The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-09
SEATTLE. MONDAY. JAN. o.
CLEvELAND's RESEMBLANCE TO
LINCOLN.

LINCOLN.
Congressman Breckinr.dge, in his ad.
dress at the celebration of Jackson's day
in New York city Saturday evening, said:
submit that the qualities of jefferson and
Jackson reappeared in Abraham Lincoln and
are possessed By Grover Cleveland
Cleveland came ike Jefferson, to re-estsblish
the principles OF the constitution. He came
like Jackson 10 use the powers OF his Office to
carry out the will of the people without fear or
favor, without personal prejudice or passion, as
the leader of all the Democrats, as the chosen
chief OF the great and successful party, and
thereby president of the whole people.
It will be difficult for anybody familiar
with the history of Jefferson, Jackson and
Lincoln TO find that any of their peculiar
and distinctive virtues have been repeated
IN Grover Cleveland. There was no re-
sembiance whatever between Jefferson
and Lincoln; as a statesman Mr.. Lincoln
was an old Wing welded to the Hamil-
ton, John Marshall and Daniel Webster
construction of the constitution; he be-
lieyed in Federal supremacy, detested the
doctrine of state supremacy of which
Jefferson, who drew the Kentucky esolu-
tons of 1795, was the author. The Ken
lucky resolutions as originally drawn by
Jefferson contained the doctrine of nulli-
fication OF Federal law by state au-
thority, which was adopted by Calhoun
and the people of South Carolina as early
as 1927 as a practical and available remedy
against the tariff laws. Notification has
been correctly described as Jacobinism;
as revolution made a constant political
means and brought into the business of
everyday life" For this serpent seed of
notification, secession and civil war Jet
ferson was responsible; he was the father
OF it and the sponsor of il, and the author
ity of his name was what recommended it
in 1927. the year following JeGerson's
death.
Mr.. Lincoln certainly had no sympathy
with this Jeifersonian theory of the consti-
tuition, but was obliged to wage war for
four years to restore the Union, which an
armed effort to establish the Jeffersonian
theory OF the supreme right of secession
had broken up. Had 1t not been for JEFF
ferson there would have been no nullifca-
ton in 1882; no civil war in 1876, and
no President Lincoln rising to supreme
craftsmanship by its suppression; the
suppression Of Jeffersonism in arms. No
resemblance here between the states
manship and constitutional theories
of Lincoln aud those of the arch
incendiary of the constitution and
the Union, Thomas jefferson. While Mr..
Lincoln was suppressing rebellion whose
seed was sown by the hand of Jefferson,
Grover Cleveland was hostile TO Lincoln's
efforts and in full sympathy with Jetfer-
sonism, Calhounism and its armed defend
ers under JEFF Davis
Mr.. Cleveland was therefore very close
10 Jefferson and very distant and different
from Lincoln. Jackson had nothing in
common with Jefferson or Cleveland, for
like Lincoln, he was obliged to use his
authority TO throttle notification, adopted
by Calhoun from Jefferson, so that Jack
son had nothing in common with Jefferson
or with Cleveland, a latter-day believer in
Jefferson's state sovereignty heresy, which
included notification, secession and civil
war. and opposed 10 Lincoln's efforts TO
suppress il. Only in the matter OF their
common executive patriotic opposition to
the establishment of Jetfersonian Jacobin-
ism, in the shape OF notification, secession
and civil war, was there any resemblance
between Jackson and Lincoln. Lincoln
had an eye single TO the public good and n
ConcienCe clean, even rs had George Wash
ington, while Jackson was a far lower
type-a passionate. lawless, arbitrary man,
who wanted his own way, and generally
: oil ),
vices OF Jack sons character his arrogance.
his selfish imperiousness ana his arbitrary
temper were not reelected at ali in Lincoln,
but do color something the character OF
Cleveland.
In conclusion 1t may be said that Lin
coin had nothing in common with Jeffer.
son or Cievelaud: nothing in common
with Jackson. save his patriotic resistance
60 JefTersonism. gjrt in the garments OF
treason and the threatening sword sna
torch OF rebe,lion and civil war in lie right
hand. Cleveland had nothing in common
with Jefferson save his poisonous consti-
tutional heresies; he had none Of Jack.
son's devotion to the Union; none of his
rugged military virtues, but his actions 10
recall at times those great vices OF Jack.
sons temper and conduct that made his
iudicioas friends g.ieve. Mr.. Cleveland re-
calls nothing but the political heresies OF
Jefferson; nothing but the odjoas trait,
ofJsckson unrelieve6 by his patriotism
Mr.. Cleveland recalls nothing whatever O.
lincoln: he does not recall his PATRIOTISM
his incisiye logic. his eloquence. his VT
and humor, his benevolence, his human
ity, his siatesmAnship. Indeed Mr.. C.ove.
land does not recall any body il psF;lcu-
lar that has been foremost III the history
of the country save Andrew Johnson. 4
man Of less intellect aud native intellectual
force than Mr. Johnson. Mr.. Cleveland
does recall the coarse. demagogus hava,
and quality Of Lincoln's immediate sue
cessor.