy or old age. The winds of on
ward movement filled every sail. The
gallant masts did not bend as the goodly
timbers sped forward with the goodly
freight.
ONLY ALAsEA ACCEPTED.
Alaska alone excepted land in some
sense this, too, is no exception all the
additions to Federal territory have been
made under southern administrations !;
end now, as the result of the war with
Mexico, there was another not inferior
to that OF 1898, but which was neverthe-
less, ia the language of the South's
great statesman, "the forbidden fruit"
st the time of the Missouri compromise
the prophetic mind OF this New World
had read the result Of that much-vaunted
business in the foundations on which it
rested. The notes OF alarm fell upon his
ear like "fre-bell in the night" and
with patriots fire he translated to his
countrymen the significance of those
feet part of iron and part of clay,
1.-The leaders OF Federalism, defeated IN
their schemes of obtaining power by
rallying partisans to the principle of
monarchism-a principle Of personal, not
of local division-hsve changed their
tack. and thrown out another barrel
to the whale. They are taking
advantage of the virtuous feel
ing of the people to effect a
division of parties by a geographical
line they expect this will insure them
on local principles the majority they
could never obtain on principles of
Federalism. Are our slaves to be
presented with freedom and dagger ?"
This was what Jefferson termed "trea-
son against human hope" Never was
truer sentence written than one which
has been often, but cannot be too often,
quoted "a geographical line, coin
Gliding with a marked principle, moral
and political, once conceived and held
up to the angry passions of men will
never be obliterated, and every new irri-
tation will mark it deeper and deeper. "
KEPT BY TIE SOUTH.
But never was the power OF persist
ent misstatement so signally exhibited
as in the accepted belief that this COM
promise. reluctantly assented to by the
South as one in derogation of her
rights, was by the South broken and by
the North kept. The opposition to the
compromise came invariably from the
North, whenever the South was the
beneficiary of it. 1t was the South
which proposed the extension of the
line to the Pacific and the North which
rejected it. The settlsment of 1920 had
been already dishonored by denial, and
by denial from the North, when, in
1850, it was ignored and annulled on
both sides of the line. This was the
exceeding wickedness of the South--to
think that the name should correspond
with the reality to think that when
the reality had ceased to exist the utili-
ty OF the name was not excessive; that