Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-04-19
Modern Democracy.


that of the Southern Confeisracy, framed !
jeff. Davis, Ysncey h Co. Our rsaders.w
observe striking similarity between tt
language Of portion of this speech an
that of . recent leader in the Revisw.
fact, the Reuieso's leader can be foun
i almost word for word in this speecl
Whether Mr.. Stephens copied portion I
his speech from the Rseiew, or vics vers'
we will not venture to say-but as the editc
Of tho Revies0 has frequently charged y
with plagiarising, he cannot of course, b
guilty of that crime himself.
In Mr.. Stephens speech the old Constitr
tion is held to be based on the erroneou
principle Of equality and liberty, while th
new is based upon the principle of inequalit
and slavery, which, it is boastingly claimed
has become the chief stone of the corner.
| Now We wish it distinctly understood tina
We are not in favor Of NEGRO equality" il
the sense in which tho term Is opprobiousl,
used. We ars opposed to either the socia
or political equality of the whites ant
l blacks. There is . natural repugnanoe II
such equality, and we are perfectly willing
that our laws and cussoms shall conform L
il. But this does not justify US in establish
ing that legal relation which dsprives the
black man Of the protection Of laws which
exist for the protection Of others - which
deprives him of oil the fruits Of his labor
except SO much % another man chooses to
give him-which deprives him of the righ,
to choose for himself where, and what, and
for whom he shall work - which gives to
another man the right to separate him at
pleasure from his wifs and children forever
and which makes him "thing' for barter
and sale, like an CT or a hog. This is the
"lnequality" which We object to, and which
every instinct of reason and dictate of
humanity tells US is not right
But here is the extract from Mr.. Stephens
speech, which is now the ground occupied
by the Democracy (the Secession party)
both North and South
But not to be tedious in enumerating the
numerous changes for the better, allow me
to allude to one other, though last, n t least
The new Constitution has put to rest, for
ever, all the agitating questions relating to
our peculiar institution slavery as
it exists among us-the proper status of the
negro in our form of civilization. This was
the immedat, Cause Of the late rupture and
present revolution. Jefferson, in his fore
cast, had anticipated this as the crock upon
which the Union would split" He was right.
What was conjecture with him is now a re-
allied fact. But whether he fully compre
hended the great truth upon which that rock
stood and stands may be doubted The pre-
vailing ideas entertained by him and most of
the leading statesmen at the time of the for
nation OF the old Constitution, were that the
enslav>ment of the African vas violation
Of the laws of nature; that it was wrons in
principle, socially, morally and politically
1t was an evil they knew not well how to
deal with, but the general opinion of the
men of that day was that somehow or other
in the order of Providence the institution
woulc be evanescent and pass away. THIS
idea, though not Incorporated in the Const-
tuition, was the prevailing idea at the time.
The Constitution, it is true, secured every
essential guaranty to the institution while 1t
should last, ard hence no argument ca, be
Justly used against the Constitutional guar
mites thus secured because of the common
sentiment of the day. Those ideas, howev-
r., were fundamentally wrong. They rest
I'd upon the assumption of the equality OF
races. This was an error. 1t was a sandy
and the idea Of Government
Quilt upon it; when the ''storm came and
the wind blew, it feH." ~
Our new Government is founded upon ex-
actly the opposite ida; its foundations are
laid, its corner stone rests upon the great
trutt. that the negro is not equal to the
white man that Slavery, subordination to
the superior race, is his natural and normal
condition. [App'ause.] 8 o.
This, our new Government. is the first in
the history OF the world based upon this
great physical, philosophical and moral truth.
This truth has been slow in the process of
,ts development, like all other truths in the
various departments of science. 1t has
been so even amongst US. Many who hear
me, perhaps, can rccollect well that this
truth was not generally admitted even with
in their day. The errors Of the past genera
lion still clung to many as late as twenty
years ago. Those at the North who still
cling to these errors, with a zeal above
knowledge, We justly denominate fanatics.
All fanaticism springs from an alteration OF
the mind; from defect in reasoning 1t is
a species Of insanity. One Of the most stri-
king characteristics of insanity, in many in
stances, is forming correct conclusions from
lancied or erroneous premises; so with the
aati.slavery fauatics; their conclusions are
right if their premises arc. They assume
that tie negro is equal, and hence conclude
that he is entitled to equal privileges and
rights with tire white man. If their prem
,ses were correct, their conclusion would be
logical and just-but their premise being
wrong, their whole argument fails. I re-
collect once Of having heard gentleman
from one Of the Northern States, of grea1
ability, announce in the House Of Represen
tatives, with impos ng effect, that we of tht
South would be compelled, ultimately, t.
yield up this subject Of slavery, that it wa.
as impossible to war successfully against I
| principle in politics as it was n physics ant
mechanics, That the principle would ulti
mately prevail. That we, in maintaining
slavery as it exists with us, were wsrrinl
against q principle, s.principle founded ii
| nature, the principle OF the equality of man
The reply l. made to him was, that upon hi
own grounds we should succeed. and tha
ne and his associates in the crusade agains
our institutions would ultimately fail. Th
truth announced, that it was as impossibl
to war successfully against principle i
politics as well as in physics and mechar
les, admitted, but told him that it was b
and those acting with him who were wal
ring against a principle. They we're q
tempting to make things equal which h
1 Creator had made unequal. a.bsec..r
Il In the conflict thus far, success has bee
on our side. complete throughout the lengt
and breadth Of the Confederate States.
is upon this, a. have stated, our social fal
ric is firmly planted; and. 1 cannot perm
myself to doubt the ultimate success of
full recogniti;n Of this principle througho'
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