The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-01-23

: sword. " hen South Carolina
took this position, she did no
moro than she had been taught by
the ablcst statesmen Of the re-
public from its foundation, and
what she believed she had an in
| hcrent right to do; that, as she
had voluntarily acceded to the
Government, when the great end
and aim for which the Govern
mcnt was founded had failed, she
had an inherent right voluntarily
to sccedc. | have said that our
failure to establish our indepen-
dencc and separate nationality is
no argument that our cause was
unjust and that We were wrong.
If the noble spirits who put South
: Carolina in the attitude Of scccs-
sion are traitors; if the heroic and
gallant dead and living who ral-
lied beneath the old Palmetto flag,
to defend that position; are traitors
if Mr.. Davis. who is now languish-
ing in prison, who commanded the
armies and navy Of the South,
from whose noble lips not a mur-
mur has yet broken, is 4 traitor to
| the Constitution and laws Of his
country, why, I ask: has he been
denied a trial for nearly two years
Is it possible that this great Gov
crnmcnt, with her million OF
soldiers and her great generals,
with her Judges and her courts, is
unable to bring to trial one single
individual? No. Why, then, I
ask, has he been denied a trial
Let history answer the question.
They know he is no traitor hey
know he stands upon the imperish-
able foundation Of right, truth and
.iuSticc-ycs, upon the fundamcn-
tai, organic, constitutionallaw ofthc
republic, and they cannot convict
him. There is no moro potential
argument Of the justice Of the
cause which we cSpouscd: and that
we were right. than the failure on
the part Of the Government to
bring to fair and impartial trial
him who headed the armies and
navy f the South.
But. Mr.. Speaker. the war has
ended. The contest has been
yielded. Under our theory Of the
, Government. we were out Of the
Union. We were vanquished,
Suhiuyatcd and subjcctto the terms
Of the conqucrors. The President
Of the United StatcS-the highest
civil and military officer known to
the laws Of the Republic, q states
man worthy Of the enlightened
age in which we livc-imposcd the
terms. We have carried them
ont in good faith, and to the letter.
By his orders, the State Govern
mcnt Of South Carolina was re-
vived, and is now in full operation.
| am here to-day by that authority.
| lie saws South Carolina is 4 State,
and that she is now in the Union.
: | know no higher authority. Can
the brave. the generous and manly
! of the North 90 behind the record
Of the Chief Magistrate Of their
! own choice? No. Under the
! opposite theory ofour Government:
and against which We hcroically
fought for five long years; viz
that State cannot seccde from
the Union, South Carolina is now
Il State, and she is now in the
Union. because she could not get
ont of it. Hence, under each and
both of these theories, South Caro-
lima is q State, and she is now in
) tho Union. Such being the case,
I would have her bear herself rs
| becomes q State in the Union. !
admit, Mr.. Speaker, that great
changes have occurred in tho
country during the late war,
| which ncccSSitate corresponding
changes in the organic law. and |
am prepared to makes such changes
as will amelioratc the condition OF
the country and advance the civiIi-
zation of the age in which We
live.
The question which naturally
arises here for solution is, how arc
these changes to be made and met:
if we would preserve the princi-
pies Of the republic? The Consti-
+utiOn pnintc ont but two modes