The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-11


ernor Clark, Of Mississippi, refuses to hand
over his militia to the greedy rebel authorities
in search of men, and the Alabama Legislature
refuses to make any provision for the defence
of that State against Northern armies.
But Georgia is worst ofalL Davis has always
found Governor Brown, Of that State most
inconvenient stickler for those State rights
that the rebellion was expected to secure, and
Brown has again and again commended to tho
lips Of Davis the poisoned chalice that he did
his share to flL Hence has come elimination
and recrimination Of the bitterest sort Davis
has openly called Brown scoundrel, and
Brown has declared Davis the sole cause Of all
the misfortunes Of the Southern people. Geor-
ria expresses its opinion that Virginia is not
the whole South, and Virginia says that Georgia
ia only the Cherokee nation. Alexander II.
Stephens, Vice President, too, helps on the
Georgia opposition with his great influence.
And now that the presence Of our army has
made an expression Of sentiment possible, we
see in Savannah the direct result Of all this,
and of Augusta reflex of what Is said at
Savannah. The citizens of Savannah in o
public assembly have adopted resolutions of
the best possible character. They give up the
cause. They do not pretend that they always
were Union men, but they do better. They re-
cognize that they have been brought under
our government by the fortune of war;" and
they tell us that "they accept the position" and
will "seek to have peace" by submission to the
national authority. That moderate dignity of
tone gives assurance that these men know
what they say and say what they mean. In an
Augusta paper the question of separate State
action is revived in new phase, in argument
upon the question "Is it reasonable to secede"
How can the State rights men answer that
question? When secession began every South
erner to be consistent had to argue in favor Of
the right Of secession, and that right was con-
sequently distinctly recognized in the Con-
federate constitution. Now it is applied to the
right Of States to treat separately with the
United States, and is, Of course, inconsistent
If the South admits the right, it is not treasona-
BILE to secede, and the confederacy goes to
pieces If it denies the right, what ground
does secession stand upon, and what is the use
of the constitution Of the Confederate States?
This simple question carries to its ultimate re-
suit the State rights dogma, and shows what a
mere abstraction it is.
Now this universal opposition to the central
power Of the confederacy shows distinctly the
fact that the confederacy is failure before all
the Southern people. All these oppositions
are SO many evidences Of that failure, and are
the expressions of the disgust Of the people, and
Of their discomfort with the creature whom
they chose to carry out their ideas and whom
they hold responsible for the failure to a great
extent. In this temper it is hot strange that
the people of one State are ready to treat with
the national authorities; nor is it strange that
Davis, accustomed to study the moods Of the
Southern people, Is ready to confer even with
the radical Blair, as a volunteer peace COM
missioner, on the important question of q solu-
ton of all our troubles. The people of the
South are ready for peace and will have it;
and Davis is sufficiently shrewd to see that he
must make it, and to know that II he does not
make 1t it win be made without his assistance,
and will leave him out in the cold, traitor and
IN exile. He will do all that he can towards it,
we may be sure.