The South and the National Government

The South and the National
Government, by

William Howard Taft This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at
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Title: The South and the National Government
Author: William Howard Taft
Release Date: November 14, 2006 [EBook #19812]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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The South and the National Government
By The Honorable William Howard Taft President-elect of the United
States

An Address Delivered at the Dinner of the North Carolina Society of
New York, at the Hotel Astor, December 7, 1908

%Introduction%
The speech of the President-Elect at the recent annual banquet of the
North Carolina Society, New York, found a warm response in the
hearts of the Northern people, who have not failed to sympathize
deeply with their Southern fellow citizens during their long years of
affliction.
The orator expresses our feelings with rare felicity, and so keenly did
his sentiments touch our hearts, it was resolved to publish his address
and send it to our fellow citizens of the South as the messenger of
peace and perfect reunion from their Northern countrymen.
Our Southern friends will note that no phase of the present unfortunate
situation is neglected by Mr. Taft; all are dealt with in a clear and
masterly manner. The North, as well as the South is enlightened as to
their respective duties toward bringing about the desirable return of the
South to its normal condition politically, so that American citizens in
all sections of our common country will again belong to both of the
great political parties, thus proving to the world that both parties
command the allegiance of good citizens in all parts of the country who
are desirous only for what they believe to be best for the good of the
nation as a whole.
The future President of our common country, North, South, East, and
West, who appeals to us, is a man of large heart, warm sympathies, and
cool brain, of sound judgment and lofty purpose, who has at heart as
one of the greatest possible triumphs of his administration the
restoration of normal political conditions in the South. Under his wise
and sympathetic leadership the writer is sanguine of success--certain of
it if the influential people of all sections give him the support he so
richly deserves in this truly patriotic mission.

ANDREW CARNEGIE.

%The Solid South%
ADDRESS BY MR. WALTER H. PAGE
IN INTRODUCING THE HONORABLE WILLIAM H. TAFT
At the Dinner of the North Carolina Society of New York, at the Hotel
Astor. December 7, 1908
Here, if nowhere else, we leave political parties and preferences alone.
But here, as everywhere else, we are patriotic men; and we North
Carolinians have as our background a community that from the first
showed a singularly independent temper. A freedom of opinion is our
heritage. We once drove a Colonial Governor who disputed our
freedom of political action to the safer shelter of the Colony of New
York; and throughout our history we have shown a sort of passion for
independent action, in spite of occasional eclipses; and that same
temper shows itself now. We are, in fact, never sure that we are right
till half our neighbors have proved that we are wrong.
We are, therefore, and have long been, much distressed by the political
solidity of the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and
Pennsylvania; and we wish that it were broken--not for the sake of the
Democratic party nor for the sake of the Republican party (for the
breach would benefit each alike) but for the sake of greater freedom of
political action by our unfortunate fellow citizens who dwell there.
Where one party has too long and secure power it becomes intolerant
and the other party falls into contempt. Thus these states have become
stagnant or corrupt. For the sake of free political action we wish that
their political solidity might be broken, so that the whole conscience
and character of their people might find full political expression. What
constructive influence have they, or have they in recent years had, in
the nation's thought and political progress?
For the same reasons we have taken an especial pleasure in the recent

breaking up of Ohio, Minnesota, and Indiana--where on the same day
presidential electors of one party and governors of the other party were
chosen; for this breaking asunder of party dominance makes both