The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-07-27

majority of, the Amerfcan'people opposed
to him. He was powerless No legisla-
tion could be had, and no appointment
made, without thesapproval of the South
era States through the Democratic party.
The election of President Lincoln was,
then, no just ground for secession.
But it was urged, Mr., Chairman, that
the Republican party Svould soon obtain
the ascendency in both Houses of Con-
gress, and then the constitutional rights Of
the Southern States would be destroyed.
There was no srcason for this assertion,
when we reflect that d majority Of the.
people of the United States were opposed
to ths.principles Of the Republican party.
Admit, however, for argument, that the
President and his party might be in the
ascendant, and would make aggressions
on Southern rights and Institutions Then,
sir, we should have had the whole DEMO
cracy of the North fallying around their
violated Constitution and standing by the
South. And if war had come, it would
have been at the North, where the peo-
pie were divided, and not at the South,
where they were all united. 1t, would
have been - cf0it, as well rs a sectional
war, in the Union, and for tho Ccnstitu-
ton of the Union. But, sir, there was
not. the slightest probability Of such an.
issue. The Republican party voted al
most unanimously, in Congress, in 1860,
that the5F had no power to interfere with
slavery in the States, and no wish to do
so, if theyh When the Southern States
seeded from the Union, and withdrew
their members from Congress, they took
the Federal Gopernmsntout Of the hands
of the Democracy, and turnea'it over to.
the Republican party. They abandoned
their friends and allies, the Northern
Democracy, who had manfally stood by
the South for more than a half century. to
the tender Incrcies Of ftheir. political oppo-
nents and enemies? This was nd. in ac-:
,cordanap with Southern honor and chiy-
airy.
What other cause had the Southern.
States for their act of scccssion2 For
eight years Immediately preceding this
revolution, during..the administrations Of
Presidents Pierce and Buchanan, there
was not an act of the Federal Govern
ment of which they complained. They
could not complain, for the Government
was in then GOWN hands. IT is true the
Northern State legislatures had nullifrd
certain acts of Congress favorable to the
South, But was this just cause for rebel.
ing against the Federal Government (?
Should they not have adhered the closer
to that Government, and assisted in en-
forcing its laws? How strange to think
of Tho Southern Statcsr5bel!ing againsta
Government of which they did not com
plain! 81
1t is said that the Southern States left
the Union to preserve slavery! How fa-
tai the mistake! Every ono ought to-
have known that slavery was stronger in
the Union than it possibly could be out of
the Union. Indeed, the Union was IT'S
only safety andprotertion. Whilst in the
Union we had the power of rc-capturing
our fugitives slaves. Out of tho Union
we could have nosuch power. The whole
civilized world was opposed to us on this
question, and as slaue po,cer, would have
looked upon us with scornful jealousy.
But, Mr.. Chairman, the madness and fol-
ly ofthe Southern States, in commencing
this revolution, is nov manifest to all.
There was fanaticism at the South rs well
~as ut tho North. Politicians did all they
could, in both sections, to STIR up the
worst passions of the human heart and
make the people forget they were fellow
citizens of one great Republic. We were
told that the Northern people would not
fight, that there would be no war, and Of
tcrs were made to drink all the blood that
would be shed ! History should have
taught them that no great Government,
like ours, ever was, or ever could be, brok-
en- up without one and all its dire consc-
quences.
How was it, Mr.. Chairman, that the
Southern States failed in their rebellion? I?
1t is true the contest was most unequal
one-eight millions of persons fighting
against twenty-millions The one hav-
ing neither government, army, navy or
manufactures and the other having all
4La.a 18th on .nAn.. oe R,r.a;,rnars and