The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-06-24

conscription- the latter, especially
Tho peoples spirits were broken by
it, and it was rs unconstitutional as
unnecessary. Tho people wcro will
ing to fight fer liberty, but were not
willing to be compelled to do 80. II
compulsion had been necessary, the
war ought to havo been abandoned;
for 10 people arc worthy of liberty,
or capabie Of preserving it, who have
to be driven into battle. Even in the
carly part of 1865 M". Stephens had
hopes, in case tho policy. OF the ad,
ministration changed. 1t did not
change, and SO conscriptlon, impress
ment, tho suspension of habcas cor
pus, and prodigal waste Of lives and
property were tho causes sof South
crn despair and defeat. Much Ii ght
is thrown upon tho Hampton Roads
Conference. There seems to bo little
doubt that q scheme was concocted
to terminate tho war by a diversion
Of tho question to another channel
and i joint movement Of both armies
against the French in Mexico. 10
havo been successful tho prcliminarics
to Il military convention demanded
tho utmost secrecy. Mr.. Stephens
proposed that Mr.. Davis should meet
Mr.. Lincoln. He refused, and sug-
Gcstcd thrcc commissioners. Mr..
Stephens advised that three able men
should be appointed whose absence
would not be detected or observed.
Mr.. Davis, however, insisted upon ap
pointing just tho very trio whose ab-
scncc from Richmond would have
been remarked at once. In consc-
quence, the matter became & common
public rumor, and tho whole business
was thus defeated from the start.
Nobody was more disappointed at
this result than Mr.. Davis, who sub
scqucntly seemed to lose his good
judgment, but never his ardent dcvo-
tion TO liberty. Mr.. Stcphcns de-
scants upon Tho future destiny Of the
United States. IIe holds that tho
South is powcrlcss at this time to
shape or control events. Tho judicia-
ry department, though sadly brow
beaten, may still be Il bulwarls Of lib
erty. So far, however, tho cause lost
at Appomattox was not the Federal
principle, but the maintenance of
that principle by arms. Tho point
reached by the Ccntralists is an at
tempt by durcss to induce certain
States, as sovereign States, to con-
form to their action under tho SEM
blanco of voluntary consent. The
battle is still to be fought in tho TO-
rum of reason, on the validity or in
validity Of their acts. 10 the last
Mr.. Stephens fingers wistfully over
his beloved South and her cause.
lie declares that we arc not q econ
qucrcd people" at all events, that as
sumption has never been avowcd at
Washington. lie coniurcs his coun-
trymcn to avoid accepting RESPONSE
bility for tho acts Of tyrants. 1t
should never be said that the South
is the author Of her own degradation
Some day Or other tho uprising
Northern masses may rally to the
cry that the "Causo of tho South is
the cause Of us ALL" But if there be
no reaction and no rallying tho condi-
tion of the South will soon be that of
the North. Tho loss Of Southern lib
erty will only antcdatc by n few
years the destruction Of Northern
freedom. The judgment of postcrity
will not in any event brand US rs gre
bells and traitors" but rather rs self
sacrificing patriots, and our heroes
and martyrs will take their places in
history by the side of Washington,
Hampden and Sydney. Contralism
and empire may came, but the South
will be acquitted Of crime. For even
ccntralism and empire will bo her
justification in the last struggle for
constitutional liberty.