The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-19
The New South.

General N. M. Curtis Of New York
delivered last evening at Hartford,
Conn, at the thirty-fifth annual re-
union Of the Society Of the Army of
the Potomac, a notable address. He
did not confine himself to a review Of
scenes which he and his comrades had
passed thru during the civil war, but
directed the attention Of his audience
to the causes Of the war and the prac-
fluence upon the history Of the re-
public.
He contended that 1t was not slav-
cry alone, nor the tariff alone, nor
the disruption Of political parties, nor
the sectional amin osities aroused that
brought on the war, but it was that
vital difference between the north and
the south on the question of the SUI
premacy Of the union over the states
out of which grew all the other
mooted questions. It was this larger
question, comprehending all the
others, out Of which the conflict grew.
A peaceable separation was proposed,
but denied on the ground that "the
union was indissoluble.' And so, the
civil war was inevitable.
At the same time the tariff was
the most influential factor in bringing
about the great clash Of opinion and
the conflict of arms between the two
sections. AS long as the southern
states were more largely consumers
than producers. sympathy with tariffs
| for protection of domestic industries
| was entirely lacking. Now, however,
| as he pointed out, the south is becom-
| ing more Of manufacturing center
than formerly, and the economic pref
erence for encouraging and stimulat-
ing home industry is beginning to per-
| wade the minds of the leading men Of
the south, and, in his view, it would
be practically impossible for war to
be waged again on the issues of 1861,
or any similar ones. The people OF
| all the states were welded thru the
furnace heat of civil war into one
composite nation. This welding. pro-
cess taught the great truth to the south
as we'll as to the north that our sys-
tenn of state government for local
and our system Of federal government
for interstate and International affairs
is the strongest system yet devised for
a free people.
| General Curtis view Is strongly
supported by the attitude Of leading
democrats, particularly the leader OF
| the demOcratic rninoritv in the hon GO
of representatives. Mr.. Williams has
specifically disavowed adherence to
the theories of free trade. He has
confessed sympathy for the theory Of
preference for American industries ir
our tariffs, only insisting that thai
! preference shall be reasonable anc
moderate and fair to the consumer az
well as to the producer.
The ministerial development of thu
south, to which General Curtis refers
is the explanation Of this present atti
tude of the most progressive and per
haps the most influential among tn,
4 democrats. The race question dis
posed of and the people Of the soutl
privileged to express their real sen
timents on questions Of national poll
cy, it is by no means unreasonable t
believe that the policies Of the repub
lican party Of protection, SCUM
money, Panama canal, and such ex
seen circumstances, would receive tn
support of a very large section, If no
a majority of the southern people.