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Chapter 6
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
A. sovereignty
B. territory
C. universal suffrage
D. diplomatic recognition
A. has a territory.
B. has an internal organization.
C. does not recognize as legitimate any higher authority.
D. has independence.
3. In the United Nations, there is a legal equality between states because of the principle of
A. reciprocity.
B. distributive justice.
C. sovereignty.
D. analyticity.
4. ____________ has the smallest population of any state while ________ has the largest
population.
A. Luxembourg; India
B. Liechtenstein; China
C. San Marino; Brazil
D. The Holy See (Vatican); China
A. Albania
B. Bosnia-Herzegovina
C. Palestine
D. the Holy See
6. Nationals of which state can continue to vote in presidential elections even though they have
emigrated to the United States?
A. Mexico
B. Jamaica
C. Canada
D. Cuba
7. All of the following are true about the conditions surrounding the founding of Israel except
A. 1776.
B. 1948.
C. 1980.
D. 1977.
9. Which of the following is not an important reason for states to seek diplomatic recognition?
A. States are the only legal entities that can buy weapons from another state.
B. States are the only legal entities that can sell government bonds.
C. Diplomatic recognition helps states to establish geographic boundaries.
D. It is much easier to establish international trade relations with other states.
10. An example of a state that continues to exist legally in spite of lacking internal organization would
be
A. Somalia.
B. Kenya.
C. Puerto Rico.
D. Taiwan.
11. When a state's population grants it the authority to make rules and to govern, the state has
A. sovereignty.
B. legitimacy.
C. nationhood.
D. popularity.
12. Separatist movements challenge which of the following criteria for a state?
A. internal organization
B. diplomatic recognition
C. domestic support
D. population
14. The informal agreement that is forged between citizens and the state is often know as
15. Hobbes argued that humans abandoned the state of nature for which of the following reasons?
16. Locke argued that humans abandoned the state of nature for which of the following reasons?
A. if democracies disband their militaries, war can be eliminated from the world.
B. democracies refuse to go to war.
C. democracies prefer to negotiate, but go to war if necessary.
D. democracies will go to war, but only against authoritarian countries.
A. hard power.
B. relative power.
C. fuzzy power.
D. soft power.
21. Which perspective is most likely to dismiss the concept of soft power?
A. realism
B. liberalism
C. constructivism
D. Marxism
A. hard power.
B. soft power.
C. relative power.
D. balance of power.
25. Which powerful country has a limited impact on international politics because it has a limited "will
to power?"
A. China
B. India
C. Russia
D. Japan
26. Many are concerned that the Iraq War has diminished U.S.
A. hard power.
B. soft power.
C. relative power.
D. relational power.
27. Which of the following is not considered part of a country's power assets?
A. Military strength
B. Economic strength
C. Leadership
D. Age
28. Multilateral diplomacy involves
29. The major tensions between the United States and North Korea in recent years have been over
which issue?
A. it lacks a government.
B. many countries officially consider it to be a part of China.
C. it has declared independence seven different times.
D. it is a territory officially shared by the United States and China.
31. The U.S. toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan was prompted by the
A. Monarchism
B. Communism
C. Fascism
D. Hard power
33. Prior to the 20th century most diplomacy was
A. public.
B. bilateral.
C. multilateral.
D. parliamentary.
34. Multilateral diplomacy has increased for all of the following reasons except
35. In 2002, negotiations broke down between U.S. President George W. Bush and German
Chancellor
A. Gerhard Schroder
B. Angela Merkel
C. Henry Kissinger
D. Nicolas Sarkozy
36. According to the authors, which of the following is not an advantage of leader-to-leader
diplomacy?
