Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1869-06-12

and sacrificing their property IN support Oh 'he
side they bad espoused.
Yes. they thought they were right-RIght IN
their reading ofthe Declaration OF lndepen-
dence-rght in their belief that the great prin-
chile Of selfgovernment set forth In that lnstru-
ment, and so successfully maintained oy The
United American Colonies when they seeded
from Great Britain, was the chief corner Stone,
! nay-the very foundation itself OF all Republ-
can Freedom-Right in their belief mat the
| Government which their Fathers formed was
a Government of consent, limited Govern
ment, with its powers specifically defined IN
unmistakahle terms; that The Union they made
was meant 10 be a shield of protection over
! their heads and not sword Of subjugaiIon at
( their hearts, and that the Constitution they a
dopted was equally binding on both sections,
on all the States, North as we'll as South, bind
| ing in all its compromises and In all It's require
ments They thought they were right in beliey-
ing, with Daniel Webster, that "a bargain
broken on one side is broken on all sides, mat
they who dissolve, absoye, that ION the part oil
the North violations of the Constitution" (the
bargain or bond between the sections, "stood
confessed of record and of purpose to push
/ 10 the Sitter end its rabid, reckless, and fatal
/ fanatcsm.
They thought they were right in believing
that the safety Of their property and the sanctl-
~ of their homes were daily endangered by The
! avowed and persistent hostility Of that Fanat-
! cism and that that danger was made more I'M
minent and infinitely greater when that fanatl-
! cism became the controlling element or me
politics of the North as it had previously been IN
/ lis press and pulpits, finally eliminating IN Inc
election of a sectional President on section
1 al platform pledged to carry out the sectional
purposes of the first sectional party that haG
ever been successful in the country.
Educated TO believe that the allegiance lhat
they owed 10 the Federal Government was sec
ondary 10 that due from them 10 their respective
Ststes when all efforts al compromise, on thelr
part had failed when their petitions for Justice
and Peace had been sPurned with contempt
from the foot-stool Of Power, and at last the
terrible crisis came upon them, they certainly
thought they were right in Obeypg the mandate
Of their State authorities which summoned
them TO the field TO defend their tresdes and
affairs against the threatened invasion from the
North. They thought they were right III re-
garding That invasion as unIawiul-unlawiul,
not only because they On accordance with the
almost unanimous sentiment OF The country De-
fore the war; believed coercion OF the States by
the Federal Government unauthorized by The
Constitution, and inconsistent with our Repub-
llcan Institutions, but also, because The 30th
Congress which Immediately preceded the war
had pointedly refused &c pass the "Force Blll''
authorizing the incoming President TO call out
the militia TO coerce the Southern States though
that Congress had large "Republican maJorl-
ty in both its branches. They thought they
were right in regarding that invasion as, also,
in the interest of abolltlonsm, and as IN tact, Il
gigantic John Brown raid" against the South.
And how far those poor boys OF ours were really
right in thus believing themselves 10 be so, let
the results O. the war determine. war pro-
claimed for the preservation Of the mon, and
for that alone, the results OF which have fallen
so "far short of the lofty and hIgh-sounding
phrases of lis manifesto"
TIE soldiers Of the South, also, remembered
that whilst the right of secession was an open
question about which an honest difference Of
opinion existed throughout their own section as
well as in lhe North, (where, by the way, this
right was first claimed and maintained by some
Ofits wisest statesmen, John Quincy Adams
amongst the number) there had not been, nj
any time, anywhere, IN all the land, the eA-
preston Of don't, from any one, as TO The
right OF Revolution. They called to mind the
fact that, not only the people, but the L >.
Government also, had invariably symPath'zed
with every effort in every part Of the world, 10
put IN practice the great principles Oi sell gov
ernmt Mt on which their own Republic had been
given aid and comfort TO the Spanish American
Provinces when they seeded from Spain-how
they had succored Greece hen she flung oil the
Turkish yoke and formed an independent gov
eminent for herself-how they had encouraged
Hungary, under kOssCth Italy, under GarI0al-
di poor down-trodden Ireland and ''doomed
Poland" (whose funeral knel is yet ringing in
our ears) in all their efforts 10 establish for
themselves such governments as were better
adapted TO their wants, and more in accordance
with their wishes. Nor did they forget how
they had encouraged Texas TO Secede from the
Republic of Mexico. Nor, by any means, fail
to remember the thousand and one utterances
of the representative men Of the country, which
constantly ineulcated the sacTedness OF the
right Of Revolution as "an inherent right
ali ''inalienabe right"-a fright belonging TO
every people, and to any portion Of every peo-
pie" And especially did they call to mind
speech Of Lincoln's himself. (madc in Congress,
january r. l64S, and TO be found in the Con-
gressional Globe, No. 10. page 94) from which
pardon me for reading you an extract or two.
The first Of which is as follows
Amy people, any,chere being inclined and
having the power, haze The right 10 rise up and
shake off the existing government and form
new one that suits Them better" Again, after
speaking of the right as ga most valuable and
sacred right" he says: 'Nor is this right con-
fined TO cases in which the whole people OF an
existing Government may choose 10 exercise
Il-dny portion of such people that can. may
reyolutluuIZe and make their own so much OF
the territory as they inhabit," and, further on
adding these words GA majority of any por-
ton Of such people may ieyolutionize, putting
down minority intermiDgled with or near them
who may oppose their moyements-sueh MINOR
ity being precisely the case of the Tories OF our
own Revolution"
IL any Southern man ever claimed more than
that I'ni not aware of the fact. And is 1t
strange then that the Southern soldiers, under
all the circumstances and 10 the crisis that had
come 10 paSs-hus encouraged Too, did not hest
tate 10 act in accordance with such sentiments!
Is it TO be wondered at that they consclentlously
considered II their bounden duty, TO obey their
State authorities, and stand forth as their faith
ers had done IN the old time before them-pro
aris Il fociS-lo preserve their rightslo protect
their property and TO defend their homes? So,
whatever opinion may exist in regard 10 the
correctness ofther convictions, let there be no
doubt in the minds Of any as TO their perfect SIM
cerity, in believing they were right, and let
their sincerity, al least, be respected
And in this belief how glorously they fought
fought throughout those four eyentiul years |
fought al every possible di>sdvantage-un- I
der the most adverse circumstances and always +.
against the greatest odds Fought as men had .
never fought before-wth gallantry and
durance unsurpassed III modern times, or IN
remote antiquity. No matter how poorly arm
ed-no matter how scantily clad-no matter .
how pinched by hunger-how worn out with
weary watches or broken down by exhausilng
march whenever the "loup roll ~ the battle /.