The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-01-14
THE SPIRIT OF NEW ENGLAND.
baltimore Sun.

Baltimore SUM- !
1t was perhaps natural that Governor
Hughes, in making a genial after-dlnner
speech to the New England Society, should
exalt New England and the Puritan ex-
ceedingly. New Englanders have never
been distinguished for their shrinking
modesty, and as the New York Governor
heaped adulation upon them, it is probable
that not one of those who were gathered
around the table blushed in the faintest
degree. Thackery cynically remarked
that if we praise ourselves abundantly
others will praise US. And the truth OF this
is undoubtedly illustrated by New England.
Gov. Hughes said, among other things, to
the New England diners: "This nation
will shrivel up when the New England
spirit loses its power. l recognize that we
are here not to pay tribute to particular
policies or schemes Of government or the
standards that were important at the time,
but to the prevailing strength of govern
ment which has made the spirit of New
England dominant in the development of
our national life.'
In point of fact, it is remarkable how
little the spirit of New England has domi-
mated national life. If we look back to the
formative period of our national life, we
find that of the men who bent the twig in
the way that the tree is now inclined, not
one of them was from New England. One
of them, to-wit, Alexander Hamilton, was
| from the North, but he was not native
nor of Puritan blood. The most conspic-
uous of the others were from the South.
1t was Washington, of Virginia, who
breathed the spirit of patriotism into his
countrymen ;; it was the statesmen of Mary
land who made the United States possible
by insisting upon the surrender by the
various States of their claims to the West
ern country; it was the statesmen of
Maryland who first suggested the more
perfect union of the States; it was the
overwhelming influence of Washington
that caused the achievement of that more
perfect union. ItwasJefferson, of Virginia,
who impressed his spirit and theories Of
government so deeply into the hearts and
minds of Americans that he is still the
political guide for millions Of his country
mon. The "poliey oreohon,o- of our Gov
eminent" towards other governments was
fixed by. Monroe, of Virginia. It was
George Mason, of Virginia, who first put in
written or concrete form those theories of
government and of liberty which were af-
terward embodied in the Declaration of
independence and are now the basic prin-
ciple of the Government of the United
States and of government by the people. It
was the spirit of the South which converted
the Thirteen Original Colonies, stretching
along the Atlantic Coast, into an empire
reaching from ocean to ocean and taking
in the great State of Texas, of Florida and
of California. The narrow spirit of New
England struggled and protested bitterly
against the expansion. 1t was the spirit
of the South, manifested by Clay, of Ken
tucky, native of Virginia, that fought
the second war Of independence and made
the United States free and Independent in
fact as we'll as in theory. And the COM
mercial spirit of New England, preferring
money to liberty, trade to national self
respect, fought against this spirit of indie
pendence in the South and threatened the
destruction of the Union. In the whole
formative period of the Government of the
United States, with the exception of four
years, the national policy was directed by
Presidents from Virginia. In the eighty
years from the election of Washington to
the election of Grant all the Presidents
elected for sixty years were Southern men
or men Of Southern blood. How can Gov.
Hughes say that the spirit of New England
was dominant in the development of our
national life?
A distinguished Maryland clergyman
said not long ago that Jacob was typical
Yankee, while Esau was Southern gen.
tleman. That is to say, Jacob was selfish,
scheming, shrewd, cunning and successful.
Esau was hold, generous, forgiving and
masterful The spirit of New England
has from the beginning been the spirit of
commercialism, narrow, intolerant and
bigoted. It has been ready to burn witches
or to drive out those who were Independent
in thought; ready to fight when it paid to
fight; ready, as in 1912, to accept national
insult when to fight would injure trade.