A. open diplomacy.
B. parliamentary diplomacy.
C. multilateral diplomacy.
D. democratized diplomacy.
39. The infusion of interest groups, legislatures and public opinion into the foreign policy process is
referred to as
A. open diplomacy.
B. parliamentary diplomacy.
C. multilateral diplomacy.
D. democratized diplomacy.
40. The idea that for negotiations to be successful solutions must be acceptable at the international
and domestic level is known as
A. balance-of-power theory.
B. two-level game theory.
C. a zero-sum game.
D. the negotiator's dilemma.
41. U.S. efforts to win votes for a UN Security Council resolution supporting the U.S. invasion of Iraq
would be an example of
A. parliamentary diplomacy.
B. democratized diplomacy.
C. public diplomacy.
D. multilateral diplomacy.
A. open diplomacy.
B. democratic diplomacy.
C. image diplomacy.
D. public diplomacy.
A. it is rarely effective.
B. countries may have to follow through on their threats.
C. it makes it impossible to use incentives.
D. states often are unaware of threats being made against them.
A. frame an issue narrowly, avoiding overreactions and distraction from other issues on the
agenda.
B. invoke images of national survival or world peace.
C. put an issue before the UN or other IGO to avoid media attention.
D. limit a leaders access to information on an issue.
48. When states attempt to frame an issue as a core principle, then they are attempting to
49. Since the middle of the 20th century the number of states has
A. remained constant.
B. increased slightly.
C. doubled.
D. decreased slightly.
52. Of people killed in wars over the last 500 years, the 20th century has seen
55. A common criticism of the national interest as a guide for foreign policy is that
A. political party.
B. power elite.
C. management gurus.
D. activists.
57. One argument that states are destructive rests on their tendency to kill their own citizens. How
many people, according to one estimate, have died as a result of tyranny and genocide?
A. 800,000
B. 8 million
C. 80 million
D. 800 million
58. Which of the following is not cited as a reason that states are destructive?
A. too destructive.
B. too limited.
C. too powerful.
D. no longer functional.
60. When asked about the future of the sovereign state as a mode of political organization, most
political scientists
A. recognize not only the decline of the state, but are reasonably certain that it will be displaced
by a new mode of political organization sometime in the 21st century.
B. recognize the decline of the state, but do not predict its demise in the foreseeable future.
C. dismiss claims on the decline of the state as belonging to a small minority of scholars.
D. dismiss claims on the decline of the state and assert that, to the contrary, the state has only
grown stronger in recent years.
True False
62. Sometimes a small country, though sovereign, is so dominated by a powerful neighbor that its
independence is questionable.
True False
True False
True False
True False
66. A zero-sum gain in power by one state inevitably means a loss by another state.
True False
67. A state's power depends in part on the situation and context in which the power is being applied.
True False
68. Today multilateral diplomacy is more common than it was several hundred years ago.
True False
69. Leader-to-leader diplomacy rarely accomplishes anything because it involves only low-level
officials.
True False
70. Political executives are generally the only political actors shaping foreign policy.
True False
71. The politics that occur within IGOs are sometimes referred to as parliamentary diplomacy.
True False
72. Crafting a positive public image of a state is an important part of modern diplomacy.
True False
73. A major disadvantage of low level diplomacy is that it often closes off options and results in
inflexible positions.
True False
74. One reason states are increasingly seen as obsolete is that many problems require coordinated
international efforts to solve.
True False
True False
78. Describe the motivations put forward by Locke and Hobbes for the creation of governments.
83. How has the democratization of diplomacy affected the power of political executives to make
foreign policy?
87. Why do realists tend to place great emphasis on the concept of national interest?
88. List three arguments that some scholars use against an emphasis on national interest.
89. Briefly explain the two alternatives to national interest.
90. List three reasons why states are likely to remain the major political units of the international
system.
91. Discuss how the criteria for a state are somewhat flexible. Cite examples.
92. Explain the instrumental theory of government and reflect upon how Locke and Hobbes would
have seen the purpose of the state.
93. Attempt to rank the five most powerful states in the international system. Justify your ranking
according to the concepts presented in the text.
