The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-12
poLITIcs AND HISTORY.

In an interesting and more or less
thoughtful talk on Republicanism to the
university students. Judge Bowman
late adjutant general National Guard
OF Utah. revives an old New England
theory that the Purtans were "espe-
cially imbued with the spirit of free
dom Of thought and action" while the
cavaliers, as he calls the settlers i'm the
sOuth Atlantic states, were character
lied by their belief that the world
owed them a living and they were en-
titled TO as much of the other fellows
substance and advantages as it was
lawful for them to obtain,
From these two sources the Judge
traces the origin of Republican and
Democratic principles, much to the dis
advantage of the Democrats
Obviously the judge has not read
much history outside OF Republican
sources; and he has not taken much
trouble TO read even Republican au-
thorities or deduce from them the fun
damentai facts of American political
history For instance. although the
cavaliers, in his opinion. were an utter
ly worthless lot, they gave the United
states its first president and COM
nander-in-chief of its armies: they
gave IL Madison and Monroe and JEFF
ferson and John Marshall; they gave
it the draft of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, which used to be regarded as
n notable document; they furnished
Andrew Jackson, who played some
part in the political life, of the nation:
they contributed the most distin-
guished generals in the revolutionary
army, and their troops played no in
conspicuous part in the great battles
OF the war for independence.
In the very crisis of the revolution
when there seemed little hope of vic
tory, when British troops had ravaged
the south and held possession of New
York. when the Continental army was
himself was respondent, those worth
less cavaliers who had gone beyond the
mountains for homes. marched back
through the forests afoot, routed Tarle-
ton, inflicted such injury that the re-
vOlutiOnists again took heart and
paved the way for the union Of forces
that surrounded CORVALLIS and ended
the war at Yorktown.
As to the states rights theory and
secession, the Judge again forgets, if
he ever knew, that a New England
state first threatened to exercise the
right OF n state TO dissolve the Union,
and New England's representatives i'm
the constitutional convention were the
most strenuous advocates OF state
rights. The judge says the southern
cavaliers were responsible for slavery,
yet he ought TO know that the descend
ants OF the Puritans furnished the
ships and maintained the trade that
brought slaves TO this country and
money to shipowners. Jefferson him
self sought to abolish the slave trade.
but he found no cooperation from his
northern friends, nor did they fully
realize the awful evil of slavery them
selves, since they owned and held
slaves.
AS for 'the spirit of freedom OF
thought and action" which imbued the
forefathers OF the Republican party,
Alexander Hamilton, who was regard
ed as a rather influential federalist.
frankly expressed his distrust of the
common people and was anxious to
limit their power in the national gov
eminent. Freedom and liberty OF
thought with him meant freedom for
property-owners and landed proprie-
tors: and the most consistent, ardent
believer in the right and ability Of the
people to govern themselves was the
same Thomas Jefferson whose incon-
sistency grieves Judge Bowman.
In the matter of the tariff the judge
IS again ingenious. The Puritan no
ton of a tariff always has been. and is
today, a tariff that shall give the New
England manufacturers their raw ma
terial free and enable them to charge
what they please for manufactured
goods. IT is the theory which has
reached its ultimate form in the trusts,
which are built on tariff favor and yet