The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-11-22

Major w. j. SYKEs,' formerly cit
izen of misplace, made a speech in
Memphis during the late canvass,
which contained words of truth and
wisdom. There is.a tendency among
persons ofthe Banner persuasion, to
denounce the late warlas not only
mistake, but a wrong, led sby bad
men. These same persons, if the
South had succeeded, would have
been loude,t i'm praise of the gallant
spirits who first espoused the cause
of Southern Independence. Like
FRoUDE, the English. Historian, they
think The fact that people are de-
feated is evidence they were wrong,
no matter how heroic their efforts
were to gain Independence. But
right minded men will give defeat.
ed people all the honor of.being right
that they would had they succeeded.
Among other things, Major SYKES
said:
"Those who speak Of the recent war as
a Politicians war, do not look beneath
the surface. No human. power could
have prevented II. Twas not the pecl-
liar fault of ,efther the North or the
South, of Lincoln or Davis, of johnson
or of Harris. 1t would have taken
place had none OF these men ever lived |;
Il was the inevitable result of pre-ex-
isting causes; it was the conflict of an
tsgonistic doctrines and of antagonistic
interests. Mr. Seward uttered great
truth when be said the conflict was ir-
represslble,' and Mr. Lincoln did also,
when he said the States could not re-
main together half slave and halt tree.
"The South valued the institution OF
slavery highly and was determined to
maintain 1t ut all hazards. The North
was rs equally determined to destroy it.
The Abolition party which twenty-five
years ago was very small, was growing
cloud no bigger than Q mans hand in
1860 it had overspread large portion OF
the Northern sky. These altagonistic
principles were bound to result in war
sooner or later. Il might have been
postponed few years, but it was bound
to coma II it had: been postponed
twenty-five years, the South would have
been relatively much weaker, whilst the
North would have been much stronger
instead of 1000, 900 OF slaves to he eman-
cipated and invested with the franchise,
there would have been 100000, and bad
as things nov are, they would then have
been worse. The TOW of blood would
have been greater and the loss of prop.
erty would have been much more. ]
am aware that it is generally thought
to have been caused by few men. but
cannot entertain such an opinion ia
the light OF .faots land history. Some
blame the North and some blame the
South, hut 1t seems to me that neither eau
Justly be blamed. Both thought they
were right and acted accordingly. The
war may have been fastened by the &C.
ton of some men in both sections, but
1t was not in the power OF any man OF
set of men to have prevented it alto
gethev. Tennessee had worry little to de
with bringing Ton the war. NO man Of
any prominence in Tennessee advoca'
| ted secession On account OF Lipcoin's
election. In proof of my position II
NAV he stated that the Tennessee Legis.
lature in 1861 sent Commissioners to the
Peace Congress to try and preserve the
Union consistently with the rights o
the South. Tennessee never drew the
sword until the war he'd been cOmmenc-
ed by others. The orly question she
had TO determine was, would she take
sides with her Southern sisters, on
range herself on the side of the North
She took her position with the South. by
the advice of her ablest statesmen, who
had been most ardent friends and sup.
porters Of the Union. IT is true she lost
much of her property and p,apy Of her
best and bravest, but kentucky. Mary
land and Missouri, which took the North
ern side, also lost their slave property
and many of their sons. The days OF
elimination .and srecrimination about
the war should be at an end, and we
should all endeavOr to improve the fu,
ture instead Of mourning over the past.