94. What are the characteristics of modern diplomacy? What has driven this change in the art of
diplomacy?
95. Leader-to-leader diplomacy has become increasingly common. What are the advantages of this
type of diplomacy? What are the drawbacks?
96. What is meant by the "democratization of diplomacy?" How does the democratization of
diplomacy affect negotiations?
97. What is public diplomacy (give examples)? How does public diplomacy relate to a state's power?
98. What diplomatic maneuvers can be used to make a strong stand on an issue?
99. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using national interest as a standard of conduct. In
your opinion, which type of interest should drive foreign policy? Why?
100.Scholars continue to argue about the future role of states. What is your prediction? Be sure to
include the various arguments and offer examples.
Chapter 6 Key
A. sovereignty
B. territory
C. universal suffrage
D. diplomatic recognition
Boyer - Chapter 06 #1
A. has a territory.
B. has an internal organization.
C. does not recognize as legitimate any higher authority.
D. has independence.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #2
3. In the United Nations, there is a legal equality between states because of the principle of
(p. 132)
A. reciprocity.
B. distributive justice.
C. sovereignty.
D. analyticity.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #3
4. ____________ has the smallest population of any state while ________ has the largest
(p. 133) population.
A. Luxembourg; India
B. Liechtenstein; China
C. San Marino; Brazil
D. The Holy See (Vatican); China
Boyer - Chapter 06 #4
5. According to some, which state does not have physical borders?
(p. 133)
A. Albania
B. Bosnia-Herzegovina
C. Palestine
D. the Holy See
Boyer - Chapter 06 #5
6. Nationals of which state can continue to vote in presidential elections even though they have
(p. 134) emigrated to the United States?
A. Mexico
B. Jamaica
C. Canada
D. Cuba
Boyer - Chapter 06 #6
7. All of the following are true about the conditions surrounding the founding of Israel except
(p. 134)
A. 1776.
B. 1948.
C. 1980.
D. 1977.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #8
9. Which of the following is not an important reason for states to seek diplomatic recognition?
(p. 134)
A. States are the only legal entities that can buy weapons from another state.
B. States are the only legal entities that can sell government bonds.
C. Diplomatic recognition helps states to establish geographic boundaries.
D. It is much easier to establish international trade relations with other states.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #9
10. An example of a state that continues to exist legally in spite of lacking internal organization
(p. 135) would be
A. Somalia.
B. Kenya.
C. Puerto Rico.
D. Taiwan.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #10
11. When a state's population grants it the authority to make rules and to govern, the state has
(p. 136)
A. sovereignty.
B. legitimacy.
C. nationhood.
D. popularity.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #11
12. Separatist movements challenge which of the following criteria for a state?
(p. 136)
A. internal organization
B. diplomatic recognition
C. domestic support
D. population
Boyer - Chapter 06 #12
14. The informal agreement that is forged between citizens and the state is often know as
(p. 136)
16. Locke argued that humans abandoned the state of nature for which of the following reasons?
(p. 136)
A. if democracies disband their militaries, war can be eliminated from the world.
B. democracies refuse to go to war.
C. democracies prefer to negotiate, but go to war if necessary.
D. democracies will go to war, but only against authoritarian countries.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #17
A. hard power.
B. relative power.
C. fuzzy power.
D. soft power.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #20
21. Which perspective is most likely to dismiss the concept of soft power?
(p. 143)
A. realism
B. liberalism
C. constructivism
D. Marxism
Boyer - Chapter 06 #21
23. When scholars evaluate the power capacities of countries in relation to one another they are
(p. 144) examining
A. hard power.
B. soft power.
C. relative power.
D. balance of power.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #23
A. China
B. India
C. Russia
D. Japan
Boyer - Chapter 06 #25
26. Many are concerned that the Iraq War has diminished U.S.
(p. 143)
