Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-09-08
NEW ALABAMA SENATOR.

Mr.. Jemison, the successor Of the lamented
Yancey in the Senate of the Confederate States
delivered q speech on retiring from the Alaba-
ma Senate, on the 9th of August, in which
he thus gives his views Of the present stu
alton:
s.The question of secession is of the things
that are past. 1t has. become part Of the
country's history. Future historians, other,
men, aud other times, will pass Il more impair
tial verdict as to its wisdom and its policy than
the present generation. But it is for the pres
ent generation to decide its own political sta
tus. II matters not whether our separation
was right or wrong wise or Unwisc. The al
tcrrative now presented 10 Us is to press for
ward, arms in hand, until We shall have achev-
cd an honorable and glorious independence, or
10 tamely and buSeiy submit ~ the lowest
political and social degradation. However
ardently peace may be desired, there is not |
trust, amongst Us, ursn tue CUniederacy, one
who would accept peace on any other than
honorable terms. Who would. for the SAX" OF
peace, be willing to see the Southern people
consigned to political degradation and doomed
to social equality with our slaves? We are
told by our uppressorS that no terms Of peace
will be accepted bus upon the unconditional
du'l Gpui!ll'll SIitHCIS, anu StiihS
cation Of rebel property. 1t there is any man
in the land, who would accept peace on these
terms, he de, erreS a traitors DOOM"
We trust that Mr.. JemiSon would demand,
though he does not say So rather batter terms
than merely to he saved from political degra-
dation," social equality with slaves, Gimme.
diate abolition" and ''ccnfscnsinn Of rebel pro-
perty." To these things he will never submit;
he will fight he will die FIRST. But anything
short of these conditions it does not appear
that he would not be prepared to consider IA
vorably-re-urion, for cxamHle--keening our
slaves, property and institutions. To be sure,
he says we must now press on to the achieve
meut of "an honorable and glorious independ-
ence;" but unhappiy there be some Conlete-
rates who hold that an equal place once more
in the Federal Union, with slavery and all
sorts of rights guaranteed" would be an in
dependence honorable and glorious enough
for us. Why could not Mr.. Jemison have
said-and then there could be no cavil-that
the independence he means is absolute separa-
ton from the Federal States? Why not say that
the safeguard we mean to have for our rights
is not somewhat more favorable terms wrung
from ''our oppressors," but our own independ-
ent sovereignty separate and apart from them
forever? The very term "our oppressors."
we confess, is suspicious to us. The Yankees
are not our oppressors-they are our enc
mics.
1t has been said in Alabama that Mr. Jcmi-
ison has an arriere-pensee of reconstruction
We hope not if he has, he will meet with
difficulties in the way, and, in short it would
be quite desirable that the honorable Senator
should explain himself little further upon
what he means by independence, and what
terms Of peace he would be willing TO accept
from our oppressors.
We do not wish to do the Senator injustice,
and must not doubt that he means what we
all mean-eternal separation from the Yankee
nation. But we observe that there is habit
now among some public writer's and speakers
Of avoiding all expression Of opinion upon
that, which is the main issue, and indulging
in general patriotic language about honorable
terms. Any terms whatever, short of the
D recognition of our separate sovereignty,
would be dishonorable, and would be subju
CATION and ruin.