The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-11

If Austria will only 60 on as she has begun
history will be compelled to record the fact
| that Sadowa was her salvation.
A Letter on State 6overeignty-Rip Van
Wrinkle Outdone.
Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, late
Vice President of the late Southern confed-
eracy, is out with another constitutional letter
on State rights. He reminds US Of the story
of the old Bourbon who wrote history of
France, leaving out the great revolution and
Stephens contends that the prime cause of the
late war was not slavery, but State rights, in
GLIDING State sovereignty. Granting the alb
straction, these facts are none the less fixed in
history:-That the slave holding States con-
cerned in seeding from the United States
seeded to save their institution of slavery
that in setting up their separate confederacy
they did 80 for the perpetuation and expansion
of slavery that they had been making their
preparations for war before they seeded that
they were organized for war when they Sc
ceded, and that before going to war they pro-
claimed slavery the corner stone Of their new
confederation. 1t is also true that State
sovereignty was mere pretext for secession
and the war for Southern confederacy, be-
cause in the Southern States which did
not by State authority join the confed-
eracy the preachers of State sovereignty,
such as Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
Price, of Missouri, and hosts of others in
Kentucky, Missouri and Maryland, abandoned
their respective States and fought against
them in the armies of JEFF Davis Old Hickory
was right in his opinion that Calhoun's agita-
tons of State sovereignty did not look to the
preservation, but to the dissolution of the
Union. Jefferson's grand idea was a dominant
party, but Calhoun's was Southern con-
federacy.
Mr.. Stephens, going back to 1860 as the
true point Of departure, says that sovereignty
in this country still resides where it did in
1776, l777 and 177S-''that is, with the people
of the several States" The war has not
resulted as he desired, and therefore it goes
for nothing. From the time of Moses down to
this day war has been uniformly accepted as
the last appeal and the results as conclusive in
settling the questions at stake; and we fear
that the United States will not depart from
this long line of precedents for the accommo-
dation Of Mr.. Stephens. On both horns Of the
dilemma, slavery and State sovereignty, he is
transfixed. The man is merely mumbling in
his sleep who talks at this day of the constitu-
tional Union of our fathers. 1t went down in
the deluge with African slavery.
Yet Mr.. Stephens, regular Southern sleep
walker, tells us that we must go back to the
good old Jeffersonian doctrines of State rights
''before there can be o return to the days of
peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness
which formerly marked our course" This Is
sheer nonsense. What were the days Of peace
to which he refers? During the long and fear
full agitation Of the slavery question they were
the days of reign Of terror throughout the
South. In those halcyon days the Northern
man going South without his vouchers of
soundness on slavery did so at the peril of his
life. Admitting that this terrorism was the
law of necessity, who would have the dreadful
necessity restored?
We are, however, solemnly warned by Mr..
rights dogmas re-establishcd we shall inevita-
bly, drift into Imperialism. II may be SO but
we cannot roll back the world to the period
before the deluge. We cannot restore the
Bourbons. We must go on. Railways, steam
ships and telegraphs have taken the place Of
Southern distractions and the old stage coach
Of five miles an hour and the old clipper ship
-
Rip Van Wrinkle, after his twenty years sleep,
was nearer the time Of day than Mr.. Stephens.
DIRECT TRADE TO EUROPE FROM ST..
Lours-The Board Of Trade at st. Louis Is
discussing the subject Of direct trade with
Europe, IL having been shown that ocean
steamers Of light draft can ascend the Mis-
sissippi TO that city during large portion of