Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-11

l'tlp1Atl- So q talAa % -AAtlo lAl-t ttiit
IS The prevalence, indeed, of shis corrupt ss1
b meut is The remote c1use Of al the lroublge
Q witch we are now involved Covenants a.
IS treaties s0iemnlY insfitutsd By oM forsfaihe
3 were no longer Interpreted in thar simple "a
= obvious meaning. tBgsnuity Itself was pus
(, me tor.ura TO devise expositions which Shout
eYlseerate them ef the principles which they wsI
{ ordainad to conserve, uUtl 81 length our mode-
9 sishemis,s found in the d0es7ine Of " q highe
law the mighty solvent which destroyed IA
power or 0aths and covenants st once he
sw0rs with due solemuilY 10 uphold TIE Cons d
tEtion and the laws, bat with a mental reserve
tlon % aproot those very institutions which tia
Constitution had been framed % defend unit
the universal perfdy Of tie North suddenly
burst every lgature By which the States Eer.
held together in the Federal Union Are oui
people wiling to walk in the footsteps Of on
foes And IS It q suitable preparation for
new historic csraer to inoculate this young na-
ton with the virus of that per6dy which has
alEea5y destroyed before our eyes one Of
| the most colossal governments upon earth 2
n Is It difficult to trace the practical operations
o. this secret poison as It diflses ITSELF through
j ths body polite. If the juror may swssr no
I longer IN aailRHH inBgOHsnfis,' bat according
+ 70 secret intention Of his own, then he alone
4 can Jodge how far ne is bound. Tbs msgistra to
1nay, By aIssWeeping dispensaii0n, absOlYe him-
self ION We guilt Of malfoassncs IN once I;
I 5ae Juryman upon the panel and the witness
! upen the stand msy combine to defect al the
ends Of Justice, through an oath which opens
and sout5 conveniently st the bidding Of ca
price, until ia the to5sl overthrow of morality,
society itself shall eTumble through uni9eTsal
disiTust. Ina application may be made to the
/ very parties Wh'ss plea We are now eonsiaeri
Trey swear allegiance to the government at
Washington, raising the band TO Heaven in a.
tastetioa Of theit sinceutyi yet, at the same
moment they require as to believe their afi-
mgti1n Of loyalty to the government at Rich
mono. Which OF these opposing declarations Is
to be received Plainly, this cannot be deter.
mined without weighing both in the balance Of
probabilities bat as sar as their naked word
is concerned, how can it challenge confidence
when, even undsr the awful sanction of "A oath
It eontsssas to willul falseh00d2 Can it ever
b9-lswiul foT mon to place themselves in that
condition Of disability where their simple word
can never be accepted as the gauge of ruth
Ihls might be enforced By adversing to the peril
lncurredh by subscription Of the Lincoln cath. Be
ing registered citizens of the United States, sup
pose it had been required of them to bear arms
against heir brethren of Che South, who are
now battling for the restoration Of that birth.
right which, in an evil hour, they have bartered
swayl And what hinders it but the conviction
in the tyrants mind that they cannot be trusted
with tho very duties which their oath Of feslty
implies A conviction, by the way, which in
wolves him il the still greafer disgrace Of com
peiing En oath ia which he does not eonfie.
but which also shows the guilt Of subscribing il.
since this alone saves from the most fearful crime
Of lifting the hand sgaiRt the mother that bore
them.
I come now to the second and entirely dis
tjnct line Of defense raised by some who have
been eHtangled in the snare, among whom are
many far too conspicuous to assume a position
known 20 be false, or to subscribe TO an oath
7gltl a3Y thing approaching 20 mental reserva- J
Ho1 I esnuot refrain, in passing, from the re-
"a *, that upon all question Of honor and prn
eple, the first thought of al honest and pure /
mind is the safest; for in this ths instinct Of /
man meas ald truth usually fad5 expression I
The second thoughts which pro ience is prone /
to sugsest, arc generally the inlets of temptation
and turn on. TO be subterfuges for the evasion of /
duty 1t is alleged, then, by this second class, 4
hat the control and protection Of the ConFedsr-
ec7 being, throughout the fortunes of war, 1
UhollY suspended, upon the principle Of sub I
mitiing TO the powers that he, they took TIE oath
% the only authority which de faet1 existed F..
ana which mada this the only condition upon .
which its protection could be enjoyed Phey
took IL moreover in good faith, intending to keep .
