New-York tribune., 1902-12-23
CIVTI VAR INEVITA BILE.
Charles Francis adams So Says at
Charleston. S. C., Dinner.

the constitutional questions which divided the
country up to 1863 were received with applause.
John Marshall. a great-grandson of the chief
justice. responded to the toast, THE Press. and
Colonel James Arms -rong gave a Southerners
views of Yankee Notions"
Mr. Adams said in part:
For more than century lawyers. jurists and
pubhclsts, journalists poitlclans ana statesInen'
jG4 5eG dGsrms ] i,b e i alIeeispee Wherein
rested soyereigntyZ Was it in the state or IN the
soluble Union OF imperishable States-or was 1t a
mere confederacy cI nations held together solely
by compact upon possible infringements of whicn
each one, 50 far as IL was concerned, was hlal
the beginning; for that matter, is maintained still
SO tar as [ can ascertain, every State OF the led
GRAFTON became a member of the Union with mental
reservations, often unexpressed. growing out of
rect qnderstafdins Of which the action of. each
must studied. Dissatisfied with the past and
last degree provincial and suspicious OF all external
rue ntGnsGy epihon seiIea fb % Oe' fbn or au an
cestry united in most apprehending was central
What did the trainers of the constitution propose?
tradcTion in terms-a divided sovereignty. Sow
ereignty. it was argued, was in the People; Bui
States it was replied are the aggregate of those
inhabiting the particular states Then they began %
to apportiOn sovereignty, obvous of the fact that
sovereignty does not admit OF apportlonment. Purl
conceiving of States planets in their orbits. the
People of the particular states assigned to the na-
modicum on the State governments. and reserved
whatever remained to themselves NOW, II Is VIII
ten, NO man can serve masters for either he
will hate the one and love the oJher. or else ne
everastins truth Of this preeept in thu fuIness Of
Fathers soI;ht to divide the indivisible the result
was written on the wall. 1t was mere question
Thus, intentionally by some of the most farsee-
ing unntentionay by others anxious to effect only
perpetrated on the average American. and his feet
to et the goS he 4 eS dsgned for his oarey end
When the federal constitution was framed and
cd ;v5e min
States'-what was the law of treason--to what or
70 ten WnS d IL ease Mas TO- the To or to his
state? AS a practical question seeing things gta as
legal arguments and metaphysical oiSquiSitionsE;I
immediate reply Of nine men out Of ten in the
dred in the Southern states would have been that.
between the Union and the State. ultimate alie-
tory OF that period. confronted by condi,
aRd uners9n 4 9 t real facts Of that now forgotten
social and political existence in case OF direct ana
ereign nation between i7s8 and lSsi every man was
self; and. whichever way he decided, he was rlSIt
HOW THE SIDES CHANGED.
But see how the sides change-how rapidly hui
mors turn with climes; while, as 70 the principles
a as we sevsTsgnt sge ~ of {be dSnio5
and was slowly perfected by Marshall both more
e6 9F @ a6G Wda in R@rmoay With It Nex9 %
eina and her offspring, Kentucky, are passing the
resolutions of 1898. and arraylng themselves under
the standard of decentralization: The govsrnment
and almost at once again in response to under
lying. unseen influence too strong to resist the
on "A new phase. and as II does so catholc SUR
&tny oeG05es o,1,cs ai Th Trrion ar an
end Jefersonian Virginia supplies fresh aIlnent 10
MeanwhlIe the unseen hand is again 4g at work
and the puppets duly G respond sI ~ aAey taouS n
at all In the light Of development IT Is clear 70 Us
in obedience Influences OF the mere existence OF
which they were at most but vaguely Sonscioqs
n the rss fofe6sst bv Madison IN rs With
much confidence assert in its fundamentals there
was right or wrong about 1t; II was an ineylta-
~ was to be decided, and either side could offer
good eround historical and legal f3r any @ atuIa9s @
a silver as well a golden side
ond war of Gependence-commonIy known as
that Of lhs s65 an and - hoM % OF ,d fhs S gfs' cs
nels Originally @ % they assumed i5Tsssd9e SaS {oTSs
and the Ohio a community was taking shape the
for Chang. north Of the Potomac and the Ohio
but with Eng south Of th9se @ strsas gcs II ~ vas Sn
soil and a system OF forced African labor the
triarchaI conditions becoming and more asri
cultural and as is always the case with a agrenIt @
more closely to their traditions and local in
stitutons Then it that Calhoun. the most
rigid of logiclans. in obedience TO an irresistible
influence of the presence and power Of which be
of 1872 and protectonist OF 1876 turned to the con
stituton; ne began th9S more o1get "a ana f Carf1G
fully the nature and character of our political sys-
%as in seaTe6 Of Bay 5 hs siiaT serun was at
the sane M tt time S gong Gn IN ad Eng soth
changed sides. Before. Chang's side of the shield
99 s9 Eanf that ha Of ERs
Eng recognized 1t as FURNISHED sod OF the the purest
vlnced Both also right, the simple truth
two masters the fundamental law prescribed The
inevitable ensued.
THE INEVITABLE FOLLOWED
But what was the inevitable? That: again. as I
matter of circumstance and time: Fate7the Greek
Of TO my mn % is it's it's
commencement absolutely clear one point After
ssry to the adoption Of the federal constitution
a re the ff2m
ing, became practically an issue OF might Here
Confront usNthe Fates necessity. What at differ
epOohs w0pd d SssR the m mS
period of our history since 1920 single State no
bave made good peaceabiV or otherwise With
drawal in face OF her unitedly dsapprovins sister
force applied the attempt @ would S have resulted P
bsen IN at anV given time with combinaton of
States. acting in sympathy--a combination proper
Whole as was the Confederacy in 1861? hold that
here agan W5s mercy " ts 0 G5 6a time o, ana
have failed OF success at anterior period
in our national history. 1t steam and cleo
tricity which settled the issue sovereignty
not argument. not military skill not wealth, cour-
age or endurance; not even men in arms. Before
1861 steam and electricity, neither on land nor
water had been rendered subservient to man
as to make him equal TO the prodigicus. the un-
prccedented, task then undertaken and finally ac-
cornpIished. In that case might in the end made |
right; but the end in degree a foregone |
A FORECAST OF WHAT FOLLOWED.
In my family records I find a curious bit CT
evidence OF this. and OF the line of