The Nome nugget., 1941-07-09
History Of Unity

J United States the republic has been confronted by many crises and at no time has there been complete unity of thought among the people as to how to deal with them. We are indebted to Prof. John Philip Trozell of Dart mouth College for pointing out that most of the critical periods in our nations history were char acterized by a lack of unity which was far more serious and disturbing that the cries now raised by the Lindbergh's, the Wheelers and the TaftS against the policies established by the Government for dealing with the menace of Hitler's dreams of world domination.
 During the Revolutionary per iod a substantial number of the residents of the 13 colonies were opposed to the war with Eng land. These loyalists thought the differences with England could be settled by negotiation and they regarded the American pat riots as bloodthirsty, lawless reb els. Even after the war for inde- pendence was won, disagreement over the kind of union that should be formed almost wreck ed the new republic.
 In 1861, the country was far more disunited than it is today, not only in the sense that there was a clash between the North and the South, but also that the North itself was divided on what course to pursue.
 The outgoing President, Blu chanon, had expressed the belief that the Federal Government had no power to compel the States to remain in the Union; Ex-Presi- dent Pierce had predicted that if the North resisted secession by force there would be bloodshed in the streets of northern cities; even a majority of Lincolns Cab inet opposed the dispatch of arm ed forces to relieve Fort Sum- her.
 Throughout the war the defea ist elements screamed and rail ed against the Lincoln admins tration. A southern sympathizer, Valladingham, was nominated for Governor by the Democrats Of Ohio; Gov. Seymour of New York warned that the Nation fac ed destruction; copperheads flour ished in the border States and Federal troops were required to put down the draft riots in New York City.
 These periods produced lead CTS who did not wait for public sentiment to become united be- fore they acted. On the contrary, the leaders took the steps they believed to be right and public opinion overwhelmingly support cd them.
 Likewise, in 1917, there were members of Congress who vio- lently opposed America's en- trance in 10 the war. Large sec tons of the population were indif ferent to the sinking of Ameri- can ships by German submarines. Many thought England was equally culpable for denying freedom of the seas to American commerce. A presidential cam paign was won on the slogan, 'He kept us out of war" but few months later the Nation sup ported President Wilson with re 1narkable unity when was was declared.
 Who does not recall the doubt and panic that gripped the coun- try during the banking crisis? Anyone who, on March 3, 1883, had suggested that all the banks be closed and only those permit ted to reopen which were found to be in sound condition would have been laughed into obscur- itf or figuratively ridden out of town on a rail, but President | Roosevelt closed the banks the next day and the Nation applaud | ed him in its great release from