The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-31
.REIja;HT.Y1Ews.

Z I lSs- :
The Spartanburg Spartan, in an article mildly re-
buking. an esteemed contemporary for pronouncing
the late war sreyoha upon our part, thus correct
ly states the condition Of things as the future his
torian will view. them;:
ssTo say that the, South revolted from tho Gov
ernment Of the United States, is not correct. The
equality all he States forming that Government,
hadnever been disputed 7and IF al the States were
sovereign alike, there was as much sovereignty in
tho cleyen seeded States there was in the great
ernumber, from which they had attempted peaoea-
bly, to Withdraw. Icahe States were equal in oil
their rights and attributes, individually or collect
ively, how is it possible to make out case of re-
volt "A province may revolt or rebel against the
government of its sovereign, and subjects may re-
volt against their prince But ours is a very diff
ferent case. The inequality in the number and
strength Of the States engaged each side, in the
late 1ar mot revolt Mas begun and fought to the
bitter end for self government and not alone for
slavery and States rights in the abstract No. no
there MAS no abstraction about it. The South
wanted peace and security ut home, which she
could not obtain in the Union. The parties to the
war were belligerents, mot revolters) as acknowl-
edged by oil the wosld, us well as by the govern,
ment at Washington. Equality and independence
were as much atributesof the South as the North.
deny being insurgents, rebels levolters, trait
ors or deserters. We were simply belligerents in
war for the defence Of our rights: In the failure
Of our arms, the P6daia, only now, like Congress,
has discovered that the late war was nothing more
than q revolt on our part. We don't like the word,
because il conveys censure seven millions Of men
who riskcd their all in defence of their rights We
don't want our children to remember US only as
sefconfessed insurgents, reyolters or nsurrecton-
lists. We want to stand in the eye of coming gen
crations as patriots, in war for independence
but in which we unhappily failed. We believe
that, however oppressive and odious tho Union had
been, circumstances have now made IL desirable
that the Union should be restored Then, as we
can do no better, we give our submission to the
reconstruction laws of Congress, and will continue
to labor faithfully to restore the Union on that line
hoping thatpeace and prosperity may follow. The
war and its results have left our country poor in
deed,i but there is no shame or disgrace attached
to the South by her action in the late war. We
have no consciousness of guilt or shame. Obsequi-
Gus attery, or cringing servility to the arrogant
pretensions and usurpations of the Radical party
of the North, can do us no good. Time and DO
tience, and frmness and selfrespect,. will dispel
the darkness and gloom of the times-will drive
away and scatter our enemies-will restore pros
l5perity and happiness TO our land, and tho South
will be free from her present bondage. Aword
more. The men of the South, who stood shoulder
to shoulder in the Lost Cause, until the last Con-
fcdcrate sword was sheathed, and the starry Cross
was lowered to q bloody and fanatioal soldiery-
will not be branded, when history is written, as in.
surrcctionists and revolters. Oh, no-they will
take their place nthe annals of time, with the he
roes of Thermopylm."