Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-09-24
From the Richmond Enquirer.

ia
az Governor Letcher comprehensVey expresses
Il the unqualified recognition OF the independence of
the Southern Contderacy - and the Southern Con-
federacy embraces every square loot OF every State
which seeded from the old Union. 1t means the
netn triumph of our arms, snd the establishment Of
our light to full proportion of all territories public
l.nds, navy-everythng, even to the newfoundland
bank fisheries.
Between this and nothing is mfdum whatever for
US. And Nothing MEANS no Southern Confederacy at
all no Southern Confederate at all; civil polit
ica right for any man in this land no property that
will not be subject to the debt incurred for subduing
us; no privilege to bear arms no State lines, nor
State rights no Sates but grand Territory to
be governed by the Congress at " ashington-a fine
new country thrown open to the enterprise Of the
Anglo Saxons" and with it's ancient inhabitants re
duced to position somewhat worse than that OF the
red Indians.
Both the Yankee nation and the Confederacy are
inevitably and rrevceaby committed to this same prin
| cipe, All or Nothing. We do not say committed by
words and declarations alone but the force and nature
of things The North must conquer all, CT lose all
thew cannot if they would stop short with sort of
coruuest which would leave some few States parts
of states independent Of their power they caEnot by
any admit accept, even reconstruction which
would still leave States and Governments. They
cannot afford to leave rs States at all, either inside
outside of their Union. They can never make peace
save on one other of these two conditions"
qualified recognition of the nd pendence Of the South
ConfederaCy" of absolute subugaon, and destruc
ton of every right of States and of people. If
there other, and DEEPER reasons for holding
these to be the only two possible alternatives the exs
ercC Of the two public debts created the side tor
invasion, on the other for defence, enough
To save themselves from bankruptcy ard ruin
mics must make property pay the whole CT their
debt Taking the lowest and most vuga but still
very orcibe view of the present struggle, it is strug
gle which Of the two debts We to pay-our own
or theirs.
There have been many Indications lately that the
enemy has SETTLED down upon this extreme policy
President Lnc0ins county court phrase that he who
loses the pays the cost is true in we'll
have no rights except the rights of bellgerens and
conquered beIigerents for them there ID no law but
the law of war and the law Of war is pg VtdlS.
Although this extreme issue is made plain to US, not
much by professions and declarations by the very
nature of things yet the declarations of arseepg
amongst cur enemies clearly show that they go appre
cate the situation. When newspapers lately pub
lished the letter of the Yankee General Hovey affirm
ing that when the rebellion" should be crushed, it
would leave the South without States and without
citizens, they seemed to regard it piece of extrava
gance; but the soberest reason, law and logic
Since then Mr. Nm Whiting, Solicitor to the Wash
ington War Department. being invited by the Union
League of Philadelphia to express his views on the
conditions Of reunion, writes to them long letter. from
which we now give two or three extracts. Let them
be read attentvey
Each person inhabng those sections Of the country
declared by the President proclamation be in rebellion
has the right to what belongs to public enemy, and
He right take any part ia our gov
eminent That right does not belong enemy Of the
country while he is Wagng after he has been sub
dued public enemy has right to participate in
nIe the Government of the Omitted States only when he
has conquered the United States We find in this well
tied docune Of begerent lew tie solution OF a questions
in relation to State rights After the inhabitants OF dis
rict have become public enemies they have rights,
either State personal against the United They
belgerents only and have lett them only belge
When all the inhabitants have (by engaging in civil
legal effect though Inhabitants had been a1nhated
SO far as this government is concerned, civil obe
nlzed by war the lines which separate from public
enemy. Beware o. committing yourselves to the ID
States which have The Presidens ptooa
nation to be in rebellion 0y tns neg device OF the
tnethe seeessonsts will be able to pet back by fraud
without proper safeguards to resgms in your in
the Senate and N the House the power which their
DO not allow old states, with ber constitutions still
unatered TO resume State powers Be true to the Union
border States The rebeous States cotan ten times as
many traitors as loyal men, The traitors will have
majority OF tho votes.
Beware of entangng yourself with the technical doc
ml by necessary Implication the operation of code of
laws ard OF corresponding civil rights, the existence OF
which you deny
The .oluon Of all difficulty rests the enforce
men against our public enemy, OF beligerent rights
All the judges agreed to the position that since
july H. 1861 there hiss existed between the United States
and the Confederate states'a civil territorial
erent rights against ali residing the districts
eIared by the Presidents he In rebellion
INC ia"s VI WAL Wnener mat war De civil or tn
ef 9e converts every citizen the hostile States into
pubic enenmy and treats him accordingly whatever
lave been his previous conduct
That all The rgh1s derived from the laws Of may,
low SINCE 1861, be lawfully gld constutionay
ID against all the ctzens oi the districts rebellion.
Sucn being the law CT the land as declared by the
supreme Court, in order to ascertain what the le
,al or constitutional rights of public enemies have
nly to refer to the settled principles of the beperent
aw OF ations tie Iaws OF war
Some OF the laws 0fWaF are stated in the dissenting
plnlon, ID the case ab0Fa mentioned.
state OF foreign WaE Instantly annuls the most SOL
mn treate9 between nations. 1t terminates all oblga
ions IN tae nature OF compacs contracts, at the op
Ion OF the party obligated thereby. 1t destroys all
alI1s OF one begerent upon the other except those
ghich may be sancted By a treaty of peace A civil
errlIoral war has the same effect excepting only that
ne sovereign may treat the rebels subjects as well
as belligerents.
Hence, civil war; IN which tho belIgerents have be-
come territorial eemes, instantly all rights
alIns Oh public enemies under
he CONSTITUTION Of laws, whether that Constitution be call
q compact treaty or covenant and whether the par
people OF The United States fAs individuals.
any olher result would DO incomprehensibie it
you'd De mlschlevous public enemy cannot lawfully
lam res tgat OF entering Congress and voting down the
t.Vb1 mr. ~ " suoAte MN.
ny MOI Because he is public enemy. Bucause by
bTs III ~ eneIny be hiss annEiled and lost his
Except by conseu5. o '
~ tAe inhabitants s large rar OF the Union have by
'ecoaEB luoc eA6tnieS surrendered and anaued
orner rghs the question arises can they recover them
dc s cauhnt p7 reEained by their having
eassd Le fight Aha charac or or nuhlic enemy having
oeSn stathE &c Upon them by the laws of war,
2ed until it shall been. by our consent removed
s'op HgAtng Goes not make then be public
'art OF powder not fer OF will Peace does not re
Ioo o Iools dead who nave fallen sacrifice to