A. hard power.
B. soft power.
C. relative power.
D. relational power.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #26
27. Which of the following is not considered part of a country's power assets?
(p. 144)
A. Military strength
B. Economic strength
C. Leadership
D. Age
Boyer - Chapter 06 #27
A. it lacks a government.
B. many countries officially consider it to be a part of China.
C. it has declared independence seven different times.
D. it is a territory officially shared by the United States and China.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #30
31. The U.S. toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan was prompted by the
(p. 151)
A. Monarchism
B. Communism
C. Fascism
D. Hard power
Boyer - Chapter 06 #32
A. public.
B. bilateral.
C. multilateral.
D. parliamentary.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #33
34. Multilateral diplomacy has increased for all of the following reasons except
(p. 147)
35. In 2002, negotiations broke down between U.S. President George W. Bush and German
(p. 149) Chancellor
A. Gerhard Schroder
B. Angela Merkel
C. Henry Kissinger
D. Nicolas Sarkozy
Boyer - Chapter 06 #35
36. According to the authors, which of the following is not an advantage of leader-to-leader
(p. 149) diplomacy?
A. open diplomacy.
B. parliamentary diplomacy.
C. multilateral diplomacy.
D. democratized diplomacy.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #38
39. The infusion of interest groups, legislatures and public opinion into the foreign policy process
(p. 149) is referred to as
A. open diplomacy.
B. parliamentary diplomacy.
C. multilateral diplomacy.
D. democratized diplomacy.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #39
40. The idea that for negotiations to be successful solutions must be acceptable at the
(p. 149) international and domestic level is known as
A. balance-of-power theory.
B. two-level game theory.
C. a zero-sum game.
D. the negotiator's dilemma.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #40
41. U.S. efforts to win votes for a UN Security Council resolution supporting the U.S. invasion of
(p. 150) Iraq would be an example of
A. parliamentary diplomacy.
B. democratized diplomacy.
C. public diplomacy.
D. multilateral diplomacy.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #41
42. A drawback of open diplomacy is that
(p. 150)
43. An effort to craft an image of one's country to project to the world is known as
(p. 157)
A. open diplomacy.
B. democratic diplomacy.
C. image diplomacy.
D. public diplomacy.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #43
A. it is rarely effective.
B. countries may have to follow through on their threats.
C. it makes it impossible to use incentives.
D. states often are unaware of threats being made against them.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #46
47. According to the authors, minimizing a dispute means to
(p. 156)
A. frame an issue narrowly, avoiding overreactions and distraction from other issues on the
agenda.
B. invoke images of national survival or world peace.
C. put an issue before the UN or other IGO to avoid media attention.
D. limit a leaders access to information on an issue.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #47
48. When states attempt to frame an issue as a core principle, then they are attempting to
(p. 156)
49. Since the middle of the 20th century the number of states has
(p. 159)
A. remained constant.
B. increased slightly.
C. doubled.
D. decreased slightly.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #49
54. Disease transmission is increasingly becoming a global rather than national issue because
(p. 162)
55. A common criticism of the national interest as a guide for foreign policy is that
(p. 162-
163)
A. political party.
B. power elite.
C. management gurus.
D. activists.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #56
57. One argument that states are destructive rests on their tendency to kill their own citizens. How
(p. 164) many people, according to one estimate, have died as a result of tyranny and genocide?
A. 800,000
B. 8 million
C. 80 million
D. 800 million
Boyer - Chapter 06 #57
58. Which of the following is not cited as a reason that states are destructive?
(p. 163-
164)
59. Scholars predict the demise of the state for all of the following reasons except that the state is
(p. 161-
164)
A. too destructive.
B. too limited.
C. too powerful.
D. no longer functional.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #59
60. When asked about the future of the sovereign state as a mode of political organization, most
(p. 166) political scientists
A. recognize not only the decline of the state, but are reasonably certain that it will be
displaced by a new mode of political organization sometime in the 21st century.
