The New York herald., 1869-06-10

50 .ratmlousy 70 say nad no rlsht 10 uo, VI w.
"not Justinable" III dong. The real cause VI slo
war, as set forth In the issue presented by me- con.
densed in few words, was the denial OF the act taas
ours was federal government aud Vioiteion VI
this fundamental principle OF our complicated potss-
cal organization on the part or those controniuS no
general government at the time by assuming thas
the United States const tuted nation OF indivdu.
as, with consolidated sovereignty In the cehttai
governments, TO which the ultimate as well ~ Pr, p
mary allegiance OF the citizens OF the several STATES
due, aud that any attempt by the several states
any o them 10 resume the sovereign powers whicn
had been previously delegated IN trust only Dy
them 70 the federal agency was rebellion on their
part This violation OF organic principles Is stated
TO have been the immediate and real cause 9i @ sme
tained by indestructble facts 1t is must remain
tine truth OF history for all time to come.
hosIllties did not say that 1t was 'lnaugurated on
the one side vindicate the right of secession and
on the other In denial OF the right and to resist It's
exercise"
II was not inaugurated by the seeding States at
all. II was inaugurated and waged by those then
controlling the federal government to prevent SeceS-
siOn On the part OF the seeding States was car
Ned on purely IN defence Of theli right to withdraw
as sovereign right. This Is the substance OF the
statement on that point; and 50 the fact Will 20
The truth is wen established that the seeding
States did not wish or desire war. Very few OF the
public men IN these states even expected war.
ALI OF them, 1t ls true held themselves IN readiness
for It, II 1t should be forced upon them against their
wishes and most earnest protestatlons.
the and au Of tnsr lepn9 oubc
men at the time. 1t is apparent from the resolutions
OF the State Legislatures and the state con-
ventions, before and IN their acts Of secession.
1t is apparent and manifest from their acts IN their
new Confederation at montgomery. IL ts appar-
enS hny ro e rom ts
OF commissioners to settle all matters involved
IN the separation from their former c0nedefateS
honOrably, peaceably amicaDy and justly IL Is ap-
parent and manifest from every act that truly lndi.
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
separated but peace with all the world, was the
strong desire Of tue Confederate States.
The war was not only inauguratad by the authori.
ties at Washington. as stated but 1t was 1naugurated
by them while the Confederate commissioners, with
at at the '' seat Of the general government ana
were given to understand by those III authority
there that Fort Sumter, which became the scene OF
the first conflict OF arms would at an early day be
RSs RSaisisI sfese@ssfa fes va ~ fas
When tas 1ostle eet set out ior Charleston tor tue
Haem has well said tnat the 'aggressor In war ls
not the first who force but the first who renders
force necessary" and 80 the facts OF history Will
ever show how and by whom TINS late terrible and
mQst lameatable war was inaugurated, as well as DY
whom 1t was begun. !ley Wll show yaS @ were ths i
principles and laws OF our American system OF self
government by the people.
Whatever may be the ultimate results Of this war,
so far as the fate OF constitutional liberty on this
continent Is concerned, the responsibility OF lts
inauguration can never be Justly and truly charged
Ihelr object IN separating from their former asso
ciates with whom they considered they had been
united In federal compact was not only to remain
In peace with them but to preserve and perpetuate
the principles OF that constitution which nad demon.
strated such woldrvus results a5 0onu OF union
between sovereign States so long as its principles
had been adheren 60, but which they Appreciated,
under erroneous construction II not clecAed would
soon leaa to consolidation and de5p0tSdl.
III they were right IN their position tnat ours was
federal government, then tue authorities at wash
lngton We're the aYgreasors in inauguratng the war
AM ba Ia n
il they were wroDg in their position as to tbe char
acter OF tho general government; II IT. In Act, was
government with consolidated sovereignty in the
central head then they were the a2yresscr5 IN rem
derlng the Inauguration Of tae war gscesss @ ior tne
matter or right or wrong IN the beginning OF The war;
as well as It's disastrous consequences depends upon
the great question: whether the general government
was federal republic or not, and what, under the
constitution, was the true morthodox State,
rights principle" to which Judge Nicholas REFERS but
does not enlighten the public upon In other words,
&c depends upon the true answer TO the question,
fs n oaaed IN the Senera aoyernmea or Ias
passed to the whole people OF the United States as
one aggregate mass, or does It st remain with the
people OF the several States distinct political or
Tne doctrine of the book Is that sovereignty re-
sides Just where it did In I776 l77S and l7S7that s
with the people OF the several States. 1t maintains
that all that the states did by the adoption Of the
constitution was TO delegate, IN trust. tho exercise
Of certain specific and limited sovereign powers 70
the general government while they retained to
themselves seyerally sovereignty itself-that great
source from which all political powers cmanate.
This doctrine. l must Insist, too, Is not only the
true doctrine, but the orthodox doctrine upon the
subject, Judge Nicholas opinion 10 the contrary
Notwithstanding. Upon the point Of orthodoxy In
reference 10 TINS matter, know OF but standard
on the subject and tnat Is the Jefferson standard
erected and established IN the first Of Keitucky's
great resolves OF 1898. The doctrine Of this chief
apostle of state rights and human rights then an
nounced, rescued and saved the country from con-
solidation and centrasm In 1901. Under the opera
ton OF this most orthodox principle established,
with the general and tacit acknowledgment Of rs
correctness BY all the departments Of the govern
ment we increased, grew. and prospered for sixty
years no nation on earth ever did before Whatever
disturbances temporarily marred the harmony OF the
general system IN the interval upon the subjects OF
tariffs. internal improvements, tue status OF the Afri
can population, &C., grew out OF departures, or at
tempted departures, In the federal administration
from the standard thus erected by Jefferson as TO tine
nature and extent OF the powers OF the federal gov
ernment. The more nearly the principles taught BY
him were adhered to the more prosperous and
happy the nation was IN all Its parts aud members.
uso the word nation In this connection pur-
posely for Notwithstanding the very great abuse OF
this word In very recent times, we are, nevertheless
nation IN very proper use OF that term. Far was
Il IRON my object in the argument In the volume re-
fcrred TO by Judge Nicholas u show that 1.-The United
states do not constitute nation,n as l havo
seen 10 stated by some writer, In what he
was pleased to consider review of the work.
The great object with me, on the contrary, was 10
o. ws Oay re .nai most csary IN
that argument that we are not q nation OF indvi-
duals, blended In common mass, with consoi
with equal clearncss that we nre nation the con.
stituent element or members OF which are separate
ana distinct political organizations, States or
sovereignties.
1t Is shown that ours Is q conventional nation-one
created By compact. All federal republics, and all
coufederation3 between separate AMI distinct
sovereign powers conventional nations. We were
nation under the first articles OF confederation, and
we are lust srch nation now-not nation OF one
people or Of one political organization, but nation
Of several distinct political organizations we are
styled the present union That is naticn OF States
or what Is the same thing 9 nation OF nations.
the fathers to express the Idea Of their work
"E If,u1bus Uatun."
In this sense we not only nation, but nation
OF the highest and grandest type that the world ever
saw. IL rises above the simple 10 the complex form.
IL Is, indeed, In many respects peculiar nation.
even In Its complex form, di1ering from oil other
nations OF It's own type In many OF ats most striking
characteristics. These peculiar entures OF Its struc-
re places II far In advance Of all other confederate
republics In It's wise provisions for tho preservation
OF free Institutions, n II be but rightly administered
,rho ynaat IN OF these features the new