The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-07-27
election Of President Lincoln vas, then,

Bnt 1t was urged, MraChairman, that
the Republican, party would soon obtain
the ascendency in both Houses of Con-
gress, and then the constitutional rights
of the Southern States would be destroy.
ed. There was no reason for this as.
sertion, wheii we. reflect that majority
Of tie pee!pe of the. United States were
opposed to. the principles of the Repsbli.
can party. Admit, however, for argu.
ment, that the President and his party
might be in the ascendant, and would
make sggressions. on Southern rights and
institutions. Then, sir, we should have
had the whole Democracy of the North
rallyng around their violated Constitu-
ton and standing by the South. And
ifwar had come, it would have been at
the North, where the people were divid-
ed, and not at the South, where they
were all united. 1t would have been a
c,riI as well as sectional war in the
Union, and for the Constitution of the
Union. But sir. there was not the
slightest probability of such an issue.
The Republican party voted almost
unanimously, in Congress i'll 1860, that
they had. no power to interfere with
slavery in the States, and no wish to do
so. if they had. When the Southern
States seeded from the Union, and
withdrew their members from Congress,
they took the Federal Government ont
of the hands of the Democracy, and
turned it over to the Republican, party.
They abandoned their friends and allies,
the Northern Democracy, who had
manfully stood by the South for more
than n half century, to the tender mer.
cies OF their political opponents and enc.
mics This was not in accordance with
Southern honor and chivalry.
What other cause had the Southern
States for their act of secession f? For
eight years Immediately preceding this
revolution, during the administrations of
President Pierce and Buchanan, there
was not an act of the Federal Govern.
mcnt Of which they complained. They
could not complain for the Governments
wasi their own hands. Il is true, the
Northern State Legislature had nulli6ed
certain Acts Of Congress. favorable to
the Sonth. But was this Just cause for
rcbelling against the Federal Govern
ment Should they not have adhered
the closer to that Government, and as.
sisted in enforcing its laws? How
strange to think Of the Southern States
rcbellinS againsta Government Of which
they d Il NOT CT nj olain s'aE.
1t is said that the Southern States lc(;
the Union to preserve slavery! How,
fatal the mistake! Every one ought to
have known that slavery was stronger
III the Union than il possibly could be
ont of the Union. Indeed, the Union
was its only safety and protection.
Whilst in the Union VIC had the power
ofre.captnring orr fugitive slaves. Out
Of the Union VIC cou'd have 10 such
power The whole civilized world was
opposed to as on this question. and; as a
slave power, would have looked upon us
with scomful jealousy. "
But, Mr. Chairman, the madness and
folly of the Southern States, in com.
mencing this revolution, is now mani.
fest to all. There was fauaticism at the
South, as well as the North. Politicians
did all they could in both sections, to
stir up the worst passions OF the hnman
heart, and make the people forget they
were fellow citizens of one great Repnb.
lie. We were told that the Northern
people would not fight, that there would
be no war, and offers were made to
drink all the blood that would be shed I!
History should have taught them that
no great Government, like ours, ever
was, or ever could be, broken up with.
out war and all its dire consequences.
" How wasit. Mr.. Chairman, that tho
Southern States failed in their rebellion? /?
1t is true the contest was a most nne.
quail one-eight millions Of persons fight.
ing against twenty-five millions The
one having neither Government, army,
navy or manufactures and, the other
having'al these, Iifh ap influx OF for.
eigners and SoaslesR negroes to in.
crease their stsBgth The Southern.