The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-03
Public Sentiment
Is Fully Natdred,
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
n T HAS sometimes happened In great
political crises that farseeing ana
statesmanlike president has been
Ii obliged to delay the formal announce
ment of a progressive policy, in or
der that he might gradually educate the
popular sentiment into agreement WITH
his desires and purposes. Lincoln was
slow in the development of his policy
with regard to slavery FOR instance
waiting for events and obvious neceSsl-
ties TO bring up the public mind to rec
ognition of its wisdom. President Me-
Kinley, however. Is In the fortunate POSI-
tion of a president who has conducted
war In which he has had the unanimous
support and confidence of the entire ma
tion throughc ut its course. we say undn-
imous because the opposition eNpresS@u
I'm a few quarters and by certain newspa-
pers has represented only individual can
tankerousness or pusllanimity and not
any pervasive popular sentiment.
o.
For the first time in our history war
waged by the republic has received the
enthusiastic support of the American peo-
pie, without any division of feeling among
them due to sectional prejudices and ami
mosities or to the asperity OF opposing
political partisanship. Even the war Of
the Revolution itself was won In spite
of Tory indifference. positive obstructlon
or actual treachery. The Mexican war
provoked bitter opposition, In New Eng
land more especially, because OF fear that
1t would result in the particular aggran-
dizement of the system of slavery. The
civil war was an awful contest between
two great divisions of the country, and II
left at its conclusion deep-seated sores
and the curse of lcng-continued sectional
politics. We were a united people for
mally and legally but the essence OF a
spirit inCongruous with unity remained
on both sides. The dominant feeling or
the one was arrayed against that of the
other. Doubt and distrust remained in
| each; and the political campaigns of
nearly a whole generation turned on the
issues of the old conflict more or less di-
rectly. 1t was a period of great and bit
ter trial for the American republic, dur
| ing which the salutary forces tending to
| the naturalization of the American peo-
| pie were held in check.
| Every dictate of interest the very in
stinct of self-preservation, the natural
pride of the people in national expansion
| and development commanded unity; but
| an apparently ineradicable though really
| transitory and superficial sentiment of
| sectional prejudice and resentment Kept
apart u people necessarily joined together
| ence. 1t was not reason which governed,
| but passion, jealousy. suspicion and bit
| ter remembrance; yet throughout this
| unhappy period the nationalizing influ-
| ences continued to operate. The very
| intensity of the sectional animosity ma de
| inevitable its exhaustion. In spite of all
| the bitterness of reproach there remained
the tie of fraternity, only waiting for the
time to come when the fury of strife
| should be succeeded by the joy of recon
| cilaton. A foreign war brought on that
| day of reconciliation. 1t came suddenly
| and Unexpectedly. The period of the per.
| versity of sectional politics, controlled
| by ugly sentiment was at an end for
| ever. President Mckinley became the
president of thoroughly united and har-
| monized nation.
Now when complete victory has attend
| ed the American arms there is like
| consolidation of American sentiment as
to the use which shall be made of 1t. Mr.
| Mckinley does not need to wait for the
slow development of popular feeling ir
| support of a policy to secure in their full.
| ness the advantages won by our arms ir
| the brief but conclusive contest. The
public sentiment as to that matter is toe
| general, too decided, and too emphatic
| in its expressions for any doubt of what
| 1t is to exist in the white house. 1t Is moi
| the froth of wild eXultation over triumph
but sober and reasonable public senti
| ment. Its declaration has not come
| from hurrah-boy assemblages, stirred III
| to inconsderate enthusiasm by the blart
of trumpets and the roaring of drums
| but from business exchanges, CONNER
| cial associations, churches and other rep
| resentatives of the conscience and en-
| lghtened conservatism of the people. In
| stead of there being any popular re
| straint upon President Mckinley in car
| rying out a policy of national expansion
| commensurate with our military and nava
| achievements in the West Indies and th'
| Pacific ocean, there is rather impatienct
at the diplomatic delays in the way o
the execution of such policy.
The first step in the policy of putting
! America into the politics of the worlC
and as a competitor for the commerce q
| the world, by extending its possession:
| to the Pacific islands, was the anneXa
| tion of Hawaii. 1t was the beginning @
the end. President Mckinley does no
need to lead up the people to recogni
| ton of the fact that further national eX
| pansion in the Pacific is the American
destiny. for they have reached it already
He is not forced to wait for them; they
are waiting for him.