The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-06

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Heaven, we believe they exercised a
legitimate and constitutional right in
determining their Government, and
died Ia the vindication of that right.
Our condition is changed; the issue
has established our relations to the
power which controls us. Our sove-
reignty and allegiance have been fixed
by the inexorable law of force, and it
would be unwise and unjust not to
support the Government under which
we five. "''
At the inception of the struggle,
we conceived the United States to be
confederation Of sovereignties for
the preservation Of life, liberty and
property. With q natural and loei
cal apprehension of the loss of iber-
ty, these soldiers resolved, AS they
had right, from the teachings Of
the great statesmen and philosophers
OF this country, to vindicate their
cause by peaceable secession. The
sword was appealed to, and ii de-
S;dea. Although vigilant, active and
brave, the race was to the swift and
the battle to the strong And like
brave and noble people, we acqui-
esced in the results, and bow with
submission to the DEGREES of God!
Once we lived in republic, asso-
ciated with others for mutual defence
and protection. Now, the narrow
confines OF States are broken down,
and there is no North, no South, no
East or West. We live in nation,
an empire, with elective rulers. The
word national" which was repudi-
ated by our fore-fathers as smacking
too much of absolutism, was gradu-
ally introduced by public leaders of a
certain complexion, until it began to
affect the thoughts and feelings of
the mass of the people. and became
significant fact, making the power
OF the Government one and indivisi-
ble. This abuse of language has per-
verted the conception of law. Senti-
ment was stronger than reason and
the Constitution, literature stronger
than logic, and Massachusetts, WELD
ing the 6r,txan .fulzaen of the West,
has triumphed.
The future historian, in tracing the
causes which led to this result. will
discover that this idea Of nationality,
fostered by the literature of New
England, arose from the necessities
Of her condition. State sovereignty
did not comport with her interest.
With bleak climate and barren
soil, the difficulties of existence were
great without contributions from
more favored attitudes. Tariffs,
bounties and navigations were i'm
portant to build her cities and fertil-
ize her soil. Thus a channel was
created to direct wealth to her con-
fines and pour the riches Of Union
in herlap. To perpetuate this stream
OF wealth, it was necessary to demon
strate the Union to be nation. The
end is attained, and the harvest for
her is bright, and will continue SO
until the great West becomes en-
ightened in political economy, as the
South was before the war. and disco
vers that the grand and noble plati-
tudes OF humanity. equality and one
country used by the Massachusetts,
orators, proceed from the narrow and
selfish consideration of using that
one country to improve the precincts
OF Plymouth Rock, and enrich the
descendants of witch burners and
blue federalists.
The soldiers buried here resisted
this tendency to oabsolutism, but their
efforts were futile Their defeat makes
the line of duty clear to us, and we
must extract sweets from the cup of
adversely. Our Affections at the hand
OF the public enemy may, under Pro-
vidence, prove our greatest blessings.
But it is not entirely correct to say,
the efforts of the South were in vain.
Their graves are not idle piles Of dust;
they have their history, which will
excite sympathy even amongst those
who were lately their enemies. Sleep
ing truth is mightier than waking
error, for it must arise and scatter
prejudices like nights darkness before
the rays of the morning sun.
The principles OF liberty, conse-
Grated by the blood of our fore
fathers, are still dear to many who
welded the sword against these sol
diers, although the sentiment of re-
spect for law and order. which is SO
essential to stability and liberty, has
received q terrible shock. We still
respect the principles of the revolu-
ton, though obscured by the success
OF the nation. We believe, like truth
and justice, they are iulmutable.
They are not dead, but sleep! Any
injury to these principles finds com
pensation in the reaction which brings
| retributiye iustica noon tho arrino,