B. recognize the decline of the state, but do not predict its demise in the foreseeable future.
C. dismiss claims on the decline of the state as belonging to a small minority of scholars.
D. dismiss claims on the decline of the state and assert that, to the contrary, the state has only
grown stronger in recent years.
Boyer - Chapter 06 #60
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #61
62. Sometimes a small country, though sovereign, is so dominated by a powerful neighbor that its
(p. 132) independence is questionable.
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #62
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #63
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #64
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #65
66. A zero-sum gain in power by one state inevitably means a loss by another state.
(p. 144)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #66
67. A state's power depends in part on the situation and context in which the power is being
(p. 145- applied.
146)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #67
68. Today multilateral diplomacy is more common than it was several hundred years ago.
(p. 147)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #68
69. Leader-to-leader diplomacy rarely accomplishes anything because it involves only low-level
(p. 148) officials.
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #69
70. Political executives are generally the only political actors shaping foreign policy.
(p. 149)
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #70
71. The politics that occur within IGOs are sometimes referred to as parliamentary diplomacy.
(p. 150)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #71
72. Crafting a positive public image of a state is an important part of modern diplomacy.
(p. 157)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #72
73. A major disadvantage of low level diplomacy is that it often closes off options and results in
(p. 152) inflexible positions.
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #73
74. One reason states are increasingly seen as obsolete is that many problems require
(p. 160- coordinated international efforts to solve.
161)
TRUE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #74
FALSE
Boyer - Chapter 06 #75
78. Describe the motivations put forward by Locke and Hobbes for the creation of governments.
Hobbes believed that people sought security; Locke believed that people sought to create a
better life through cooperation. Nuanced answers might draw on their similarities too.
A sovereign is sovereign when it possesses supreme legal authority over a given territory.
Sovereignty also marks an equality between states, as seen in the UN and other IGOs.
Hard power is the ability to make a state do something. Soft power is the power of attraction,
and provides a positive image.
Technology makes communication and travel faster, problems that cannot be solved by one or
two states, growing norms of multilateralism.
83. How has the democratization of diplomacy affected the power of political executives to make
foreign policy?
More actors are involved in the foreign policy process (legislatures, interest groups, public
opinion). This leaves political executives less influential than they once were.
For negotiations to be successful a solution must be acceptable to the other country (the
international level) and to the political actors within ones own country (the domestic level).
It can "paper over" differences and also leaves the door open for a retreat from a policy
position.
Maximizing an issue usually involves linking it to some core principle. This makes it very hard
for a state to back down on the issue.
Realists argue that we live in a Darwinian political world, where states that do not promote
their own interests will become prey for those that do.
88. List three arguments that some scholars use against an emphasis on national interest.
It is subjective, assumes that a common interest exists, leads to conflict and inequity, reflects
the interests of the powerful, and is shortsighted.
Global interest: The world would be better served if people defined themselves politically as
citizens of the world along with, or perhaps in place of, their sense of national political
identification. Individual interests: Individuals are concerned with their own welfare and
interests, such as political identification, that may shift from issue to issue.
90. List three reasons why states are likely to remain the major political units of the international
system.
Nationalism remains a strong force, states can adapt to the changing world, there has been an
increase in the number of services demanded from states, sovereignty has always been
relative, states may be the best available form of organization, IGOs have not yet proven
effective governance mechanisms, the national interest can not be set aside.
92. Explain the instrumental theory of government and reflect upon how Locke and Hobbes would
have seen the purpose of the state.
States are instruments to achieve purposes and are legitimate only as long as they achieve
these ends. Although both Locke and Hobbes argued that humans left the "state of nature"
and formed social contracts between individuals and the state, they differed in their
explanations for what drove this process. Locke emphasized that humans could only create a
better life through cooperation, which required government. Hobbes argued that the state of
nature was highly dangerous and states emerged to provide stability and safety.
