New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-18

and the evasion Of their authority on the part OF
the different colonies was never based on any
denial of its legality. In foreign relations even
in the act of rebellion against Great Britain not
q single colony betrayed its separate existence.
All acted together under common name
The logical outcome Of the two earlier eras IN
the history Of the American Congress may oe
summed up in the word nationality. But ho'hi"e
would have shocked a considerable minority Vi
the population more than to be maze CONSCIOUS vi
this fact. Left TO itself the American political
instinct would apparently have been content WIN
q federation no stronger than that Of the Achaian
League or the States-General of the Netherlands.
and with a single legislative chamoer. bu' '"e
Revolution and the anarchy that Followed ueNeF
oped a few minds OF an order unknown 10 pre-
vious history The most Formidable specimens
Of this new type OF manhood, born 10 invent
constitution and to make 1t go. were haH'''o"
and Madison. But they were only TWO ai'o"e
many. With these men the develop'heh' Oh A"e'
lean political life took new start. III an III.
slant what had been merely the enlargement %
co,oniaIism was reshaped In the light of historic
study that went back to the very oesihh'"e' VI
freedom in the city states Of ancient times Free
man has complained that the authors OF Inc
Federalist' were somewhat to seek In the Dreeh
LANGUAGE Mover mind They had nothing TO learn
about Greek leagues any more than about the
English Constitution Thus the American Con-
stitution was a profoundly artificial product IN
which colonial tradition was only one among
many elements. Nobody knew exactly what the
new machine would do 1t did not work to the
absolute satisfaction Of anybody. But when a
few years had passed by and people began 10 sum
I'D their impressions OF the elective system. OF the
executive, the judiciary, the bi-cameral iesis-
ature the scheme of finance and all the rest, the
reverence which had been almost matter OF
rhetoric at the outset became an invioable ira
dition
Grayheads here and there be found VINO
remember what they had to do with the sums III
the old Western Calculator" No answers were
given to those problems. and the youthful arith-
metician after he had worked them out had 10
turn around and cipher the whole backward III
order to find out whether he was right or not
With certain obvious restrictions. the American
people have been doing the same thing ever
since the Constitution was adopted. with the
United States Bank the tariff question In all its
variations the question of internal improve
ments the question Of slavery. and. above
all, the assertion and denial of the right or
secession. they have been endeavoring TO hnd
out whether or not the %. E. D." Of the Con-
stitutiOn-makers was irrefragaDle. WIN the
single exception of secession, the Constitution
provided the means for demonstrating It's own
validity. With that exception, the proofs OF the
conclusions as to American life embodied In the
Constitution lie almost wholly in tho records OF
the American Congress. Even secession so far
as 1t could be a matter Of legal settlement with
out the aid of arms. was also disposed OF by Con-
gress. Every problem Of National existence
goes to tie halls Of the Capitol for its final
statement and solution. When the record is
gone over. for example, in book like the one
in hand what excites admiration is the efficiency
Of the machine set agong In 1889. But this book
also raises in the mind the query whether the
golden age of Congress is not already past 1t
has lost the ceremony and the brilliant attire OF
it's earliest days. These IL can easily spare. But
in compari with the Nation over which 1t
presides can it ever again seem so predominant,
Intellectually, as 1t did in the days Of Webster
and Clay and Calhoun? Mr. Moore's brief bio
graphical studies of noteworthy members prove.
If proof were needed that men Of mind still go
to Congress. But not even a Senatorship seems
so large a prize as it nalf century ago.