Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-08-27
From the Daily of August e5.
The Origina.ors of the War.

eat rebellion. Our object, then, was only
to show that in making this charge, they
were, so far as their candidate for governor
in this State, and some of his supporters
are concerned, acting as selEaccusers'
Now, upon the question, as to whose
shoulders should justly bear this burden OF
originating the war, we must do them
the justice of saying that in our opinion
their present accusations are without toun-
dauon; that no act had been performed
by the north, prior to the commencement
of the war, which could afford to the
south the thinuest shadow Of an excuse or
justification for the Inauguration of their
treason and rebellion that no grievance
had been suffered by the south at the
hands of the federal government or of the
northern people, much less one which
,called for resort to arms and bloodshed-
the last resort in all cases-lor its re-
dress.
Upon this point no testimony can be
more satisfactory or convincing than the
admissions of southern men themselves.
Our readers are already familiar with the
language of Alexander II, Stephens, pres
ent vice-president of the Contederacy,"
before the Georgia Legislature in 1861,
when the question of secession was pend
ing:
"What right" he asked has the
north assailed ? What justice has been
denied ? and what clam founded In JUS
tee and right hash withheld Can
either of you to-day name one single act
of wrong, deliberately and purposely done
by the Government at Washington, of
which the south has a right to complain ?
| challenge the answer"
As our readers also know, prominent
rebels, after the outbreak Of the war,
secuted the idea advanced for their benefit
by their northern apologists, that they had
seeded on account Of any grievance sui
fered in the Union. The cause was
dislike of democratic institutions on the
part of the leading sIaveocratic consp'ra-
tors, and an ambition to become the foun-
ders of a great and aristocrauc govern
ment resting upon the corner stone
of slavery,-a slavery necessarily of the
masses of the southern white people as
we'll as of the negro,
| Now we have some further and very
important southern testimony upon this
question, which differs most essentially
from the copperhead theory of the origin
of the rebellion. Ii is contained in the
article recently published in the Raleigh
| On. c. Standard, written by the speaker
Of the North Carolina House of Commons,
some portions of which, but not that re-
lating to this question, have already APP
peared in our columns. We give below
the opening portions of the article, which
explains the origin of the secession move
ment in a clear, convincing and satisfac-
tory manner. The explanation comes, it
should be borne in mind, from one who is
without doubt personally cognizant Of
the facts he states The writer says
They (the secessionists) seem to have
resolved years ago that the Union SHOULD
, be DESTROYED, and then to have set them.
selves to work to Tlrge such grievances
as would seem TO give them a decent pre-
text for the accomplishment of their pre-
meditated schemes. The first effort was
made in the days of notification by the
secessionists of South Carolina. The
grievance then complained of was the tar
ifr, although the State of South Carolina
herself had been from the foundation OF
the Government nearly up to that period
as strong an advocate of high tariff as
any State in New England. That ques-
ton was compromised; South Carolina
obtained all that she oStsaSibJy demanded
A revenue tariff, with incidental protec.
ton, became the settled policy of the
Government, and, except for short peri
cd under the tariff of 1912, was never
departed from. But still they were not
satisfied. Immediately after the passage
of Mr.. Clay's compromise bill the news
paper organ of the secessionists al Wash
ington declared g that the south could nee
er be anited on the tariff question, anC
that the slace question was the only one
that could unite them" And Mr.. Cal
houn, if mistake not, said the same thing
in speech at Abbeville, in South Caro-
lima, about the same time, and of COURSE
was followed by all the lesser lights among
his adherents. Then commenced that vi
client agitation of the slavery question
which had nearly eliminated upon tn
admission of California, in 1880. Again
by the efforts of those immortal Statesmen
of the last age, Messrs. Webster, Clay
and others, was the matter compro
missed.
The whole country at first appeared Il
be satisfied with the settlement, but it sool