The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-28
WORDS OF A STATESMAN
HON. 4. D. WHITES ADDRESS BE-
 FORE KENT CLUB.

EVOlutlon versus iIeVOlutlOn III Eoiuics-
 Lessons Drawn From History-Loss to
 Us From Our Revolution and the Civil
 War-Growth Rather Than Catastrophe
 Large Audience Greets the Speaker.
 Hon. Andrew D. White, ambassador to Germany, gave the last in the series of Kent club lectures last evening in College street hall on the subject 'Evo- bassador White is a Yale graduate of the class of '53, and is always sure of a large audience to welcome him when he speaks in this city.
 The fact that so broad-minded a statesman as well as one of our ablest scholars and men of letters was to speak on a topic so suggestive at this time brought to hear him a large audi ence, including many prominent cler- gymen, lawyers and other public men of the city. His address contained many ideas that will stay with those who heard him.
 A hearty round of applause greeted the speaker when he was introduced by President Cobbs of the Kent club. He spoke from manuscript, in part as follows.
 Tt is certain that the theory of an evolutionary method in progress is talk ing some hold upon men. Especially is this true of the life of man upon this planet. We see everywhere evidences that man has risen and is still rising. While the quiet method of progress is quite evident, it Is no less true that there has been at times a more violent process.
 Thinking, then, upon this subject, we find that there are two methods of progress-the wider and more general one which includes all the methods of progress and the narrower one in which progress has been, by growth and by change, in environment. l wish to dis tinguish between these two and to con- fine my discussion to evolution by this latter method, or by growth, and to progress by revolution or by catas- trophe.
 "On observation of political progress we observe that it has been more than we could wish by catastrophe. In the first place, let us look at the severance of the American colonies from England, brought about by our Revolutionary war.
 Burke and Pitt. the broadest-mind- ed and ablest English statesmen of that time, labored long and earnestly for the settlement of the trouble by conciliation, and could they have had their way the American colonies would have continued attached to the mother country and the flow of sturdy Scotch, English and Welsh emigrants into this country would have continued instead of being diverted to Australia, Canada and the other British possessions and their places filled by the dregs of con- tinental Europe and undesirable emi- grants. But the method of Pitt and Burke was not to be, and the revolution came instead, the immediate result of which was a great loss of Anglo-Saxon blood and calamity, and, in the long run, the loss of emigrants of English blood to this country.
 Every reasonable man will think that evolution would have prevented much immediate suffering and in the long run would have given us a sounder democracy and a stronger republic.
 Taking the French revolution as our next example, we find that Turgot, the ablest French statesman, strove for the needed reforms by peaceable meth ods. It is certain had his advice and statesmanship been followed constitu- tional liberty would have been reached In several years. Instead of this came the guillotine, mobs, millions of debt and catastrophe. Instead of following the men who believed in the method of Turgot, men like Lafayette and Mira beau, the method of the conservative and liberal fanatics was followed and with it revolution. Instead of reforma- ton came despotism, invasion and the commune.
 Take next our civil war That a contest between freedom and slavery was coming was seen years before. Only one man proposed a statesman like measure to settle the difficulty and that man was Henry Clay. He propos- ed plan for the gradual emancipation of the slaves. It would have cost a total of about S25,000O00 Revolution ists on both sides opposed his plan. At the south by those who believed that the institution of slavery was sanction ed by both the Bible and the constitu- tion. and at the north by those who held as a part of their creed that no man had a right to purchase another man. And so we had political progress by catastrophe, rather than by growth, and at cost of s1 ,OoO, ,0OO, 900 and 1,OOO,- 900 lives.
 Another example Is furnished by the German empire. when Emperor Joseph II attempted to save the empire by peaceable and just reformation, but in stead of following him the object has been obtained by catastrophe. The rul- ing classes would have none of peace able Joseph II, but instead they were plotted out by Napoleon and Bismarck.
 Alexander II of Russia undertook some beneficent reforms. He freed B. GOO 900 slaves, and proposed a constitu- tion and reform in the laws and in local elf-government. I was a young man at that time in Russia and remember the revolution which followed on his assassination. The revolutionary meth cd of the extremists of despotism on the one hand and nihillsm on the other followed.
 There was a change and it seems to- dav that the attpmDt tO SuDDracc fraa