The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-24


Of Dor unitedly dsapprovin.s sister States. do
not believe. Naturally. or as result Of force
applied, the attempt would have resulted IN
ignominious failure. But how would II nave
been nj any given time with a combination OF
Statss. acting 10 sympathy--a combination
proport ionntcly as considerable when meas
ured with the whole as WAS the Confederacy
in 1912 ] hold that, here again. II was merely
question OF time. and that such withdrawal
ms then took place would never have failed
OF success at any anterior period IN our ma
tional history. II was steam and electricity
which then settled the issue of sovereignty;
not ar gument. not military skill, not wealth,
courage or endurance: not even men IN arms
Before 1861 steam and electricity. neither on
land nor water. had been rendered so sub
servicnt to man as To make him equal 10 the
prod Rioue. the unprecedented. task then
undertaken and finally accomplished. In
that case. might In the end made right; but
the end was in no degree a foregone con-
clision. q
In my own family records find curious
bit OF contemporary evidence of this. and OF
the line Of thought and reasoning then result
Ing therefrom Following the fore sight OF
Madison. J y Adams, noting the set
Of the currents In 1890. bscame iustinctively
persuaded that the North ana the south
would be swept into collision by the forces
OF inherent development. Again and again
did he put thi, belief OF his on record
Contemplating such al eventl1lNv. he. IN
1890. thus expressed himself in public
utterancs. in words which ] have Of lat"
more thnn once seen quoted in support OF the
abstract Constitutional right OF secession
Speaking in New YorI on what was called the
jubilee OF the Constitution. or the fitieth ami
versary OF its adoption he said:
II the da' IN ia ever CO ne may Heaven aver
81 be 70 \ a, OF N, n
shah be a lie iitei from each other, when the fra
iernal san, snail give way To cold Indifference,
or collisions bf Interest s1t Ter into hatred. INC
bands OF po.l.lcal association viii not long hold
10 yegher plrt,ci no longer attracted by the mag
neisn Of conclua'ed Interests and kindly sympa
thies aud far better viii It be for the people OF ,hc
dis united States 10 part In friendship from cach
other than to be held together by coustralnt Then
will be the time for rev. rtng to the precedent
which occurred at the formation and adoption .!
the Constitution, to form again a more perec'
union BY dissovlng that which could no longer
bind and to leave the separate parts to he re-
united by the law OF political gravtation TO the
centre"
In other words foreca sting strife, and meas
urinR the coercive force ava liza BILE at tim
when steam on land and water was In IT,
stages OF earlier development, j. o. Adams
regarded the attempt AZ an assertion OF ma
tional sovereignty as so futile that, thougd
he most potently and powerfully believed
ercise as QuiNotic, and, consequently. not to
be justified. 4 dissolution OF the Union. at
least TEN porarily, he believed to be nevitab bic
SO far AS he could look into the future, Mr.
Adams was right: only--the unexpected WAS
TO occur! Ii did occur and IL settled the aues-
tion In 1883 the preponderance OF popular
feeling and affection was wholly 10 the seal
of State sovereignty, as opposed to tionalitv,
In 1870 the Union was In all proba bi.ity, saved
by being taken from the hands OF its friends,
and. so to speak put out TO nurse with It's
enemies. who from that time were converted
| TO unity: In 1918 the final war of independence
| gave a great impetus to nationality, and the
scales hung even; In 1891 the ire pressibl"
| conflict began to asse / itself ani TOW they
! inclined slightly but distinctly to nationality.
| tue younger OF the two sovereigns asserting
| a supremacy; between 1891 and 1891 science
| threw steam and electricity into his scale
| and, in 1895. they made the other kick the
| beam. But when all " said. merely a fresh
illustration had been furnished Of the truth
Of that Scriptural adage in regard TO di-
| vided service.
Such are the con ciusions rea ched from n
renewed and somewhat careful review Of .
| record frequently scanned by others. They
| found In IL the utcome OF great orations,
lsbored arguments, and the teaching OF in
| divduals I cannot so see il. 1t Is. as read
| 1t. one 10 ns mn jestic Greek tragedy.
LING to the Pontc sea-
| Whose icy current and compulsive course
| Neer feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontic and the Hellespont"--
| 80 that great drama swept on to its BILE
| catastrophe-Fate and necessity ever the
| refrain of its chorus-until. at the end. the
| resounding clash Of arms
For better, for worse, a new era then opened
| In what have this evening said have deal
with past In which. as l see it. the forces
| of nature the unseen hand at the game
decided the issues involved. But there
are times also when men have their turn.
both asserting and establishing their SUI
periority over fate-sha ping destiny to the
desires--triumphing amid the sings and
| arrows OF outrageous fortune, In closing
were to look for such spectacle. fancy |,
would not be in vain nor would my search
be far or long. ] should find it here In the
South. aud Tot least in Charleston. in \ manly
| ada pta ion to unsought for conditions. IL
| the resiliency OF vigorous race casting
calamity lightly aside" a dswdrop from til,
H.