Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-10-11
VOL. 12.---NO. 6.
STATE AND NATION.

took part in the rebellion honestly believed
that TIE single States of this Union are SOW
erelgn, and that therefore they did deliberate
ly and wickedy violate their obligations to
the Union. 1t was, they contended the uni
versal Southern theory of our Government.
80 tar as the present generation is concern
ed we believe that these gentlemen are cor
rect, and that is the very difficulty 1t is
undoubtedly true that WASHINGTON and
MARSHAL, and many other of the noblest
Americans OF the last century, who lived in
the Southern States were as truly persua-
| ded OF the enormity and peril of the doctrine
OF State sovereignty as the stanchest loyal
men OF to-day throughout the country But
| CALHOUN, and not WASHINGTON, has been
the modern political prophet in those States.
An intelligent noted rebel officer, who was
| never north Of the Mason and Dixon's line
until he was brought as prisoner, told us
he had no more doubt of the right of a State
to secede than he had of his right to eat din
ner, and that the proclamation of Pres
ldent LINCOLN calling for seventy five thou
sand men tocompel obedience to the author
lty OF the United States seemed to him as
incredible and monstrous as summons from
LOUIS NAPOLEON to enforce the authority
of France IN this country. And this, he said,
was the universal conviction of his neighbor-
hood in the Southwest.
That there were some who held to the par
amount National sovereignty is doubtless
true. But they were not an imposing num-
Der Is plain from the absence of any vigorous
protest against the rebellion 1t is no an
swer to say terror silenced them that Union
men were watched, and not suffered to as
semble nor TO vote. If the Union men had
been powerful body they would have as
sembled and voted and resisted. Could the
ttnr,,.a,.bao,lc l. Ia,-o i l@lo
States? Certainly not; for the whole moral
force and vast majority of the population
were loyal. The rebels did dragoon and ST.
lence the Southern loyal States, because the
vast weight OF opinion as well as actual
numbers of the wife population were with
them.
That population, as every well-informed
man knows, had been long and systematical-
y alenated from the Union. They were
AMBER H. STEPHENS was called Union
man. So he was. as long as he thought his
section could control the Union to its own
sectional purposes. 1t was a Union subor-
dinate to State sovereignty which he sup
ported. 1t was a Union whose Government
had no right to enforce its authority against
any citizen Of the United States, if the State
in which he lived released him from his ale
glance. 1t was this universal conviction
alone that enabled the rebellion to endure
SO long and SO desperately:
Has the war changed this view? Do che
people of the disaffected States hold any 9TH
er theory of the Union? 1t is a real Union
that we reorganize ifthey do not Il we sin
cerely wish solid and true reorganization
snail We not seek TO found it upon all those
of the Southern population who reject this
theory? Can We wisely discard an entire ma
tive class, iii some States more than halt the
population, who have been always faithful
to the national supremacy. and trust the wei
fare OF the country entirely to those who, for
any reason whatever are willing to take an
oath Mr. HERsCHELL Y. JOHNSON, of
Georgia, for instance, has taken the oath OF
allegiance, and has been pardoned. Yet his
loud assertions Of his old, unchanged sentl-
ments in Washington, since his oath, were
so offensive that loyal citizen silenced HIM
with threat of personal castigation It he
did not stop Mr. JOHNSON is doubtless a
fai illustration ofmen who take the oath with
out any change of heart. Is he the kind of,
Representative or Senator from Georgia that
it is desirable to see in Congress If he, and
such as he, are intruSted by the loyafcitizens
Of the United States who are soon to decide
the qustion. with the entire local govern
ment of the State of Georeia to the absolute
exclusion of the unswervingly loyal part OF
the State population whom Mr.. JOHNSON
and his friends could neither cajole nor frigh-
ten into rebellion, do we not show subser-
vience to the doctrine of State power which
is as dangerous as it is absurd?
Every loyal citizen of the United States
has rights in the State of Georgia which he
is a very foolish man if he surrenders un-
conditional to Mr. HERscHELL Y. JOHNSON
and his friends Weekly.