The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-04-05
Position of the South.

ThcSJuth demands constitution that shall
forever protect and encourage slavery. This
is the fundamental principle on which the
demand for a reconstruction is based, and is
the basis Of the government adopted by the
rebel States. This is cOnceded by Alex ii.
Stevens in long speech made at Savannah
Ga. He admits that the South does not
believe in The principles of the Constitution
and is determined to have a different one
founded on the idea OF two distinct zones,
one, the master race;the other, the slave race.
The trouble was that Jefferson and the
trainers of our constitution entertained the
idea of political equality, and looked forward
to the ultimate extinction of slavery. This
according to Mr.. Stevens was fundamental
error, which the rebel States have rectifed
by placing their government on the founda-
ton Of Slavery-on the idea that slavery is the
normal condition Of mankind and that there
must always be dominatingracc. Hescorns
the pretext that LincOln's election and re-
publican success was the cause of the rebellion
and sweeps away all the clamor of Northern
Democrats in favor Of reconstruction. Mr..
Stephens states the position Of the rebel con-
fcderacy rs follows:
"The new constitution has put at rest for
ever all the aGitating questions relating to
our peculiar INSTRUMENTATION slavery as
it exists among us-the proper status OF the
negro in our form Of civilization. This was
the immediate cause Of the late rupture and
present revolution. jefferson, in his fore
east, had anticipated this as the 'rock upon
which the old Union would split. He was
right. What was conjecture with him, is
now realized fact. But whether he fully
comprehend the great truth upon which that
rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The
prevailing ideas entertained by him and most
of the leading statesmen ut the time of the
formation OF the old Constitution, were that
the enslayement of the African was in viola
ton Of the lays OF nature; that 1t was wrong
in principle, socially, morally and politically,
IL was an evil they knew not well how to
deal with, but the general opinion ofthe
men OF that day was, that somehow or other,
In the order of Providence, the institution
would be eyanescent and pass away. This
idea, though not Incorporated in the Consti-
tuition, was the prevailing idea ut that time.
The Constitution, 1t is true, secured every
essential guarantee to the institution while
il should last, and hence no argument can
be Justly used against the constitutional
guarantees thus secured, because of the COM
mon sentiment Of the day. Those ideas,
however, were fundamentally wrong. They
rested upon the assumption Of the equality OF
races. This was an error. Ii was q sandy
foundation, and the idea Of government
built upon il; when the storm came and the
wind blew, il feH.'
Our new government Is founded upon ex-
actly the opposite idea; its foundations are
laid. its corner stone rests upon the great
truth that the negro is not equal to the white
man. That Observation-Disclosures 70 the
superior race-is his natural and moral con-
ditiOn.
This, our new government, il the first in
the history Of the world, based upon this
grea, physical aud moral truth. This truth
ma mas been slow in the process Of development,
IKE all other truths in the various DEPART
ments OF science. IL has been 80 even amongst
U.S. Many who hear me, perhaps, can re-