The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1871-09-08
THE LOST CAUSE.


sufficient political madness remain
ing in the South to inspire such a
scheme:
"THE LOST CAUSE AN AS
FOUNDING PROGRAMME, THOUGH PER-
FEcrLY ABsURD.-We publish to-
day, with the strictly confidential
circular introducing the document,
a very remarkable pamphlet, enti-
tied, Concession, or How the Lost
Cause May be Regained, and the In
dependence of the South Secured
Being an Address to my Fellow
Countrymen, by a Concessionist,
etc. Published by the Southern AS
sociation." The strictly confiden-
tial" circular letter is dated "Rooms
of the Southern Association, New
York, August, 1871" though it APP
pears to be issued for the Southern
Association, Washington" And this
is all We know about it, though look
ing at the indignant reputation Of
the ''New Departure" by jeff Davis,
Alexander H. Stephens and numer-
Gus other leading Southern fre-eat-
ers, we may say to this extraordina-
ny political paper, as Hamlet said to
his Governors ghost
Thou eom'st in such questionable shape
| III speak TO thee.
The document before us is divided
into three parts. Part First is a
compact, double-distilled Southern
argument, intended to show that
eve, the people of the South, are a
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 union can only be Temporal
ry." Part Second enters upon tho
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 yenal, hypo-
critical, falsehearted, Yankee, New
Departure Democracy ofthe North, y
because, intent only upon the spoils
of office, "they have ever deceived
and deluded u.s." Next concentrate
all your attention and energies upon
your domestic political affairs and
then, men of the South, having clear
ed the track, you have only to do
three things to secure your indepen-
dence, viz:
~. Secure the complete control,
through the balIot-box, of the local
government of every Southern State.
"2. When this is done call con-
vention of the States and elect a
President of your Southern Confed-
eracy.
"3. Appoint Commission to
Washington to demand your indie
pendence, and treat for peaceable
separation"
1t is contended that this plan Of
operations, being according to law"
cannot 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 of their Radical
Governor, &c. Part third of this
CONCESSIONS" document is lad
dressed to the people of the North"
in favor of the separation of the two
sections, whereby "the indepen-
dence 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 until they are divided,
and they must be separated in order
to live tremendously together.
Whence cometh this cxtraordina-
ry revolutionary document You
may call it madness; but there is
method in it. It is concessionist,
and yet it is secessionist. It preach
es concession in order to gain seces-
sion, and, sticking a pin here, We
think there is something in it. We
are informed, in the circular letter
aforesaid, that this Southern pro-
gramme of independence twas pre-
pared by one of the most distinguish.
ed of Georgia's statesmen" This
means, we suspect, that Mr.. A. Ii
Stephens is the man, and, upon thii
4 assumption, we can account for thu
, establishment of the new Southern
:. rights paper in Atlanta, of which h
: is the political editor, and in which
}, his whole heart is devoted to South
e ern reputation of the Northern de
e mocracy on their "New Departure.
8 And to strengthen this opinion thai
g Mr.. Stephens is the author of this
v pamphlet, we are told in it, part
e Second, } that "that glorious banner,
It which was so sadly furled at Apo
: mattox, will once more fly freely
y from the capital 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 rejoic-
= ings of a redeemed people"
Now, all this may be very absurd;
e but it cannot be denied that the
# Southern programme here presented
| furnishes a new and striking inter-
: pretation of the late speeches of Jeff
Davis in Alabama and Georgia on