Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-01-14


mands. Now it is not forgotten by me- at least that
when, in 1854, the KnoW Nothing party OF the Norh
ern States sought to prescribe TIE lgls-bon popua
tion the Southernes, with Mr.. Wise, the Governor OF
Virginia. at their h I'D, cooperated with the nober
spirits Of the North il crushing that mschevous fac
ton It is not forgotten by that nowhere did |
find kindlier feeling towards lreafd than at Charles
ton where the names Of Shields and of Meagher were
mentioned with an enthusiasm that they would have
failed to excite among the party to which Meagher has
| lately SURF ndered hims II.
In The letter which you have recently published Gen
era Meagher repeatedly desgDsea the Southern rebels
as arlsocrats Now, | npnable to discover upon
what manifestations Of Southern feeling ne founds this
charge that tie secession is arstOcratc and not
popular 1t seems u me that thefe mas Sci
dom bten an insurrecton which has, with SUCH unanl
NIFTY embraced ali classes OF society So the secession Oh
the Southern States Ii this re So IL IS unworthy Vi
state nan to condescend raise pr udces against the
Southernes By calling them aSOcr s 1t Is the more
inconsistent because he taunts the Emperor Napoleon
with being nqrUenu and because 1t Is wen SHOWN 10
his friends thu General Meagher himself feels 1t to be
subject of honorable pride that is descended from
the cIieE Of Ikerrin. For my part, believe that the
term a,isocrat is just applicable to the Northern as
it is TO the Southerns, and have been told that tis
mOneved aristocracq of New Ork are more purse
proud and o7erbearng in their than the rich
est and most aristocratic planters OF the South 90
no. found this remark on my own Observation, Tor eA
perenced nothing b1t courtesy 10 all parts OF America
But General Meagher wholly m'aund rsan1S tue nature
of Irishmen. If he supposs that he raise in their
minds prt JUDGE against party by calling item arts
tocrats. Au 1rshman naturally loves the "old s ock
is this surprising, tor many OF our peasantry feel
that though they have lost property and station by the
fidelity their to their country aud their
religion still as noble blood flows in their veins that
which is to be found amongst the proudest pottntates
OF Europe. The Southerns may therefore, accept with
price the designation araStocraS and Irishmen will hon
or them the more account OF this appeation when
they learn that many OF the most prominent families
the South quilted the richest homes OF England and
Ireland because they loved religious and political free
dom better than the delights which belong to aristOea
teal indugeaces III the land of their birth.
Gen, Mag hlr IS more sure of exciting amongst
rejudices against the SOutherns VIXEN he calls them
stdve than when he designates them 1s0-
Gratis. 1 be Irish people feel inVncibe aversion to
the institution of slavery and if this really
of emanci patton, there would be few in Ireland
who would not pray tor the of the NOrtherns
But knows better than Gen. Meagher that the
present war is not war for the emancipation of the
slaves, but that 1t is which is carried for he
purpose OF unfolding the Union. No knows bet
ter than Gen. Meagher that large majority those
who lighting in the ranks ct tie N0rtherns regard
the abotlonlsts OF slavery mischleVou5 and fanat-
ical actOn-that this ma ority would continue to up
hold and enforce the detes.abe Fugitive Slave Law,
and oil the Other appliances incidental to slavery PFC
vidad that tie slayeholdng States would return the
| Union. Had 1t been war OF emancipation, Congress
would have seized tie opportunity afforded By tue
to enact and promu gate the freedom of every
slave the Unlted States. But it he's Done no such
thing. 1t has authorized President L"c,la 10 declare
that the slaves OF rebels, whcn &c has 10 sway,
free, but the slaves OF the loyal upn0uers Of the
Union, who subject the leg islaon OF Congress,
are still consigned to everlasting bondage.
NO one Knows ter than General Aeaghec that the
dltior othe emancpated slave in the North is more
Illuminating 20 sensitive spirit than the enforced sub
| lection whic; is maintained in the South. He knows
that, with few Individual exceptions, the Northern
m5ncip4or will neither eat pray, trevel with men
OF color-even though they be as we'll educated and
refined az the most accomplished of the white popua-
| ton He knows that the President has beld out no
other hope 10 the emancipaed slaves of the Sou than
| that of compulsory removal to some lard dis ant from
the hons Of their childhood. He knows that the con
dton and prospects OF the pated slave such
that of the many millions of slaves to whom the present
war has afforded opportunity of f9eng from serVl
| tuGe oily few thousands have sought to escape,
though they have been stimulated by the n ortherns
not only to fee from their masters, but To plu0de1
and to massacre the families amongst wi they have
lived from their utancy He has yet to learn that the
Southerns may prefer trust themselves to their slaves
rather than submit to Northern domination and that
before this horrible struggle shall be ended we may wit
ness the invasion of the orth By halt million OF col
oted troops armed and lee by their former masters.
tIcd forbid that should say Word in favor OF sIa
very. The ore redeeming advantage which have con-
emplated possible result Of this conflict is, that II
may induce II Southerns voluntarily to emancpate
their slaves but will not allow my c0u1trymen 70 be
SO msed by grandilcquent vituperatio to believe
that this present war undertaken for the aboI
ton of slavery in America As for orr friend Meagher
himself have no reason to suppose that he objec
4 to be the crest the friend of those who grow
sleek and hau5Gy the -sVeat OF the black skin );
ard it, like of his lends at Mobile and Charleston
he had inner ed estate to Viii Ia few hundred slaves
| we're ATTACHED, an by 20 means convinced that he
| would emaucipate them.
Having thus endeavored to dsc0nncct from the main
question at issue the various faaces and preudices by
which it has been surrounded now address myself to
the question whether Virginia, Carolina Georgia, Ala
baM t. Mississippi and the other seeding States, have
or have ural and ndefeasibe right to determine
what form Ct governm is most conducive to ther in
teres ard acceptable to their feelings This appears 10
to me to be question which does not admit Of argu
ment on tie part of those who; like i. f. Meagher,
have conten led that Ireland and P0ia have moral
right to withdraw from the domination of England or
vi Russia.
There is perhaps, no part of the world IN which the
pressure of METROPOLITAN dominion is less felt than in
CaDada vet Gen Meagher would not deny to the Cen
adams the right declare their independence, or to
sociae themselves with the States OF America. 1t i9
difficult therefore, to understand by what process OF
reasoning be can satisfy himself that Ireland enjoys such
right-that Poland enjoys such rght--that Canada
enjoys such ri8htthat Australia enjoys SUCH RICH;
bu the States OF America, wnic never, for moment
rc qushed the title OF sovereignty that belongs to
them Individuality ought to be debarted nom tbe erj)y-
ment Of a similar right With very quest ionablc taste
he gives instead OF argnmIt hnec! oP, N which he
relates private cuLV,raation that WAS held at New
York by MIR. Toombs distinguished Southern, whose
sympahes with Ireland and Irshmen have been uneser
vedy exhibited. This conversation is given as second
hand. Gen. Meagber did not hear it himself The in
fer ence which he wishes bis readers to draw from it is
that the chic men OF the South stimulated the secession
movement solely IN order to preserve tor themselves
monopoly the .ofica Of the Southern States