Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-03-12


vived its use." And to illustrate the text,
1t proceeds thus:
The primary object for which the federal
government was formed has been attained. !
That Government has survived its use, and
lives only for abuse. It has become
worse than inefficient for good purposes,
because il is only strong for bad purposes.
Such is the federal Government at
present, and as such it should not contin-
ne for day longer.
The editor goes on TO prove his assump-
tions by arguments as absurd as the as
sumptions themselves, and, suffering his
better Judgment to be BIASED by preju-
dice and passion, ignores facts, sets at def
ance logical deductions and 'goes it blind
for an immediate dissolution of the Union
which, he says, twas the result of necessi-
ty;" but being, now, "an exhausted ex
pedient," its further continuance is a curse
to the South. m rsi
To examine and refute all the absurdi-
ties of this bold document, conceived in
error, and breathing the very spirit of
fanaticism, forms no part ofour purpose ;
but sense Of duty to the South, to the
Union, to human progress, demands that
we enter our protest against such fallacies
as those quoted above. WHAT institution,
whether religious, political, scientific, or
literary can endure longer than genera
ton, when tried by such test as the Delta
has established We are told that Christ
J died to save sinners--the whole world.
} Are all sinners saved2 No Then Chris
tianity, according to the Delta's argument,
, is can exhausted expedient," and should
, be exploded at once. Have the various
moral, literary and scientific associations,
all over the country, accomplished all that
they propose? No! Then they are hum.
bugs. Has the federal government ans.
7 wered fully the ends of its creation? MOI
Then it is San exhausted expedient,," and
I, "only strong for bad purposes. Are all
mankind virtuous? No Then virtue il
; "only strong for bad purposes" and tc
7 cling to it as an essential element of hap.
piness is to betray the best interests o.
humanity.
Such is the logic virtually employed by
the Delta, and the reader will see, at {
glance, that it carries with it its own refu
tation. And now we ask that editor why
: the federal government has failed to fulfil
its mission? Can he find the cause of tn,
failure in the Constitution? Certainly not
for he admits the contrary, in the following
somewhat qualified language:
v If proper spirit of brotherly regarc
!, existed at the North for the South if tn,
=, compromises of 1889 were religiousl,
: observed, the present Union might con
u tinue, though no absolute necessity for it
: continuance exists 10 consequence of tn,
n population and power of the sections. Fo
prudent, peaceful and enlightened peopl
need but few governmental regulations.
i In this single paragraph, we find tn
refutation of the preachers own text an,
+ the solution of the question which he ha
: mystifed by assumption and sophistry
!. The Union need not be dissolved becaus
r its political bonds are defective, but be
cause the people Of the North are no
brotherly, and the masses of the Republi
's are not prudent, peaceful and enlighten
ID ed" Here we agree with him, but ask
/ it is fair to charge the evils perpetrated b
ii INSCRIPTIONS demagogues, upon the inst
IF buttons which they pervert and distort
l. Whose fault is it that "the Compromise
5, of 1889" have not been "religiously oh
y served?" Is it the fault of the Compro
= misses themselves, or of the Union? Ger
|. tainly not 1t is the fault of corrupt dem
y agogues, in the first place, and, in tn
d second. of an ignorant and credulous con
d stituency. Against these, then, the Delt
,e should hurl its thunderbolts, and nc
l. against the institutions which they hav
y perverted from a blessing into curse
d The wisdom Of man can not frame a gov
le ernment so just and pure, that the villain
Ie of man can not defeat its ends, and estah
lish, under its very framework, tyrann
/. corrupt and oppressive. 1.-THE Ten Com
Is mandments were adopted, tomorrow, a
" the sole organic and statute law of tb
e, Confederacy, in week thereafter, the
,e would be construed into licence for a
.. manner ofpOlitical villainy.
ot Justice, not less than an enlightene
Of philosophy, demands that every reforme
al shall strike at the root of the evil an
s, that man can not be strictly just, who wi
le saddle upon the institutions under whic