Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-11-28
THE s ENTINEL.
ROCKVILLE, ND.
FRIDAY..;:: NOVEMBER %, 1862
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FoR 2

groes, Indians, mongrels, &c, were .foreUeT ex-
cluded from this political system. 1t was thus
administered for some eighty years, and dur
ing which the great American people have been
blessed with an extent Of prosperity altogether
unexampled in the worlds history. This
prosperity did net flow from the government,
was no result Of government at all. 1t was
the result of individual freedom--of natural
order OF human society-of Democracy, whore
men are placed in natural relation to each
other, and govern ment is simply protective,
leaving men to arise or descend in the social
scale just as their merits warrant or as they
may be appreciated by their fellow-citizens -
True, we have a class or school among us, who
yet cling to the Old World idea Of "paternal'
government 'benefcient' institution that
is to improve and elevate society; but the
great body of our people, even in the North,
adopt the Jeaersonian idea as the base Of cur
systen-protection forali and favors for none.
But while the government--the federate or
central goyerument-has been administered
on the principles on which it was founded,
and the country was in profound peace, a radi-
cal and fatal revolution Of sentiment has been
going on for many years at.the North. Thirty
years ago. a small, and, as then regarded, dis
gushing sect arose in the eastern States, led on,
az It was believed, by certain British agents,
naturally hostile to our political system. This
sect set up the dogma Of " impartial freedom :"
that white men were no better than negroes,
and ayowed their design to "agitato" Ameri-
can society, until they accomplished their mis-
sion and abolished Slavery" the supremacy
Of the white man over the negro, as the mon
archists of the Old World had already done
in all of their American possessions. The lead
ers Of this sect were msbbed in several north
ern cities, and very generally regarded not
only as enemies of the Union but as the enc
mics ofsociety, that should be discouutenanced
by every true American of the North as well
as the South. 1t is certainly very strange
fact to consider, that man now fills the chair
OF Washington, and represents the idea, which,
thirty years ago, would have exposed him to
the tender mereies of a mob, not alone in
Washington, but in the streets of this city, and
probably in Boston, And men, even Demo-
Gratis, frequently declare that the South is
wrong, utterly wrong, when refusing to recog-
nize as its President man who, as private
citizen, they themselves would join in mob
bling, thirty years ago, in any northern city !
1t is not necessary, in this brief article, to in
quire into the causes Of this wonderful change
of opinion of sentiment. Suffice il to say, that
countless millions of books, tracts, &C., are
merely incidental whep compared with the
lodges and trickeries Of party politicians TO
escape from graphing with the question forced
on the country by the honestly deluded fanat-
les. Thirty years Of agitation ended in
the formation of a political party to carry into
practice the idea of = impartial freedom -
Hostility to the South, TO the Constitution, to
slavery" was the sole principle of the party
organism. 1t held that slavery" or the
status of the negro element, was wrong, i'm
moral, and dependant wholly on local law,
and man might hold any opinion on any
other subject he pleased, if he was hostile to
the status quo, and in favor of policy that
would end in " impartial freedom" for ne
groes
OF course, no issue Of this kind could be
dealt with at the ballot box at the South, and
the people Of fifteen States were, therefore as
utterly DISTINGUISHED as if they had belonged
to Europe instead of being the reliable defend
ers of Democratic institutions in America.
Mr.. Lincoln, by the vote of a majority of the
States and against the wU of the people, be-
came the legal President of the United States,
and called on the people of fifteen States, where
he had not one vote, to submit to his rule,
though pledged in advance to WELD the pow
ers Of the Presidency against the peace, order
and actual integrity of society. What were
the disfranchised and threatened communities
to do, under such abnormal and dangerous
circumstances We cannot pretend to advance
an opinion, nor can any man educated in the
northern aud semi-monarcAical school into the
notion that negro is naturally entitled to the
liberty of the white man, comprehend either
their position or their action in the premises.
Seven States most deeply threatened by north
crn lunacy met in Congress at Montgomery,
and conlederated together for the common
safety. They took up the old Constitution,
and after changing the phraseoogy Of some of
its clauses 50 as 10 express in distinct tern's
the Supreme Court construction, and the ac-
tual practice Of eighty years, that is, made it
terms as well as spirit, apply only to white
men, adopted it as the chart of their future ac-
ton. The few triAing details otherwise. did
not affect principles, SO at this moment, the
Constitution Of the Confederate States is the
old Constitution of the United States, as in
terpreted by the Supreme Court and every ad-
ministraton from Washington to Buchanan
A small faction Of secessionists or separatists
in the Montgomery Convention then proposed
separation, but after an elaborate debate this
was voted down and decided BY large ma
jority that just as fast as States might adopt
the explained Constitution, Union would be
restored Next it was proposed TO set up
new flag, but here, too, the South Carolina
separatists were defeated, and the old colors
Of the Republic, though seemingly changed in
form, ore absolutely the same. The Confcde-
rate States, therefore, at this moment, are bat
Ting in The helG for the Constitution as ii ,cas
administered for eighty years aud as it is in
ternreted hy tho Surname Courf What thop