The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-09-01
I" The Lost Cnu.e''---An Astounding Pro-
uralnlnc Tlaauuh HerfecfIx Alasurs1

in the New York Herald, u few days ago;
which brought forth the response from
Mr. Gilbert, Of this State,' dopied in
Thursdays PHGNlx: 81
''We publish to day, with the strictly
confidential circular introducing tue
| document. very remarkable pamphlet.
entitled CONCESSION; or. How the Lost
Cause may be Regained and the Inde
pendenoe OF the Sohth Secured. Being
an Address to my yFellowrDonntrymen,
by a Concessionist, SO. Published by
the Southern Association. The 'striotlY
confidential circular letter is dated
Rooms Of the Southern Association,
New York, August, 1871, though it ap-
pears to be issued for the Southern AS
sociation, Washington And this is all
that we know about it. though looking
at the indignant reputation of the new
departure by jeff Davis, Alexander a.
Stephens, and numerous other leading
Southern fre-eaters. we may say to this
extraordinary political paper rs Hamlet
said to his Governors ghost:
Thou com'st in such questionable shape,
Ill speak to thee.'
''The document before us is divided
into three parts. Part hrst is comp pact,
double. distilled Southern argument, in
tended to show that we, the people Of
the South, are mutton, different aud
distinct from the people of the North,
and that mo effort to bind us together by
force Gun succeed and that at best such
union can only be temporary Part
second cutters upon tho main question,
how the lost cause may beregained, and
says that to this end the first step is to
turn back forever upon the yenal, hypo-
critical, false hearted. Yankee new de-
parture Democracy OF the North be-
cause. intent only upon the spoils Of
office, they have ever. deluded and de-
ceivel u.s. Next, concentrate all your
attention and energies upon your own
domestic political affairs, and then, men
OF the South, having cleared the truck,
you have only to do three things to se-
cure your independence, viz:
"First-Secure the complete control,
through the ballot-box. of the local 60
vernment OF every Southern State.
''Seoond--When this is done call a
convention of the States and elect
President for your Southern Confede-
raoy. .,
':Third-Appoint commission ito
Washington to demand your independ-
ence, and treat for peucesble separa-
ton.
'It is contended that this plan of
operations, being 'according to law,
cannot be interfered with, aud that the
demand suggested, if firmly nude this
time. will succeed. We nre next told
that North Carolina has commenced tile
good work in the impeachment OF the
Radical Governor, &c. Part Third OF
this 'concessionist' document is 'ad-
dressed to the People OF the North in
favor of the separation of the two Sec
tions, whereby the independence of the
South aud the peace, prosperity and
liberty OF the North are inseparubly
linked together In other words, the
two SECTIONS cannot be united till they
are divided, and they must be separated
in order to live hurmoniously together.
| whence cometh this extraordinary
revolutionary document? You may call
it madness; but there is method in it. ;
It is concessionist. and yet it is seoes-
eionist. breaches concession in order
to gain secession, 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 was prepared by one
OF the most distinguished of Georgia's 3
| otlatt Sucu. Luis ueAuS, we suspect,
that Mr.. A. a. Stephens is the man, and
upon this assumption we cnn account
for the establishment of the new South
ern rights paper at Atlanta, of which he
is the political editor. aud in which his
whole heart is devoted to Southern re-.
pudintion of the Northern Democracy
on their new departure Aud to
strenghthen this opinion that Mr.. Ste
phens is the author Of this pamphlet, we
are told in it (Purt Second) that that
glorious banner, which was SO sadly
furled at Appomattox. will once more
fly freely from the Cnpitol at Richmond,
and he who Of right onght to sit there
(Jef. Davis, Of oomrso,) to preside over
our destiny. will be rec .Iled from his re-
tirement. amid the reioicings CT re-
deemed people
Nov, all this may DO very absurd
but it cannot be denied that the South
ern programme hero presented furnishes
new aud striking Interpretation of the
late speeches of JEFF. Davis in Alabama
and Gtorgin on tho acceptance of the
situation He accepts nothing. he ad-
niits nothing, and he will do nothing
townrd tho acceptance of the situation.
air. Stephens, in his new paper, holds
| thu ! n