The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-09-01
The RieIrtor secnr..Io,.-

l-s INC A@ASAH Oh secession rrL
Hon. A. Hx Stephens, of Georgia,
has published IetteFln theAugusta
Consttuti tionalist, in which he replies
to an editorial in the New York Tril
bune criticising his work upon ssThc
War between the Statesi'' and advo.
Gates his doctrine Of ofequsllty ofpoWet
between the several Ststes Of the
Union. In relation to the secession
movement, he says: - -
What he, Mr.. Greeley, saws about
secession having been carried in the
Southern states by violent, sub
Yersive, bullying, terrorizing, MINOR
tty, eyerawing and sitting the
majority of the people of these States
is nothing but bald and naked asser-
ton, which cannot be maintained
against the facts OF history. The
question was as thoroughly discussed
as any ever was before the peoples
Conventions were regularly called
by the duly constituted authorities
Of the States, and members duly
elected thereto, according, to law in
all the States, which seeded before
Mr.. Lincolnis proclamation OF war,
These elections were as orderly as
elections usually are in any of the
States on. great occasions. In these
conventions Ordinances of Secession
were passed by decide inaiorities I
It is true that a large minority in ali
these conventions, save one, and in
all these States, were opposed to
secession as a question of policy
very few If any Of. them Questioned
the right or doubted their duty 10 20
with the majority, But after Mr..
Lincoln's proclamation Of War-aftei
his Illegal and unconstitutional cal
for troops after hissuspeasIon of the
writ Of hG6eGa corpus, no people on
earth were ever mere unanimous in
any case than were the people OF the
Southern States, in defence CT what
they deemed the great esentiaI prin,
clples OF American free Institutions
There was not one in ten thousand o1
the people, in at least ten of the
Southern States, whose heart and
soul were not thoroughly enlisted In
the cause. Nor did any people, or
the earth ever make greater OF more
heroic sacrifice for its success, dur,
ing four long years of devastation
blood and carnage ,r.g-g
A majority of the people, over-aw
ed and terrorized by q minority
I'D II so, what became of this maiOirty
when the Confederate armies, which
stood between them and their de
liverers, were overpowered p Wher
is this majority now, even with tn
sweeping distranchisement Whicl
siienceS so many of the overaWIn
tyrants? Why has.it not been PEI
mitted to exercise the inalienabl
right of self governments even wit
the reinforcement of the enfranchise
blacks? Why are so many of thes
States until this day, held unde
military rale, with HEIR whole DOB
ulatIous pinned to very bad gov
ernlnent by Federal bayonets, unde
the pretext of their continued disloy
altyS This assertion, as to the stat
of things IN the beginning, Is as III
, terly groundless in fact as it is uttefl
I Inconsistent with the gratuitous a
3 sumptions on which the preseI
, Ipretext is based. ly-a eTllL
It's not amazing. Messrs. Edition
] that Mr.. Greeley, in the fact of tt
last four years, to say nothing /
g those OF the war, when according
= his showing, the Administrator
, Washington, in rushing into
+ were in "the wrong" I say to ON
} all mention of the t1rO1lgs Of the Ws
Z. its immense sacrifices of blood al
d treasure, is it not amazing in q
q highest degree that Mr.. Greely,
Is the face of the facts of the last TO
l. years only, should now repeat to
10 the principles of American indepe
It dence as his creed? Having not Il
: Constitutions of ten States, as ma
it and adopted by the people thereC
le founded on such principles and arg
n niZed in such form as seemed to the
?. most likely to effect their safety Al
e happiness, been swept from existen
N by military edict Have not
\, people In these ten States, include
q the arbitrarily enfranchlsed bEdc
al been denied the right to form nj
ID Constitutions laying their ssfounC
Ss, ton on sneh principles and organ
n ing Its powers in snch form as
ed I them shall seem most likely to eff
alf their safety and happiness ?n Bis
en they not been repaired and litera
81 compelled to form such constitute
tic as seemed most likely to effect /
ed safety and security of the doLnIn
In action at Washington a
N Is this holding up to our gaze tn
Ia, immutable and eYer-to- o-be-reveren
In principles of the Declaration of
es' dependence, at this time and un
as-t the present circumstances; intenC
5w. only as 11OckeEy added to insult,
on jury and outrage2 sf. q ..isz-.. .r -.
We Yours, very respectfully ,-s,
he ALEXANDER H. STEPHENs
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