Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-14
HIS VIEWS On THE "CAUSA GAUSAHs'
OF THE WAR.
We Must Return to the IeffersOnisn
Doctrine
He Predicts Consolidation and Empire

rect understanding that the puDll'
should form their own opinions from
his own language and not Judge Mich
Olas' representation of it. We qG0tt
from his letter to the Llateiligencer:
The real cause of the war, as set forth
in the issue presented by me, con-
densed in r few words, was the denial
of the fact that ours was a Federal
Government, and violation of the
fundamental principle of our COM
plicated political organization on the
part of those controlling the General
Government at the time, by assuming
that me United States constituted a
nation Of iadiUidUals, with a cOnsolid-
ated sovereignty in the General Gov
ernment, to which the ultimate as
well as the primary allegiance of the
citizens of the several States was due,
and thus any attempt by the several
States or any of them to resume the
sovereign power which had been pre-
yiOusly delegated in trust only by
them to the Federal agency, was re-
bellion on their part. This violation
of organic principles is stated TO have
been the immediate and real cause OF
the w@Cthe " c0iESd cGllSdnS of it.
This statement, sustained by inde-
structible facts as it fs, must remain
the truth Of history for all time to
come.
As to the origin of the war, or the
first outbreak of hostiIities, l did not
say that il was "inaugurated on the
one side to vindicate the right Of Sc
cession, and on the other in denial of
the right and TO resist its exercise
a 1t was not iaGugltrdted by theseced-
~ States at all. 1t was iHdnlgltTuted
nd waged by those then controlling
the Federal Government 10 prevent
secession. On the part Of the seeding
States il was carried on purely in de-
tense of their right TO withdraw from
the Federal Union Of States, which
they claimed as a sovereign right.
This is the substance of the statement
on that point, and 20 the fact will go
down to pGsterity.
The truth is well established that
the seeding States did not wish or de-
sire war. All of them, it is true, held
readiness for it, if it
should be MTced upon them against
their wishes and most earnest protest
ati0ns.
This is abuHdantly and cOnclusively
from the speeches and ad-
dresses Of their leading public men at
the time. 1t Is apparent from the res
OlutiOns of the State Legislatures and
State Conventions, before and in their
acts of secession. It is apparent and
manifest from their acts in their new
Confederation at Montgomery. 1t is
apparent from the inaugural address
Of President Davis. II is apparent
from the appointment OfCommissiOn-
ers to settle anmatters involved in the
from their former cOnieder-
8tes honOrably, peaceably, amicably
and justly. 1t is apparent and mani
fest from every act that truly indi-
Gates the objects and motives OF men,
Or from which their real aims can be
Justly arrived at. Peace not only with
the States from which they had sepa-
rated, but peace with all the world,
was the strong desire of the Confeder-
ate States.
The war was not only iR0UqitrGted
by the authorities at Washington, rs
stated, but it was inaugurated by
them while the Confederate Commits
,ioners, with the olive branch Of peace
IN their hands, were at the seat Of the
General Government; and were given
10 understand by those in authority
here that Fort Sumter, which became
he scene of the first conflict Of arms,
would, at an early day, be peaceably
by the Federal troops then
holding it. The war was iRaagardted,
f not begun, when the hostile feet
vet out for Charleston for the purpose
IF reinforcing the fort, 4" foS ait qefdS."
Hallem has well said that the agres-
JOr in a war is not the first who uses
iorce, but the first who renders force
leeessary." And 50 the facts of his
-Ory viii ever show how and by
whom the late terrible and most
war was iJ10ugurqted, as
we'll rs by whom it was begun. They
viii show who were the actual agres-
'0rs, and who first violated the or
yanic principles and laws of our
American system Of self-goVernment
Oy the people.
Whatever may be the ultimate re-
suits Of this war, so far as the fate of
constitutional liberty on this cOnti-
aent is concerned, the responsibility
Of its Inauguration can never be Justly
and truly charged upon the seeding
States.
Their object in separating from their
iormer associates, with whom they
they had been united in a
Federal compact, was not only to re-
main in peace with them, but to pre-
serve and perpetuate the principles 4
Of that Constitution which had DEM
Onstrated such Wondr0us results as
bond of Union between sover-
eign States so long as its princi-
pies had been adhered to, but which
they apprebended, under erroneous
If not checked, would
soon lead to consolidation and des-
potisrn.
If they were right in their position
that ours was a Federal Government,
then the authorities at Washington
were the aggressors in inaugurating
the war to prevent the exercise of the
right of withdrawal; if they We're
wrong in their position as to the char
acter Of the General Government; II
Il, in fact, was not Federal in its
nature and character, but was Gov
with q consolidated sOver-
eighty in the central head, then they
were the aggressors in rendering the
Of the war necessary for
the maintenance of central suprem-
lcy. The whole matter of right or
wrong in the beginning Of the war, as
well as its disastrous consequences,
depends upon the great question,
whether the General Government was
4 Federal Republic or not, and what,
under the Constitution, was the true
. orthodox State rights principle" to
which Judge Nicholas refers, but does
not enhghten the public upon. In
other words, it depends upon the true
answer to the question, Where, under
1uF system, does sovereignty reside?
Is il lodged in the General Govern
nent, or has it passed to the whole
people Of the United States as one ag-
yregate mass, or does Il still remain
with the people Of the several States
Is distinct political organizations?
All Federal Republics, and all con-
alterations between separate ard dis
met sovereign powers are e0nxen-
1onal nations. We were nation
lnder the Articles Of Confederation