Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-05-23
all the distress and suffering under which

the best.
A great deal is said about Southern
rights? Now. what is meant by South.
ern rights? Have the rights of the Cot
ton States been invaded? If so, how,
where, when? The complaint is, that
the institution Of slavery has been rem
dered unsafe by the maIpractices of the
Abolitiouists. And this is the complaint
of the Gulf States. Let US look back at
this subject calmly and dispassionately,
and whatever may be the truth, let us
have the eaudor to acknowledge it open
Ily.
aver the whole negro quarrel was
gotten up by the politicians, the Demo
cracy. and especially those of the far
South, taking the lead IN the selection
and PRONUNCIATION of the slavery issue,
Those who think otherwise know moth
ing of the management of political par
ties. A great contest cannot be conduc-
ted without something to quarrel about.
Politicians must have an issue, upon
which the opposing parties may take
sides, and upon that issue the contest is
made to hang. And, no matter what
that issue may be, the contest waged u
pom it will be as fierce and bitter as if
the national salvation depended upon it..
! This slavery question was chosen by
the democracy purposely and deliberate
y as its own rallying point. That ques-
ton has been closed by the Missouri
Compromise, but was again thrown o.
pen by the repeal of that Compromise,
purposely to give spice and point to the
contest. The Southern Democracy not
only accepted the slavery issue as that
upon which the contest for the Presiden-
cy of 1860 was to be fought, but it was
the Issue of their own deli 'oerate choice
They expected to elect a democrat
upon that issue and they would have sue
ceeded but for the split in rhc party, oc-
casioned, as We know, by the rival claims
of particular leaders to the possession
, and distribution Of the spoils The De-
mocrary divided itself in twain, and nei-
thcr wing being willing to fight for the
exclusive benefit of the other, the con-
sequence was that the Republicans made
more out Of the issue than the Democ-
racy They elected their man. not by
their own strength, but by the divisions
and distractions Of their opponents. -
And now the South sccede and 90 out
of the Union, and why? Not because
they were beaten upon their own issue,
but because, as we are now given to un-
derstand, the North had no right to make
a contest upon that particular issue
If they had succeeded in electing a
Dcuoc we should have never heard
the last of their self graduation upon
the merit of having saved the country
fro m the rule of the aboitionists.
This is, however, the true character
of those Southern Rights involved in
our present troubles, and it is both sig
nifcant aud dep'orabe fact that. when
the South had both the opportunity and
the power to assert and protect those
rights, they did not consider them of suf-
fcient moment to require protection, and
declined to do 1t. The course she chose
to pursue is susceptible of but one ex-
planation-that sne had no rights to pro-
tcct and no wrongs to redress.
The facts to prove this are notorious
to all America. The Republican party
comprises about one fourth OF the Amer
lean people. Three-fourths are opposed
to the one-fourth. This was true be-
fore the election, it is true now. After
the split in the Democracy the success
of the Republican candidate became
fixed and inevitable event. 1t was as
we'll known then that Mr. Lincon would
be elected as it is now that he has been
elected. the democracy bargaiped for
his election as much as if every man Of
them had voted for him. In truth, the
democracy elected him.
But for the split we should have been
again favored with democratic Presi-
dent, result to be preferred certainly
to the event which has happened, if for
no other reason than because of the GER
tainty that those who are now engaged
in breaking up the Union would have
consented to spare it if power and dis
.inctions we're placed in their hands,
Every man who is friend of his
country we recognize as our fri end. Let
us look forward and not back upon past
distinctions Our country. and our ho-
mes are in peril; let every man with an
American heart in his bosom rally to its
support.
/ return to the remark and desire to
emphasize it, that all our troubles. great
and grievous as they arc, the ruin and
distress which has visited every house
hold and hearth stone in the land-thc
acrimony, the bitterness, the iIl-wll,
which have been substituted for the hap
piness and peace which pervaded through
out the country but six months ago-thc
dangers now imminent of civil war with
all its horrid Incidents of devastation
and bloou; have all been the work of
handful of bad men, who, because they
could not rule, determined to ruin, in
which determination they have been sue
cessful to degree that in aftertimes
will be considered one Of the great mar
vels of history.
This faction could have saved their
own party before the election, by simply
yielding TO the will of the majority, but
tney had no wish to save their party, un-
less they could rule it. They could have
saved the Union both after the election
by remaining at their posts and uniting
with tue other elements of opposition to
the Republicans, but they had no wish
to save the Union unless they could rule
it They were very reasonable gentle
en-; all they desired was that one man
should rule five men, aud oiling that,
they considered the Government tyran-
nical, and the Union not worth preser-
wing
The secession movement was REGULAR