It 50 long as the Federal rule should continue,
bUs in the hope thas his rule would, ia dae sea
son, terminate and restore them to the civil con
uecious from which their hearts were never es-
tTs1ged This position is imprsgnabe so far as
2 de facto submission to military force Is con
cerned Neither the laws Of war nor those of
reason oblige men to continue factions and IN
availing opposition againsE Overwhelming and
crushing force and no blame could attach 30
them for simply yielding to the rule of warfare,
which connects with surrender the csssa ton
of active hostility. But It is an immsnse leap
from this to the making Of a solemn covenant,
transforming into government Of law what
was before only asgOverament OF force;
for the oath of allegiance transferred with
the citizenship all its moral obligations, and
invested the authority of Butler with the sane
ions Of recognized asd legal government
Hsd these parties approached the Federal
slmmander with language substantially this
As a defsnseless people, wholly within your
power, We submit without resistance to military
.orcs, and WITHOUT conesding this submission to
la obedienee, no censurs could attach to them;
Ind they would then be embraced within the
srms Of the eUiogy conveyed ia the resolutions
you have presented before Congress. If it be
aid that allegiance was ths only condition upon
which protection would be sf 3rded to property
md life, my sRswer is that the hazard should
nave been incurred along with the thousands
Who chose 70 DO registered as alea enemies TO
! tie South, Actual submission to military
uprenacy was All that could be demanded Of
hem By thu rules of civilized warfare; and it
vas their privilege 10 stand upon the assertion
Il this right before The nations of the earth.
notwithstanding the gh0stlY terrors By which
hey were surrounded, the government at Wash
Ggton dared not, under the eyes Of mankind, 10
xaet more. A few victims might, perhaps, be
elected nom the mass upon whom TO vent dis
nj -r.ta 1A 8 e. k-s-
a tyranny might have tested the endurance Of
he community; but little tirnness would have
srried them over the trial aud won for the suE-
arers an Immortality glory in proof Of which
adducs the fact, that, wherever else in the
1onlcdersey the enemy has been stoutly dafsd,
With ell his bluster be has been compelled to
liela 5 reluctant acquieseeace in the zlorsl code
By civilized nations for the regdla-
ion Of War II
But suppose the reverse of this. and long
.isDansatiO1 Of suffering to ensue, are we TO
# the soul must be surrendered upon the plea
4 coercye necessity. / viii put the argument
n q form likely to be appreciated By the
Christian men who have taken refuge under
his plea Should the days Of religious porss-
.utio1 again appear, would it DO right, ia order
o save properly aad life to abjure Christianity
nd to Offer sacrifices upon the altar Of Jupiter,
IS was done n the second century, Ihe rally u
# human nature might yield nov, IS it did
hen, under the fiery ordeal, and knowing that
We are men We might weep tears of compassion, Z
say. almost Of forgiveness, ovsr an aposEscy
hUs extorted. But what Judgment would we +
upon g coOl argument framed to jus
ify this defect on II we could be brought to
pardon the one, va could net tolerate the other.
Yet after ali, why is not the argument Of eoer-
eive necessity es conclusive ia this ease as 10
shst we are aow eonsideringl freely admit
he disparity between the two in that one re-
Iates to the duties which we owe to God, while
the oshsr respects tla dnties We owe 70 man but
sss not why tia obligation may not be as i'm
pe1stiye 10 aaide BY out principles ia the one
sphere as vel IS ia the olbsI-why duty 70 our
c6sfatry may not BE- as paramount in the earthly
fiaqdoea az d,sty 70 our God is IN the spiritual
ana. hsagenY. I have bsen educated, sir, ii q