Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-09-18
The Cloven Foot Of sec,iona,,.m.

correspondent of the Richmond Examiner.
writing from Atlanta under date August 2sth, says
an active correspondehceis going on among lead
ing men in the cotton States to place the name of
James N. Mason, Of Virginia, on the Presidential
ticket for Vice President with Jefferson Davis"
This correspondent urges the prescription of Mr.
Stephens and the nomination of Mr.. Mason in his
place, on the ground that one of the chief officers
ought to come from the breadstuff States.
We profoundly deprecate any thing which savors
OF sectlonalism, especially in crisis like the pre-
sent: Cotton States and breadstuff States! Why,
the permanent Constitution is not yet in operation
ana We hear already Of cass6cations of States and
appeals to do justice to this section and that How
stands the matter? Have the breadstuff States So
called demanded any thing of the kind Have
they complained that the President and Vice Presi-
dent together with all the members of the Cabinet
save one, are from the cotton States? Not at all.
They appear to be satisfied, as they no doubt are.
What they are thinking of is the defeat of Lincoln
and the independence of the new Republic, not the
claims of the cotton and breadstutf States. But
this correspondent is not so much concerned about
justice to the breadstu States as he is about the
political antecedents Of Mr.. Stephens That gentle
man, 1t is well known, did not struggle as others
did to dissolve the Union, but he stood by it as
Georgian as long as he honorably could. Like Bar
tow and others, he struck at the temple of the
Union, not from choice, but only when and only be-
cause it was necessary, i'll his Judgment for the in
dependence and liberty of Georgia. He was not a
dlsunionst per Sc as Mr.. Mason was; and hence the
claims of the breadstuff States all at once deserve
consideration.
Now, as citizen Of one Of the Confederate States
as citizen of State which is as much breadstuff
as cotton State, We have to say that we will join
in no such clamor as this. We are satisfied with
Col. Davis and Mr.. Stephens and We expect to sup
port them for President and Vice President, for the
term of six years from and after the 22d of Febru-
ary next But We so for Davis and Stephens. We
will not support Mr.. Mason in preference to Mr..
| Stephens. Col. Davis ,cas Democrat, and Mr.
| Stephens a Wing. So far, therefore, as mere
| party antecedents concerned, it is eminently
proper that such ticket should be supported by
all the people; and so far as ability, information,
and fitness for the public service are concerned,
much as respect the ability and exp perience of
Mr.. Mason We consider it but just to say that Mr.
Stephens has the advantage of him. To set Mr.
Stephens aside for Mr. Mason or any one else would
be reflection on his integrity, ability, and patr-
otism, which his friends in all portions of the Con-
federate States would feel and resent
Our readers will observe in this the germ of fu-
ture parties in the new Republic, which are des-
tined We fear, to divide the people as widely and as
! - A.
ment One party will insist that the Confederate
government is not, indeed, government, but sort
Of league, subsisting at the will Of the respective
States; and the other party, while it will admit
that the doctrine of secession at will is recognized
in the Constitution ITSELF and is part of the theo-
ry of the government, will nevertheless insist that
this doctrine, which may become the parent Of an
archy and new revolutions ought to be restrained
rather than encouraged, and that the government,
intrnsically feeble in itself should be strengthened
and maintained in all its jnst powers, so as to be
rendered sufficiently stable for the protection of life
and property. One party it may be- will claim too
much for the States; the other it may be, will claim
too much for the government. Experience is dear
but able schoomaster. While we shall nsist on all
the rights which the States have reserved, we shall
Also in our feeble wav insist all the just powers
of the common government and we expect to stand
as. long as we honorably can by that government
State rights meant something under the old gov
ernr,ent, and we were State rights man after the
strctest sect but to insist State rights now and
to press State rights and nothing ese would be tc
render the Confederate government inert and pow
erless agent For our part we would secure to bott
the States and the government the exercise of al
their rightful powers. We would he as prompt tt
resist an undue tendency to as from the centre; bu
we repeat the danger lies in the tendency from thu
centre and in the disposition already evinced ir
some of the States, and especially in this to assume
the duties of the common government, and to deny
to it the exercise of those powers with which it ha
been clothed for the common defence If parties
. must exist-though We should deplore their exist
ence as one of the prime causes of the destruction
of former Repubcs-we shall take our stand will
the Confederate party, and shall contend, first, 70
the Democratic principle in States, and second, TO
rs the best means under Providence for transmitn,
free institutions to posterity.
But these remarks are rather incidental than 9th
erwse to the subject under consideration. W
trust that Virginia herself will give no heed to an
effort to sectonazc the new Republic, though it i
proposed to honor one Of her own sons by the pre-
cess and we trust the day may never come whe
it shall be common to make appeals for or agains
particular States. We are, indeed, a homogeneou
/ people; and he who seeks to produce differen
~ impression among us, or who labors for sections
profit or advantage is foe to the South and to tn
b. Confederate States. Let Davis and Stephens b
ID unanimously reelected and let US bend every ene1
I gy against the Yankees. Let contentious abou
,e honors be postponed Let the voice of party an
s the voice of sections be hushed. Let oqe mind an
4 one heart animate the South at least until the ir
vader is driven back, and our independence full
established.
,. W A friend writing. from Russelville, Tenn