Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-30
"THE LOST CAUSE"
San Astounding Programme, Though Per-
fecty Absurd
from the New York Herald of the 27th.I

| MI AhtOunOInS RrOkrammCs
| fecty Absurd
[From the New York Herald of the 27th.I
| We publish to-day, with the "strietly
confidentialn circular introducing the doc
ument a very remarkable pamphlet, en-
| titled, Concession, or How the Lost Cause
May be Regained, and the independence
of the South Secured-Being an Address
to my Fellow Countrymen, by a Conces-
sionist, &c. Published by the Southern
Association" The strictly confidential"
circular letter is dated "Rooms of the
Southern Association, New York, August,
| 1871, " though it appears to be issued for
the Southern Association, Washington
And this is all that we know about it,
| though looking at the indignant repudia-
ton of the "new departure by jeff Davis,
| Alexander II. Stephens and numerous
other leading Southern ire-eaters, we may
say to this extraordinary political paper,
as Hamlet said to his Governors ghost
| Thou com st in such questionable shape
| I'll speak to thee.
The document before us is divided into
three parts. Part First is a compact,
double-distilled Southern argument, in
| tended to show that eve, the people of the
South, are nation, different and distinct
| from the people of the North" and that
''no effort to bind US together by force can
| succeed and that at best "such a union
can only be temporary" Part Second en-
| tiers upon the main question, chow the
Lost Cause may be regained," and says
that to this end 'the first step is to turn
back forever upon the venal, hypocritical,
| false-hearted, Yankee, new departure De-
mocracy of the North" because, intent
only upon the spoils of Office, "they have
ever deluded and deceived u.s." Next
concentrate all your attention and ener
gies upon your own domestic political af-
fairs, f" and then, men of the South, hav
ing cleared the track, you have only to do
three things to secure your independence,
viz:
FtrSt-Secure the complete control through
the ballot box, of tie local government of every
Southern State.
Second-When this is done call convention
Of the States and elect President for your
Southern Confederacy
Third-Appoint Commission to Washing
ton to demand your independence, and treat for
a peaceable separation.
tons, being according to law" can not
be interfered with, and that the demand
suggested, if firmly made this time, will
succeed. We are next told that North
Carolina has commenced the good work "
in the impeachment oil the radical Gov
ernor, &c. Part Third of this "conces-
siOnist" document is addressed to the
people of the North" in favor of the sepa-
ration of the two sections, whereby 1.-THE
independence of the South and the peace,
prosperity and liberty of the North are
inseparably linked together" In other
words, the two sections can not be united
till they are divided, and they must be
separated in order to live tremendously to-
gether.
Whence cometh this extraordinary rev.
olutionary document You may call it
madness; " but there is method in it," 1t
is cOncessionist, and yet it is secessiunist. |
1t breaches concession in order to gain Sc
cession, and, sticking pin here, we think
there is something in it. We are informed,
in the circular letter aforesaid, that this |
Southern programme of independence |
twas prepared by one of the most distin- |
guished of GeOrgias statesmen" This |
means, we suspect, that Mr.. A. II. Ste |
phens is the man, and upon this assump- |
ton we can account for the establishment |
of the new Southern rights paper at At |
lanta, of which he is the political editor |
and in which his whole heart is devoted to |
a Southern Reputation of the Northern |
Democracy on their "new departure"
And to strengthen this opinion that Mr.. |
Stephens is the author of this pamphlet |
we are told i'll it part Second) that "that |
glorious banner which was so sadly furled |
at AppOmattOX, will once more fly freely |
from the Capitol at Richmond and he who
of right ought to sit there JEFF Davis, of
course) to preside over our destiny, will be
recalled from his retirement amid the re-
joicings of a redeemed people,"
Now, all this may be very absurd but
it cannot be denied that the Southern pro-
gramme here presented furnishes a new
and striking Interpretation of the late
speech OF jeff. Davis in Alabama and Geor-
gia on the acceptance of the situation"
He accepts nothing, he admits nothing,
and he will do nothing toward the "ac-
ceptance of the situation" Mr.. Stephens,
in his new paper, holds the same position
''FOre God" as DOgberry puts it, -"they
are both in a tale" There is evidently an
understanding between them. Davis pro-
claimed his position, and Stephens takes
it up as the "new departure of the 'lost
cause.n Upon this theory there is mis-
chief in this thing. 1t demolisheS the
democratic party in the South. It revives
the issue of the war in q new shape. 1t
explains the kuklux klans and the ku-
kluX bill. 1t gives color to what General
Grant lately said to our correspondent at
Long Branch on the Treaty of Washing
ton. He feared another war with the
South, and hence his great desire for peace
with England. But may not this pamph-
let be republican counterfeit? We hope
so but we fear that it is not. 1t has all
the ear-marks of Southern manifesto,
and doubtless itspeaks the sentiments and
the purposes of a large body of Southern
men. If there is any man within this
call who knows that this is not a Southern
manifesto let him speak; for we learn that
this pamphlet is even now in course OF
distributions to all the known friends of
the "lost cause. NORTH, South, East and
West.