Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-09-06

legislation ratifying the amendment of Il
United States Constitution known as A
ticle Is. am we'll aware that the acti
Of the Southern people, at that time, W
dictated by an honest desire to secure I
blessings Of peace, and high sense
honor, which prompted them to show tn
they were sincere in their. wish to
everything that would tend to tho rest
ration of the Union on honorable tern
l have no hesitation in asserting that t
Southern States would then havo be
brought back to the Union with more
"loyalty"-to use a favorite expression
the North-than had existed amongst the
for forty years past, had the North prov
itself to be as magnanimous as it b
shown itself to be powerful. But it "
the misfortune, not only of the South,
of the whole country, that the pa,
which obtained possession of the Cover
ment was moro intent on securing its o,
power than of restoring the Union to
pristine glory. After acquiring power,
the sole ground Of brinsjEse back
Southern States to the co1Hnon fold, W
all their "d'guity, equality and rights u
impaired" they basely, betrayed the peo1
ofthe North, by subordiuating the in,e15
and rights of ten States to the effort
perpetuate the power of their party, f.
flying, while they did so, every pE'
which they had made during the conf 7
ancs of the war. The war, wLich
professedly waged solely for the rsst6i t
of the Union, in. its progress, degeG
into the open attempt, on the parts
authors, 10 consolidate, and perpetuSa
ical rule, and Government, wEas
founded on the noblc maxim, thaYs
ernments derive their just powersF sF'ne
consent of the governed" has per
ssrted to the base ends of subj len
millions Of its people to militaipot-
ism.
That I may not be accused dt"t'ns
this proposition in stronger lase 'n"''
is warranted by the facts Of .lg' Aoeg
to call your attention to the f'"g ex-
tract from an article which eli fed from
Mass sachusetts. Bearing the .aeur o
Boston, lis language, .whicit u oee"
uttered here, might have sho o' 're"-
son, eau be regarded onlyN:aI
"The principle" says s~nter' on
which the war WAS wags The Nortn'
was simply this: That meay ngot'u"y
be compelled to submit nd support
Government that they do giant and 1nat
resistance on their part Ses 'he'n 'r"'-
tors and criminals. Nsnciple that is
possible to be. named eio mora seit-eV-
identity false than thH more se'f-evi-
den,ly fatal to all ps p freedom. YET
it triumphed in the ana It IS no" "s-
sumed to be estabIf !. II 1t De real
ly established, ths lumber Of slaves.
instead of havipgen diminished by
the war, has beesatly increased; for
men thus subp to:a Government
that he does nos,nt, is slave; and
there is no diffsrsgiq principle, but only
in degree, be.v political and eh"t'el
slavery. The fSr,- no less than the lat.
ter dep;e. A .maspersbip of himself and
the products of labor, and asserts that
other men mPwn him aad dispose o.
him and his terty for their uses and al
their pleasure Previous TO the war, there
were some Junds for saying, that ir
theory. at f., 81 not practice, our Gov
erpment vi free one-that it rested o'
consent. ( nothing of tha! kind can b
said now. !he principle on which the wa
Was carrjon' By the North, is irrevooabl
stablish.'
! Heres are told in emphatic Language
by Nfhern man whose mind cannot b
obscsrf certainly by the 'o-ea]led heresi'
o. sou,srn doctrines, what was the p5in
'cipls / which the war was waged by II
North IND we are warned-God grant tn
the wssing may not be IN vsin--wh
will be | se result ifssihis, principle is irr'
vosably ,A.ablished. Let il be- establishe
and we bA adisu to constitutional libes
E-republich institutions will be swe
away in ths ..orR fiat will arise, and '
shall entsr 70 those dark and gloon
scenes which Away. ,preoede . nssio'
death. The lime will .tlieu indeed ha
come for US TO- pray, iu' the words OF a fe
Hess and eloquent son 81 Gsorgia, for I
speedy advent Of athe American Cnsa
The whole recent legtslssiop. Of. the e:frs
tionsi Congress at Washington seems
have only intview to. break down alt
barriers Of the Constitntsca Of ths Udi
States; to ignore the immortal itiili'
Of the great TsAsIlion Of ne; dnid % 9.
ysrt p Government. which he'd, 10 its d
foanda.ion, ,"shec sonssst of shs governs
into one sustained 4by sosss alone. N
81 the radicals pss.snd" "ttias thes Mill
bills are oonstanttonal. They admit
haps I should say, rather, they truat-
! 4l.t-.s....,.>. / nvn ,,ncnoat Il n tiona II =