The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-12-15


who affectionately s'kiss the rod that smots
Them" and pretend to shed tears of JOY
at the sight Of the sold fag'' waving oye1
US. Bat these classes are exceptions from
tho great mass Of the people. 1t is Ger.
tainiy true that the vast majority of ot.
people were indoctrinated with the princi
pies of secession and animated by the spir.
it Of revelation. These principles and this
spirit had been of slow but vigorous growth
They may be found in the discussion
which accompanied and followed the
adoption of the Federal Constitution, and
ever since through thd press and in all the
modes of discussion and debates known to
our country, the people have been instruc
ted, enlightened and agitattd in regard to
them. No people were ever as we'll in
formed as ours, as to- the theory and pow
ers of their Government and their own
rights and privileges under it.
1t is but just and truthful, therefore, TO
say that the southern people engaged in
the war, believing, intellectually and NOR
ally, that their cause was just and JUS
fed all that was to be done and suffered in
its support. Such unanimity of senti-
ment--such energy of spirit and 4ction-
and such cheerful surrender of life and
property, could only be born of earnest
conviction and be maintained by the in
spiration fconscientiousness. After four
years of incompatible valor and fortitude
of matchess skill and gallantry in fight.
ing-of suffering and sorrow that darken.
ed every home 10 the land--was our army
surrendered and our cause lost because
the army and people changed their views
and convictions upon the issues which led
to the war? Until the last gun was fred
and "the bugles sang truce" the opinion
and conviction of the southern people as
to the justice of their cause and the correct.
ness of their political principles continued
unchanged. They are unchanged still
They will probably continue unchanged
for ages to como. Our surrender involves
no confession of error-no concession of
opinien-no change of our political creed
1t was surrender to numbers vastly
greater than our own. Tt was surren-
der to resources that seemed exhaustless
Ito power, that seemed illimitable.-
When it became evident that We were
overmatched i'll numbers, resources and
power, the South, in noble spirit, gave
up the struggle and refused to protract a
contest in which glory might be won at
the expense of life, suffering and treasure,
but without accomplishing the objects for
which the war was commenced In this
act there was manifested more true great
ness than 10 all her splendid victories.
Having abandoned the struggled as hope
less. she now, with equal nobeness and
candor of spirit, proposes to return to the
Union, because, of all that can be consid-
cred practicable, it is the Government of
her choice, The Coufederacy having
passed into history, our people have aban-
doned all hopes of ever recalling it, and,
in good faith, pledge themselves "to pro,
tect, defend and support the Constitution
of the United States" Secession aud all
the issues which grew cut of it, have
ceased to be matters Of discussion or of
action ; but not of such theory or opinion
as may be consistent with the most per-
feet loyalty and fealty to our Government.
We submit implicitly to its laws. We
will defend it against the "world in
arms" With this the Government will
be satisfied. 1t can require nothing
more.
The status o! the people Of the South
may be understood and defined thus -
They have abandoned all opposition in
any form, now and forever, to the United
States, and are willing to adopt it as their
Government, and to yield to it perfect al
legisnce and obedience. But they do not,
therefore, surrender their opinions as tn
the principles against which tho war was
initiated and waged, or their convictions
that their cause was not unjust in itself,
or that it was not dishonesty inaugurated.
They feel that they now do right in re-
turning to the Union, without admitting
that they did wrong in leaving it, The
war has made construction against Sc
cession to which they are perfectly willing
to submit. They are glad that the mat
ter is settled, even though the decision
went against them. And, in endeayoring
to maintain reserved right and prevent
consolidation, leaving secession out Of
view as absolute, they fud sufficient
consistency to secure the consciousness of
their political identity,
Having submitted, it is our paramount
duty to be faithful to the Constitution and
laws. No citizen is exempt from the al
most sacred duty of qualifying himself to
vote and to perform all other actso of citizen.
ship. Nor, in doing SO, need he regard
himself as merely adopting dreaded or
unpleasant alternative. This will not b.
true in one instance out Of many. For
the people Of the South love the Uuion now
asthey always lovedit. They did not leave
it because their affection for it had ceas.
ed, but because they thoughthmas wronyy
and aoronafally administered In coming
back to it their old love for it is refreshed
by the hope that il aoiU hereafter be prop