93. Attempt to rank the five most powerful states in the international system. Justify your ranking
according to the concepts presented in the text.
A good answer will list five countries and reference both specific elements of power (military,
economic, population, image, leadership, and so on). A stronger answer will link these
elements of power to concepts such as soft and hard power, absolute and relative power,
subjective and objective power and will to power.
Emphasis should be placed on technology as enabling more frequent contacts and the
proliferation of states following the collapse of colonialism. Also, the increase in the number of
democratic states has changed diplomacy by interjecting public opinion and legislatures into
the foreign policy process. Strong answers will link these changes to the rise of multilateralism.
95. Leader-to-leader diplomacy has become increasingly common. What are the advantages of
this type of diplomacy? What are the drawbacks?
A good answer will identify the symbolic value of summit meetings as well as their potential for
producing break thoughts. The drawbacks include potential for miscommunication, the
personalization of relations should things go wrong, and the tremendous physical toll travel
can take on leaders. A strong answer will also emphasize the value of forging personal
friendships between leaders and will note the dangers of miscommunication resulting from
telephone discussions.
96. What is meant by the "democratization of diplomacy?" How does the democratization of
diplomacy affect negotiations?
Democratized diplomacy bring more actors into the policy process (interest groups, the public,
legislatures). Good answers will note that this constrains political executives. A strong answer
will also link the democratization of diplomacy to two-level game theory.
Public diplomacy involves the crafting of an image that helps a state to achieve its larger
goals. This involves the invocation of symbols and the choreographing of communications.
Examples include the U.S. ad campaigns or radio and TV broadcasts as well as symbolic
trips. Strong answers will link this to the concept of soft power in which a states ability to
influence others depends on the attractiveness of the state as an example.
98. What diplomatic maneuvers can be used to make a strong stand on an issue?
Good answers will identify several different techniques available to states. This might include
maximizing an issue, linking an issue, using high- level diplomacy, and being precise.
99. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using national interest as a standard of conduct. In
your opinion, which type of interest should drive foreign policy? Why?
Answers should include the realist argument for national interest and list the criticisms. Global
and individual interests should be listed as alternatives. Various arguments are outlined in the
text. Better answers will include the student's own analysis and recommendation.
Answers should be based on the arguments in the text regarding the continued existence of
the state. The state is a resilient phenomenon. States are being strengthened as increasingly
complex domestic and international systems create new demands for services. Sovereignty is
a relative principle and a dynamic concept. Sovereign states are more readily defendable than
other forms of political organizations. IGOs have yet to be proven to be effective alternatives to
the state. Several arguments were also made regarding the deteriorating nature of the state:
The characteristics that define states are ambiguous in many ways. Global and individual
interests challenge national interests. IGOs offer a potential means to combat issues like
disease and economic support that states alone cannot provide.
Category # of Questions
Boyer - Chapter 06 100
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aptness as to give them the power of living arguments, as he offers
them in evidence of the wisdom of his own views and the tenable
nature of the positions he has taken.
It was proposed to bring all troops to a three years’ basis, and then
refund at the rate of fifty-five dollars a man. Thus, Pennsylvania, with
three hundred and sixty-six thousand three hundred and twenty-six
men, which, reduced to a three years’ basis, gave two hundred and
sixty-seven thousand five hundred and fifty-eight, which at the rate
proposed made the claim of that state fourteen million seven
hundred and fifteen thousand six hundred and ninety dollars. The
Gettysburgh battle alone had cost the state seven hundred thousand
dollars, and as for that and other service she had furnished men for
a much shorter period than three years, the whole number of men
were reduced nearly one hundred thousand to get them all on the
three years’ basis.
No question commanded a more wide-spread or deeper attention for
years subsequent to the war than the question of money, and it
behooved any man with the aspirations of a statesman, to make a
long and thorough study of it.
