The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-09-16


10 prove our view, let us recur to
facts, Tho majority of the Southern
people were disposed to wait for the
overt act on the part of Lincoln, nor
did they believe in ",he girdlc of fire.
thoocy, or the t'ringmg Of the tree"
theory, as to free and slave labor, but
they were unanimous on the doctrine
of States Rights, and the plain intcn-
tion to cocrce the States united the
South. The removals of Fremont
and Hunter, because of their cmanci-
patton orders, and tho substitution of
other commanders in their place, and
tho Andrew Johnston reso lutions Of
fered and unanimously adopted in the
United States Senate, on the day af-
ter the battle of Manassas, prove, that
the North o;torcd the fight, not to
abolish slavery, but to pcrpctuatc the
Union
Free labor and slave labor, it is
true, entered largely as elements and
occasions of the war. The South be-
ing III minority, and believing the
State institution Of slavery threatened,
became very jealous of States Rights
The dispute would in time have been
settled, however, but for the plain
choice Of force as tho arbitcr on the
part!of the Radical party--thc greatest
blmdcr in statcsmanship upon the
record of history.
And our Statesmen also blundcrcd
immensely in this very respect, that
they posponcd the issue of States
Rights, sand made it upon tho qucs.
tion of slavery, sectional issue. Mr..
Rhctt was right, in urging tho supc-
rior wisdom of testing the question
upon the issue of taxation, and of, do.
ing so before the Northern States be-
came stronger than the Southern BY
three to one in numbers, and double
that ratio by the development of
every variety of resources.
This war, however, like some others
with all of its calamitics, has had Il
tendency to promote peace, Just rs
litigation has settled principles Of
law and rules of procedure. AS liti-
cation gradually wins region after re-
gion from the dominion of doubt, so
that to question certain rights in civil
lied society which have been decided
again and again, would be considered
by sober men as proof of idiocy or
lunacy, just so, war and treaties, and
modes Of thought resulting from war,
have settled, beyond dispute, certain
principles ofpublic Justice for the rcgu-
lation of nations in their intercourse
with each other. The number of
questions in private business that still
admit of doubt, however, is so great
and the number Of complicated rcla-
tions that will arise with the extern
sion and variety of business under
new and untricd forms, is almost 50
infinite, that litigation, at least in the
form of arbitration, can never come to
a close. And the number of settled
principles Of public law arc so few,
and the number Of questions affecting
tho interests Of nations that arc still
in doubt are SO many, that it is hope
less to look for an end of war. For rs
it is dishonorablc cowardicc in an in
dividual to yield doubtful point to
threats or force, before his Judgment
is assured that it is right to do So
so nations would soon sink into con-
tempt and dcgration, that would not
fight upon q reasonable doubt, there
being no common arbitcr between
them. Let us trust, however, that nc
second civil convulsion will disturb
the American Union. let us hone
that we will learn in peace tic les
sons that havo been writton in blood.