Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-03
THE VOICE oF THE NATION


Every crisis in American history has
by Hamilton Out Of the present neTotln
tions with Germany there IL likely TO
! the feeling that the world must understand
that when Washington speaks, IL Is with the
emphatic voice OF the whole nation.
! WTORD comes from Washington that the
| w President told the congressman whom
! he summoned to conference that the Teutonic
Powers look upon the United states as big
mass meeting" rather than as a closely knit
nation. Because Of this impression in Ger
many he was finding 1t difficult to persuade
her representatives here to give proper CON
sideration to the demands of this Government
This may or may not explain the long de
lay in the settlement of the Lusitana con
troversy. But there Is doubt that the fail.
ure of Congress to back him up has handi.
capped him Beginning with Mr.. Bryans re.
marks to the Austrian Ambassador, just be.
fore the Nebraska statesman left the Cabinet,
and continuing to the present, when con
gressonal leaders have been doing their best
to interfere with him, there has been discord
enough for Germany to pretend to believe
that the President was not talking for the
nation.
The history of the country iustfes every
student in concluding that this is not yet
really compact and homogeneous nation. 1t
was with the greatest difficulty that the orig.
inal thirteen colonies were persuaded to sur.
render their Independent existence. state
loyalty was greater than loyalty to the Urted
States. 1t took the great crisis of the War of
1872 to give birth to the national feeling. But
even then the theories of Alexander Hamilton
were still regarded as monarchical rather than
republican
aroused the people and made few of them
think nationally. 1t was not State war, but
a war in which the interests of the whole |
Union were involved Yet statesmen even |
then held that this was not an indissoluble |
Union. and that the States remained in it only |
so long as it pleased them. 1t took the great |
Civil War, more than seventy years after the
adoption of the Constitution to establish the
fact that this permanent federation of |
States. Might made right in that war. The
South was compelled against it's will to ac
cept the view of the North. Since Appomat-
tox the national idea has grown by leaps and
bounds. The Government In Washington has
extended it's oversight to matters which would
not have been considered within its proper
sphere in 1860. We have national laws regu-
ating railroads and combinations of business
men. We find the great party of States rights
theory and it's leaders proposing that Con.
yress authorize the purchase by the central
Government of the railroads and the telephone
and telegraph lines These suggestions are
made because it has been discovered that
orty-nine regulating bodies with jurisdiction
,ver transportation bring confusion. In their
,agerness for regulation the Democrats are
Irging central ownership as the shortest way
o that goal. With the zeal of new converts
o an old established principle they are out
the Republicans in their plans and
purposes.
1t took the Spanish War to arouse the South
o an expression of loyalty TO the Union which
had sought to dissolve. 1t had discovered
through years of peace and increasing pros
erity that whatever might have been the
theoretical justification for it's views in the
iXtes, 1t was better as a matter of practical
Xpediency that there be a single strong
american nation than two jealous and com
etng nations within our territory That
risis removed any lingering doubts in the
yorth about the loyalty of the South
But the action of Congress since the present
,ar began has proved that we must progress
1uch farther before it can properly be said
hat this is a nation all of whose parts are
qually interested in the welfare of the whole.
90 much State and sectional loyalty is find
lg expression and too little national spirit in
hese times when should present a united
ront TO the world We have not learned that
foreign affairs the President is the leader
We forget that he is the executive department.
lone knows the facts and that in the absence
( overwhelming proof that it is wrong it is
ne duty of every loyal American to support
ne Tolicy adopted.
We cannot obtain the respect which is our
ne in the court Of the world unless have
strong centralized government in Washing
IN. which every citizen admits represents
i'm in the conduct of foreign relations. And
our citizens, including our Congressman.
mink that international law is made or un-
ade by them at will, and that the President
lght to take the side of one belligerent or
mother as the apparent material interests Of
lie country dictate and give loud expression
their views they weaken the power of the
xecutive and justify the view which Mr..
yilson says is held abroad
The present crisis is likely, however, TO
-oaden and deepen the national sentiment,
lst as il has been made stronger by every
her test that has been put upon it. The
3tion OF Congress on the issue which the
resident has put up TO it viii disclose the !
)sition which the national idea has reached
its progress toward its ultimate goal.