“Reading,” it is said, “makes a full man, speaking a ready man.” He
was both reader and speaker, and so proved the truth of the maxim,
by being both a full and a ready man; and he never allowed himself
to get empty. It was the knowledge of the day, most valuable to him,
with which he was filled, as well as that which came from historical
research.
It was about this time that, as a member of the committee on military
affairs, and while the conduct of the office of provost-marshal
general was being investigated, that he had his lively tilt with Mr.
Roscoe Conkling, and brought out all of his powers of wit and
sarcasm, showing him more than a match for the gentleman. It was
undoubtedly the most brilliant intellectual contest of the session. Ex-
Governor Morrill says, “It was a pretty lively time, but they were boys
then, and probably are better friends to-day, though it is certainly
evident they both did their best.”
Consistency in legislation seemed a law with Mr. Blaine, so that the
House should not be found contradicting itself on the military
functions of the president. Indeed the powers of government are so
nicely balanced between the executive and the Senate and House,
that great watchfulness is needed that there be no conflict; and new
members,—and sometimes old members,—are found transgressing
legitimate bounds. For instance, there was a section to a bill that
“until the fourth day of July, in the year 1870, all persons who
voluntarily adhered to the late insurrection, giving it aid and comfort,
shall be excluded from the right to vote for representatives in
congress, and for elections for president and vice-president of the
United States.” He at once raised the question of bad faith, because
on July 17, 1862, they had authorized the president to grant pardon
and amnesty to any person, state or part thereof, that was in
rebellion.
And to this effect President Lincoln did issue a proclamation, and
hundreds, and perhaps thousands of pardons were granted. And in
1865 President Johnson issued his celebrated amnesty
proclamation, pardoning all below the military rank of colonel, who
had participated in the Rebellion, excepting certain classes.
One thing is clearly manifest in all of Mr. Blaine’s operations in
congress,—he thoroughly enjoys it all; he is at home, and feels so
constantly. He can trust himself; there is no striving for effect. He
never gets lost in depths, nor aground upon shallows. He can fish in
deep water, or seine near shore. It is quite noticeable how he will go
with the passage of a motion from some minor detail of internal
revenue to the gravest questions of constitutional law. It was said
once by a great preacher who was pastor of a large church, editor of
a large paper, and engaged in writing a book, that he had to live in
those three great spheres, transporting himself daily from one to
another, as he worked in each. But here were not less than a dozen
great departments with which one must be as familiar as with the
rooms of his dwelling, and have in possession, living, present,
trenchant facts; the latest phases of new, fresh life, and the old and
musty as well. For it will not do to blunder in congress; it is
blundering before the nation, and before the world. The folks at
home will find it out right off, and worst of all you will find it out, and a
man will feel so terribly small, and ashamed, and mean, and it will be
such desperate hard work to own up, and sit down with all-hands
looking straight at you.
It is one of the first matters of congressional courtesy, to let anyone
ask you a question. And this is all done so blandly, and in such
elegant diction, one is almost charmed by the tones so as scarcely to
get hold of the question itself; but that question is like the bee, so
bright and beautiful, and musical withal, and yet it has a sting.
What is denominated “brass,” in modern parlance, will not serve
one’s purpose. It is at once detected by its sound, and then
confusion comes,—it will come, it must come, and brass cannot
prevent it.
The present was a long, tedious term, and kept the members well
into the summer. The internal-revenue laws must be properly
adjusted; the army re-organized; settlers were pouring, by the
thousand, and actually by the hundred thousand, into the great
region between the Missouri and the Pacific,—so much so that the
lieutenant-general urges congress to provide the means requisite for
their protection, as a great body of citizens who are filling up the
country, rendering it productive, and erecting states; and beside
these, a multitude of other things are demanding attention.
And then, after adjournment, comes the great campaign, in which
the thirteenth amendment is submitted to the suffrage of the people.
Two-thirds of the states must endorse it to make it organic law, and
this they do right heartily, and congress resumes its session the first
Monday in December. It is the second session of the thirty-ninth
congress, and the second of Mr. Blaine’s second term.
