Year: 1877

4


come when this great Republic may be re-


graphical politics. Unfortunately, during


the nearly ninety years since the adoption
of the constitution we have never been


quite exempt from sectional differences In


our politics. This tendency did not start


with the formation Of the government. 1t
antedates the constitution and was active


during the war Of the Revolution. 1t was
then q divergency of views between New
England and the Middle States or between


New England and the Southern States.
After the adoption of the constitution it


took the form Of jealousy between the North
and the South, although at very early
period there were developed symptoms OF
antasonism between the East aud the West.
Washington in his Farewell Address thought
it his duty to warn his countrymen
against the danger OF geographical parties.
I'm contemplating the causes which
may disturb our Union," said he. lit
occurs as matter of serious concern that any
ground should have been furnished for
characterizing parties by geographical dis
ordinations Northern and Southern, At
lantic and Western" He said of such
sectional distinctions :-ssThey tend to rem
der alien to each other those who ought to
be bound together by fraternal affection"
During the greater part of the present CEN
tury there have been no active jealousies
between the East and the West The over


shadowing question Of slavery drew the
line between the North and the South, and
the ever increasing acrimony between


these great sections at last reached such a
pitch th1t there was no solution of the con-
troversy except by resort to arms. But
since the civil war there has been strong
tendency to establish new sectional line
in our politics. The Alleghanies are taking
the place Of the old Mason and Dixon's line,


and the new ''irrepressible conflict" is be-


tween the States of the Atlantic seaboard
and those in the Mississippi Valley. The


West is becoming as arrogant, unreasonable
and fanatical as the South was during the
twenty years which preceded the civil war.


We are again being drawn into vortex Of
geographical politics. The recent proceed
ings in Congress show that the old sectional
division between the North and the South
has been superseded by a new sectional
division between the East and the West,


and the conflict is hardly less bitter and
irreconcilable than were the old spent con-
troversies between the North and the South.
The unreasonable domination of the West
is no more to be submitted to than was the
unreasonable domination Of the South.


The West has been prolific hotbed of
rank heresies ever since the close of the
war. The greenback heresy was the first in
order Of time Its influence in practical
politics was similar to that Of slavery at an
earlier period. During the slavery contro-
versy the democratic party attempted to
trade on that agitation, and it paid the
heavy penalty always incurred by party


which takes the wrong side. In the prog
ress of the controversy not only the demo-
cratic party Of the South, but the whole
South, arrayed itself on the side Of
injustice, just as the West is becoming
practically unanimous for reputation,
although in the beginning the democratic
party pioneered and championed that bad
cause. There is close parallel between
the two agitations. The Northern democrats
were always as much opposed to slavery at
heart as the Eastern democrats are at heart
opposed to the financial heresies of the
West. But demagogues and party
leaders are always too willing to
cater to wrong-headed fanatics, and
some Eastern democrats have shown too
ready proclivity to treat the Western re-
pudiationists with the same indulgence
which was practised by their pro-slavery
predecessors toward the South. Such tam
pering with justice and right is always an
egregious blunder It's inevitable conse-
quence, if persisted in, will be ruin to
the democratic party in the East, as it was
ruined in theNorth by its pro-slavery atti-
tude. The West is already nearly as
unanimous for reputation rs the South
ever was for slavery, and the East
ern democrats will commit another
astounding mistake if they try to keep up
the same relation with the repudiationists
which they continued to maintain with the
pro-slavery fanatics after it had become evil


dent that the whole South was so joined to
it's idol rs to force the North into opposition.
The Eastern democrats are incapable of
profting by experience if they give any
such encouragement TO the West as they


formerly gave to the South.


The West has long shown itself destitute
Of honor or gratitude, and almost Of con-
science or common sense. The war for the


Union was more for the interest of the West


than of any other section. The West is an


inland community, raising vast surplus Of


products which are of no value without n


foreign market. The success Of the rebel
lion would have shut them off from any


Southern outlet except through for


eign territory, and Southern indepen-


dence once achieved there would have


been danger of another split between