The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-05-08
"Mv Native I,and-Good MIGHT -

MY NATIVE LAND-GooD NIGHT "A long fare
well! The Union now is a memory of the past RcI
in noble and historic deeds crowded with inspiring
mnscences it has done its work upon the face of tho
earth, and is finished! Let US always remember it al
its BEST and when children and grandchildren are
hereafter taught to execrate the fanaca bgots who
with ruthless hands destroyed this farest temple ever
raised by human wisdom let them be also taught to
look beyond these evil times to the old patriots of
early days rising up in the dim past like blue
tains beyond loathsome and miasmatic swamps-
clothed with everlasting dignity They made 'the
wonder and glory of the earth and our reverence for
them never be aoated. Let US still transmit to
poserty the halo Of their glory, and let their
spirit still lingering in the broken fragment of their
work. afford the spark by which the torches of patriotic
virtue shall be again reBndlcd. (
What stupendous lesson foyhuman wisdom, and Of
human folly, has overriding Providence now read to
us in the history of the Union! In the new scenes
that will open upon our posterty let them ponder it
well and if they read it right it may yet be- that in
the new order of things be evolved from the chaos
Of the present. it will be revealed to them that it was
well we should be taught this bitter lesson Beyond
the gloomy mst8 which shroud the future we may vet
emerge to greater heights of human dignity than would
have been possible in the channels of thought and
sof government which we fondly, and it may be
foolishly, had thought perfect. The chrysas may
mourn the bursting Of the shell which had so long af-
forded tProtecon, but without hattcould never float
upon the air IA beautiful butterfly
Meanwhile we around us nothing but gloom and
terrorand the fierce resentmcnts ominous Of bloody
Those VIII ~, e IN
understand our motives in this sudden change Wehave
no fear but they will applaud them We have love the
old Union. Who has not? The dangers which have
hckened around it for the last few years have weighed
upon our spirits like the nightmare We have seen
sectional party slowly and gradually arise in domi
nant section-gainng step by step in each successive
year-proposiug to itself only object the desruc-
ton of social relation dear to the south With in
creasing strength the iusoence Of conscious bow
err until at last with mad cxutation it was able to seize
the rcins of government and place at the head of affairs
its representative man.
Stung to the quick by repeated insults, and now an
prehensiye of the pcrnicious Influence Of hostile
powerthe extreme southern States threw themselves
at once upon their original sovereignty and dissolved
the compact. We thought them hastv, but did not as
sign them the position of rebels The right they claim
ed was at least doubtful one-had been sanctioned bv
some Of the profoundest statesmen and whether right
or wrong had in all events the dignity which apper
tains to the acts of government
Sympathisng for their sulerngs we still were will
ing totorgive, and 10th to abandon the Union which
we had been taught to revere. We thought it only
temporary madness Of the north-that reason would
return to them, and all would yet be we'll Humbly,
earnestly, patiently, labored for the Unon-how
faithfully our readers know. They never can know
the struggle against despair as one by one the lights of
our hope went out. How we desponded in secret and.
rallied for the contest How in every agony Of soul
we chung to our hopes and the bitter mockery we felt
as now and then supposed star cleaning through the
gloom of the north, turned out to be delusive will
the wisp We could not give up the Unon-whilst
an inch left to stand upon with honor We would not
With one hand We, and others who thought and
felt with US endeavored stay the impetuosity of our
more hasty brothers of the south-we impored them
to wait and all the mischief would be repaired The
other we stretched imporngly toward the north ana
besought them to afford ground to stand upon bv
demonstrations in favor Of the right. An our pride
was not forgotten Absorbed by the great idea of pre-
ms iitiOtlN, We NOuIu SGfllCeu every thing
personal to ourselves. We assumed almost the atti.
tude Of supplicants. Not suppicants for favor or
right, but suppicants for demonstration Of patriot
ism on the part of the north, which would cheer our
hearts with joy and with which to reconcile our dear
brethren.
There came no response. All was sullen, cold and
dead.
And in the midst of all this, there has broken upon
us the reality Of the most heartes treachery and the
most fendish brutality which the mind of man can
conceive All those efforts of ours have been msun-
derstood-al these high aspirations have been seized
upon and trihed with to be made the tools Of dark
and netarious scheme. Abraham Lincoln, to keep
alive the Union feeling in the border States, promised
peace The forts were to be eyacuated-no blood was
to be shed. We hailed it as a harbnger Of the morn
ing. We took heart in our work Of reconstruction
We entered the contest with our secession friends and
waged the battle with all the arms of reason and ar
gument
Suddenly as thunder-clap, we have been undeceiv-
ed Lincoln, like cunning fend, has "paltered with
US IN double sense, and when he thought the Union
party established in its preudices and rescntments has
thrown aside his disguise and with heartless calm
N'S''Oii1 IT,.
BY that act he peEured himself in the ewes of all men,
he forfeited all claims to humanity Its war against
brothers and kinsmen-a to crimson beafthstones,
Great Cod for what? To crafty the low contemplate
malice of triumphant party,
Close upon the heels of that came his procam,tion
seventyfTe thousand men called out to butcher their
fellow citizens-to ravage their feIds-to rae their
cities--to violate their homes-and for what? Fortbe
exercise of an asserted right by sovereign States which
he chooses to callan unlawful combination"
But the saddest of all remains-the most crushing
and whitening Of ALL In response to this call the north
leaps forth in eager cgons all armed ana equipped al
if by magie-thrsting fer bood-exuItant in the pros
pect They spring up Ike Rhodcriek Dbus warriors at
the sound Of whistle. They were trained and prepar
ed. There can be no doubt of it. They must have
had the cue and been crouchng for the spring while the
lrchfend Lincoln whispering peace to the south
And from no quarter Of the north has come word
Of remonstrance. We strain our ears in rain-tbere
is no sound to cheer us there. The friends we have
in the north land there are some men there who are
true and noble and worthy Of our gratitude-buttbev
are few indeed ARE poweress The current has borne
them down, and they are voieeless and heInless