The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-10-17
PEACE OR WAR.

F rom tho New York Journal Of Commerce, Sept. %.
Have we fought for these long years
poured out blood. and expended treasure
without stint, for the sake of petuatinv
the military reign of North over South ;
Was it to destroy selfgoyernment and over
throw the foundations the Union that the
war was carried onf So the Radical.
would have US believe. Neither before tn.
war, nor during the war, nor since the war
has there been time when the Northern
States had any right to prescribe civil law
iu The Southern States; nor can it be done
nov without destroying the whole fabric Of
the American Union. What business have
We with Southern local law to- dayf eve
have conquered them," says a radical "and
therefore we have right to prescribe what
social laws we please" Nonsense! We
have conquered ourselves. We have sun
pressed an insurrection in our own bojy
polite. We have extrpated a disease
which took possession of one Of our own
organs of life. We shouted until we were
hoarse tnat the war was Nor tae life of the
nation" Let US have done with this sec.
tionalism, then, and remember that the
United States form one grand body to which
each part is necessary, and in which each
part has equal rights. The ADMINISTERING
OF local law to the South, as a conouereI
territory. implies right in the majority Of
the States to make laws for the minority.
So long as military law was administered
there was no such implication, but This
business Of prescribing civil and social law
is like poisoning Ones own arm with the
idea that the poison can be confined 10 thar
locality. The veins and arteries run
through the whole system. The wrong is
done % the whole constitution by an our
rage on one part ol the body, and The whole
body will suffer for the wrong. We have
no right, either by law or conauest. nor an
moral principles, TO treat the Southern
States "a conquered territories and popula-
tions. We may administer the law to in.
dlyIdaals as severely as we please. We
may punish men and women and children.
But the United States Government might
as well repeal the charters of New Orleans.
Mobile and Charleston, and wipe them ont
as cities IN the South, as to declare a South.
ern State dead or not member of the Unior.
The moral right. the legal right. the consti.
tOlional right, is just the same in both cases.
But" saysa sincere Radical, have we
not the right 70 refuse them admission 10
the Union unless they adopt such laws and
social principles as we think correctm No,
you have no such right under the Constitu.
ton and laws Of our land, nor have you the
moral right. unless you give them at Tho
same time The right Of accepting or reject
ing your terms Of Union. The grand wrong.
the outrage TO American principles, the
rotted timber which men are now engaged
in forcing into the Constitution itself. il
this plan oi holding q State by the throa,
and declaring that it shall not come into
your Union. not be protected by your Con.
slitution, unless il will agree with YOU IL
alter that Constitution and submit to amend.
ments OF your proposing; but when thf
State asks, !" Will you lrt me stay out q
Jour Union il don't like ,Uar new pru
pOsalsf the answer Ii i fierce No" rhr.
y hideous berlesqae Oh the old idea OF 4
tree American Uuinn. The v9nity pr /,