Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-04
THE PAsr. THE eRRAT TEACHER.

ucular have been in the wrong or IN
wise, in the feGd Of sections that pre-
coded and produced Secession and Civil
War. On the great main questions, the
South, in our opinion, was always in the
right. If the North was not content
with the Compact as it gas made, 1t
should have rescinded Il. It made il,
agreeing that the South should, if it
pleased. import Slaves for twenty years.
Ii had the consideration for this. il
agreed to buy Louisiana, with Slavery
legal in it, and promised not 10 violate
any right Of property existing there. II
had no right to make Slavery an objec-
ton TO the admission OF Missouri. IL
had no right 10 demand that il should
not exist in any other part OF that terri
tory, north OF $50 so. 1t had no right,
in honesty or common fairness, to legis-
late against Slavery in any way, except
to close the Slave-trade. That power
was given it. It had no right to protect
fugitive slaves, or interpose obstacles Of
any kind TO the reclamation of them.
1t was bound ty the spirit Of the bar
gain, as much as by the letter. 1t had
the consideration for all. Such will
some day be the calm judgment Of the
world. The obligations of good neigh
borhood and courtesy were as binding
upon 1t, as those created by the special
stipulatiOns Of the contract. That is the
verdict and judgment of justice and
reason. Il 1DGs estopped euea to declare
Slavery Immoral 1t had no right to at
temptto check the expansion and growth
Of the South, while itself expanding and
growing.
We maintained the right Of 8 State
peacefully 10 secede. We thought il in
e~xpedieut to exercise the right, at the
time. Both opinions remain unchanged.
We thought there was ample cause for
secession. We think so yet. We were
willing to share the fortunes of the
South. We deny that her people were
rebels. S~ubjugation in no wise changes
our opinions. The cause OF the South
was the u Of political liberty. She
only v~indicated the right Of self govern
ment in States and Nations. If she has
fallen in the struggle, her failure does
/ not prove that she had not the right TO
make the effort to win independence
| for Poland, Hungary and Circassia have
also attempted it and failed. But for the
! institution OF domestic slavery, the South
would have won the sympathies Of the
world, and the nations would have has
tened to receive her into the great family,
before she had struggled two years.
But however right a people may be in
the main, its leaders may act unwisely
and i~mprudently in conducting its con-
troversy and thus hasten or precipitate
a denOuement which might have been
delayed, if not averted as unlearned
and unskilful counsel may ~jeopardize
and even lose a good case, by making up
an immaterial issue, by bringing on the
trial at an unreasonable time, or by re-
sorting TO sophistry and quibhles as the
most apt mode OF indicating a cause
that has truth and justice on its side, and
needs 30 such appliances Of professional
dexterity. To approve the cause is not
always to approve the conduct Of it by
its advocates. We believe, on the con-
trary, that the South might, by wisdom
and policy on the part Of her leaders,
without any surrender Of principle, or
loss of honour, have prevented the
growth of the Republican party, and
successfully maintained all her rights ia
the Union. But she took counsel with
her passion and anger, and not with her
reason. Whoever does so, viii commit
great errors.
For example, there is a practical wis
dom in the cOurtesies Of debate and Of
social and official intercourse. When
members of the Republican party began
to enter the Senate, and so long as
Southern Senators consented to sit with
them, they should have observed those
courtesies, not merely out Of policy and
wisdom, but out of a sense Of s~elf-re-
spect. They should certainly never have
descended TO insult men who were to a
great extent defenceless. GratuitOus iu-
Sullsr least VI all oAOuAu nave DG6u
offered. The personal revenges, ever Of
the worthless, have often changed the
fate of Empires, and have caused the
writing Of as many chapters Of the
worlds history, - the disappointments
Of ambition. The future historian, ira
cling the causes OF the commissions Of the
Union, and of the ~sauguinary war be-
tween the States, will not fail to note
the frequent insults offered in the Senate
10 Republicans, and the personal and
venomous hatred Of the South thus en-
gendered in the bosoms Of many North
ern men. He may perhaps ask how
much blood the blows struck upon the
head Of SUMNER have cost the South,
how much the many taunts that stuug
SEWARD.
About the year 1853, there were, we
think, hut four representatives Of Repub-
Iican principles IN the Senate. As if to
provoke the increase that soon followed
ln their numbers, the singular diseour
tesy was committed, Of not placing any
one Of them on any committee. Wis
dom would have taught those in power
that q slight of that kind is but the ex-
preston Of an impotent anger, aud that
eveu an exaggerated courtesy would
have been wiser. The reason assigned
for this folly was, that they belonged to
no healiBy political organization. The
States from which those Senators came,
Of course deemed the insult aimed at
themselves and when Mr.. HALE, Of
New Hampshire, who never failed to
turn TO profit any blunder, any s0ttise
Of the sort, and TO widen by it, in his
peculiar and effective way, the breach
opening between the North and the
South, By exasperating the former, was,
during that period, lnsulJed in debate by
a Southern Senator, he sarcastically re-
marked, Mr.. President, 1 suppose that
remark, being IN insult, would be con-
sidered out Of order, if I belonged to any
healthy political organization Interro-
gate history and she will tell you how
much such sights and insults have often
cost the nations, and what a mighty
force there is in such retorts. Nations,
like individuals, wash out insults in
blood. The insulted Of to-day becomes
the insulter tomorrow, and puts his foot
on the neck Of him he hates.
When the side on which right was,
has failed TO win, its managers and advo-
Gates are justly held to strict account,
and their sins Of omission and commits
sion are naturally looked upon as less
excusable than when the splendour of
success ~eonceals, if it does not atone for
them. Fortune, in craftsmanship, is
not merely a misfortune. This may
be cruel but it is the common law,
nor indeed is it unjust. The ineompe-
tent who insist on managing public af-
fairs are criminal. A man has a right
10 mismaBage his OJCH affairs. He has
no right to mismanage those Of his