Mr. Blaine had a very eligible seat, at the left of the speaker, and well
in front; almost within reach of him sat Garfield.
The first day of the session Mr. Blaine made a move for the repeal of
the three cents per pound tax on raw cotton, which was finally
carried. This was a move which affected every home, and especially
the laboring classes; for older ones do not forget how enormously
high cotton goods were in war times and subsequently, and so have
little difficulty in understanding the importance of such a move. It was
contended that it was a wrong principle to tax the raw production of
the soil, and in conflict with the long-established policy of the nation.
Mr. Blaine’s resolves at this time came thick and fast, like resolutions
at New Year’s, but with more purpose in them. Indeed his purpose is
a noticeable feature of every move, and he could state it in the
plainest kind of English, and it was his practice, after a bill was read,
or resolution presented, to state its meaning, tell just what he meant
by it, as the legal forms do not always make it at once apparent. He
gives his reasons for the measure. For instance, volunteer officers
could not be breveted in the regular army for meritorious service in
the volunteer service. This he saw was wrong, and drew up a bill in
regular form to right the matter, and then states what he means
about it, and the facts that have moved him, generally move the rest.
Almost nine-tenths of the new regular army was to be made up of
the old volunteers, and he would have the old regular army laws
changed so as not to discriminate against them and in favor of West
Pointers.
There was no red-tape about him. He did not believe in it. It took too
much time, and was too unjust. He believed in solid worth, and in
rewarding it. He is a straight and constant American, and loves all
who love America, and will not have them dealt unfairly with if it is in
his power to prevent. Fair play is a term he often used during his
early terms in congress. It seemed to express his ideal of honor. An
unfair man was not respectable in his eyes. It was a right upon which
he strenuously insisted for himself. He evidently had seen the old
definition of freeman, “Who knows his rights and knowing dare
maintain.”
And yet this genius of fair play which possessed him, kept him from
being a bigot. His sense of justice would rebel against an outrage
inflicted upon anyone. But it is getting to be a hot place in congress.
Andrew Johnson has disappointed the hopes of the nation. He is not
filling the place of the dead Lincoln, but rather dishonoring it, and
articles of impeachment are originating in the House, summoning
him before the bar of the senate because of “the crimes and high
misdemeanors of which he is manifestly and notoriously guilty, and
which render it unsafe longer to permit him to exercise the functions
he has unlawfully assumed.” The air was filled with this matter of
impeachment during the summer campaign, but on in the dead of
winter there is no disposition to rush madly or blindly into it. It is but
one of many things demanding attention.
Mr. Blaine is as conservative as he is radical. He combines in a very
strong and decided manner many of the best characteristics of both.
He does not rush into everything that comes before the House, but
calmly surveys and studies, and comes to know the question in its
bearings, and reaches conclusions, and with these truly gained and
firmly held, he is ready for action.
The novelty of a thing makes him suspicious; he must know it
through and through, for when he begins he will surely end. One
comes to expect that when he presses a measure it will pass, and
however much there may be to retard its progress, he will never lose
sight of it until it goes through.
It seemed to be a time of political apostasy in the nation. Many are
betraying their trusts, and a large number fall, politically, to rise no
more. Many of the old war Democrats, like Andrew Johnson, were
simply Democrats when the war was over. It seemed to be a sort of
political reaction after the high pressure of the war. They were not
prepared to accept all the results of the war. It was more than they
had anticipated, and the result was an unwillingness to proceed, and
so many called a halt; but Thaddeus Stevens in the House, and
Charles Sumner in the senate, kept the work planned and the forces
in motion. Mr. Stevens formed a strong friendship for Mr. Blaine, and
as they were on the military committee together, he learned to
respect his talents and prize his ability.
XIII.
CONGRESSIONAL CAREER CONTINUED.