, 1863-01-23
UNDERLYING RELIMFS.

It is wellenough, nay it is necessary, to
revert once in while to the fundamental
principles-the beliefs-which underlie,
respectively, the rebellion of the South
against the Constitution aud the laws, and
the efforts Of the North to maintain that
Constitution and those laws intact. 1t is
well, because the people who suppose TINT
this war is question about " "niggerE;' or
a a"question of oflce,' raised by the poll
ticians, and that the conflict may be ended
by days effort for compromise, will
thereby be undeceiyed; and will see that
the differences between the sections are
fundamental, radical and irreconcilable.
The war is the result Of heresy to which
the thinkers Of the South have become
wedded-a hcrcsy that condemns Repub-
ican forms Of Government, and the doc
trine Of the equal rights Of the governed,
as denominations to which they will not
submit; and any other thing would have
done as well as Slavery us torch to fire the
mass that the men Of thought had prepared
for tile touch Of flames. To show how
wide the differences are between the theo-
l1s1s ol tne Nortn ana the reacuonlsts OF
INC eouln' We prmt to-day IRON Deko"'s
looutnefn) Heo1e'0' 1or August,
1862, an article Of some length
1tom ene pen o. george fltznugh, OF V1r-
gma' N "n'ch the pehels OF the southern
Pouac!ans arc elearly ana briefly express
Gu ana N "n'cn, also, Inc pollcy and ten
u'ney w lue conleoefate government
eaono II " soecess'ol, are sumc'ently lore
s1auo"eu We ,n'lse aor II Tue careful
.., -. W. WIZ 'nelu peolle' 10 'ne emu
..-a.as s. : " 10y &c e1as 'ne WAT Is 1eally d
eou!A'' u lueas, ano 1aat 1ne existence Of
.'. wil''en consntu1lons' 1ne rights OF minor
.1es, ana ine l.eeoom OF the masses are
1u.nsn'e@ ,a WIN IT, anu nans upon its re-
s s:nN: ns S'ulaot ., INC atlele IN ques-
s.. e.ou - . man u il,Ark ana nnuence In bis
o1ase, a'lo throughout the Whole South !;
ana .ne organ ol opln1on aud criticism in
Wn'ch II was printed, is beyond all ques-
ton most reliable index Of the beliefs
ana principles, commercial, political and
economical, into which the men who or
ganlzed and who now carry on the revolu-
= non' haFe grown by contact with that in
le1na4 mstllutlon tnat mas made wreck of
tnelr political and moral sense, And we
DESIRE too, that our political opponents
the men VINO profess to believe that, by the
iet!er o. the Law, tue South Is right SO far
as the Slavery question is concerned, and
tha1 Northern aggrcsslons have much to
answer 1or-Fead what Mr.. Fitzhugh says
ana II they who have adhered to the
oouth under the supposition that
sue also, was Inc possessor and
heepef u .nelr ponucal 1alth, do not start
paeh all'a'ieo " the extent and probable
consequences OF the heresy to which she is
committed, we give them credit for patri-
otism that they do not possess. They have
here an opportunity to learn lesson that
will make them, if not more loyal, at least
content that the war should 80 on until
the supremacy of the Democratic idea ID
restored:
It is not easy for one who is not familia,
with the growth and progress Of Southern
opinion to see what 1Ir. Fitzhuch means
in all that he says. But we who have hccn
attentive students Of Southern politics and
who have neglected nothing that would
give usa clue to the intentions Of the lead.
ing men Of the slaye-holding States, have
no difficulty in interpreting his utterances
They accord with the idea which bas oh
tanned general currency amonr the slave
holders; and tint is, to found govern.
mcnt on the maxims and practices Of the
Middle Ages. To a Southern man who
has been long accustomed to contact will
Interiors and slaves the Feuda1 system