New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-06
ERRORS EXCEPTED.

"a Virginian" writes to The Daily Nensto con-
trovert certain "designed Misrepresentation
and "honest misconceptions" current at the
North with regard to the late Rebellion. Here
is a specimen of his work:
THE first Of these errors the most radical and most
unjust is that the Southern people by entering INTO the
late war; consciously and deliberately broke their engage
ments and violated their obligations TO the Union. Ger
fainiy. this not Whether right or wrong YET
it is undenably true, that the Southern peope almost
universally held with sincere conviction Of its TRUTH
the doctrine taught for half century by many OF the
foremost statesmen and most enlightened public bodies
Of both sections Of the Union that the several states
though united. still Independent sovereignties
capable Of resumug at WILL their separate political ex,
stence and that therefore. the primary allegiance OF
their citizens due TO them respectively. ana was
paramount TO that which they owed to the Union some
held that this right constitutional one, and de'
duced from II the right to sscede peaceaby Others Inal
Secession implied the coequa right OF the other parties
TO the compact to Judge Of the sucency OF the cause
and hence rar but all agreed to the right
Of the State TO secede as STATE. subject at worst
TO the penalties Of war but not to those OF rebellion.
When therefore Virginia refused to furnish Inc troops
called for by the President withdrew from the Union
and proceeded to repel by arms the advance OF the
United States forces into Southern territory, whose
presence they deemed absolutely Incompatible with the
cOexisence OF the institution OF Slavery ian instltu'
ton which she doubted her right to have and to
defen the great body OF her citizens alike those de-
sirOus to preserve the Union 90 those who wished 70
IL,
treason they did 20 with their State and that by
doing they broke obligation TO the United States
committed any act OF rebellion against that Gov
eminent In other words Secession, with virginia,
was but necessary incident Of the war, waged, as
she conceived in rightfu sedefeDse: which war her
people almost invariably supposed she had the right to
make, and which, when made they believed III their
duty to sustain"
THAT is precisely the doctrine that has cost
our country One Million lives and Five Thou.
sand Millions worth of property. And it must
now be explicitly renowned and reprobated, so
as to save and shield US from another such
carnival of destruction at any future day
But il is not true that "the Southern people
almost universally held the doctrine" of State
Sovereignty. There was always large and
most respectable party, even in Virginia, which
repudated the doctrine of ''the resolutions OF '9s
Patrick Henry, George Washington and John
Marshall emphatically did this when those pes
tilert resolves were concocted; and the more
intelligent if not the more numerous portion oil
their virgnian fcllow.citizcns heartily agreed
with them. But for the sudden and most I'M
timely death of the two first-named, just before
the Presidential Election of 1900, it is quite
probable that the electoral vote Of Virginia, or
at least part Of it, would have been cast for
Adams and Pinckney against Jefferson and
Bun. And-not to instance too many particu-
lars--the vote Of Virginia when last fully
polled showed a majority against the vicious
dogma aforesaid, viz:
1860. John Bell. .7i.6sl Breckenridge ~ 325
douglas ....lt,29O -.
81 o.
Majority against State Sovereignty lie, 5I2
Mr.. Dougl0s, in a speech at Norfolk, Va, in
that canvass, distinctly, emphaticaly, repro
bated the idea of Secession in case Lincoln
should be elected, and. declared in favor Of
Coercion to uphold the authority OF the Union.
Mr. Bell was run on the simple platform OF
1.-THE Constitution, the Union, and The Enforce
ment Of The Lars" II was perfectly understood
that this did MI mean State Sovereignty and did
mean Coercion if necessary
We are not disposed TO rekindle the embcrs
Of past controversy. Letbygones be bygones.
But it must be distinctly understood that those
who nop take the oath Of allegiance do com
NIT treason il they henceforth permit any
State or other authority to swerve them from
fidelity to the United Statesu-that no one can
commit treason by adhtring to the Union
and obeying It's authorities-that it is rebellion,
and nothing less, to make war on the Nation at
the beck of any State. Let us have clear un'
Outstanding on this head. If any now take the
oath of allegiance with mental reservation in
favor of State Sovereignty, it were far better
left unsworn. An affidavit requires fivc-eent
stamp, and an oath Of fidelity to the Union
from devotce of State Sovereignty isn't worth
the money. ~
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