The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-08-21
The "Unincation" Movement

Qualification" movement:
Apainst it we arc far from standing
alone. Did we, against it, stand alone,
we would nonc the less openly protest
The true Southern Press which does
not barter Independence for br'Dc'
nor sacrifice principle to policy, speaks
out golidly against it, They deprccale
or thew dcnouncc, And the t9lc peo'
vle Of the South shrink in alhorrcncc
from the resolutions and rccomnen-
dations OF the Uniicatjon Meeting
we do not 90 one inch beyond these
published resolutions. The Intentions
and motives Of the men Of the move
mcnt we care not to investigate. Those
men themselves we do not wish TO ma
lign. such is not our habit. Their mo-
lives are beyond our ken and criticism,
Their intentions may be the best ana
most sincere. But men, motives ana
intentions apart, we regard The poiI'''
cal movement alone, aud in its rcsolu-
tons we read the last surrender OF
Southern sentiment, idea and tradition
At the close Of the war Gen. Lee, IN
face Of overwhelming opposition sur
rcndcrcd-what? .lonor?-No. Man
hood Never. Principles by no
means. Right? No Southern IDEAS
Never. He simply surrendered the
military forces under his command
All the implements Of physical force
which Gen. Lee had used against the
United States in defence OF n cause,
which on battle field had become hope
less Of success, he yielded 20 Gen
Grgnt. Muskcts, swords, war-torn
banners, artillery and all the other ma
lcrial appliances Of war he yielded to
the enemy. Nothing else. ltwa4 sim
ply Il physical surrender, The phySl'
cal power aud policy Of resistance
not the principle Of resistance was
given up, When Lees uastalncd sword
was shcathcd, the n1g oi the Great
Cause was rurlcd and the rights, the
Ideas, the Sentiments and Traditions
of the South retired in honor from the
field of battlc,-but, with all their SUI
prcmacy preserved, re. entered the
and conscicnccs Of the defeated, to
hold their mastery there beyond the
reach and range Of force. AT Apo
mattox Court House the Southern
sword surrendered TO the Northern
sword,-Southcrn physical weakness
Welded to Northern superior strength
- but Southern Idea did not surrender
to Northern Idea The mcn that wore
the Grey gave mp their mu5kcts out
kept their manhood flung down then
swords bat guarded still and nohly
preserved their scntIment5,-gavc NJ
thnir nrme hui knnt their SnnlS' lower,
ed and folded their banners but hclo
unsurrcndcrcd in their hearts thcil
traditions bent 20 might, but be.
lrayed not one single tight After the
surrender came oppression. We sub
mittcd, because we could not resist.
Here and there mc.i began to yield
their convictions. Weary Of waiting
for better times they began to accept
the Northern Idea. Self interest tri,
umphcd in many hearts over patriot
ism. Love Of place in some quarters,
began to triumph over love of country,
MANY fell offs from Southern Faith.
Seldom they fell without hearing words
of indignant rchukc. Their policy was
to better the material and political con
dition Of their oppressed people by
making concessions to their enemies.
Those enemies they did not know.
The more our people gave, the more
was cXacUed. Concession did no. bet
ter their conditions while it strength
cncd the power aud position Of the op
pressor. That opprcssor wanted our
souls,-Our cOnsCiencics. He wanted
the universal triumph of his political
idea. by fraud and force he took pos
session OF our State Governments. He
arraycd the colored race in bitter nos.
tility against the whites Of the South.
But the oppressor coull not degrade
us until he had followed the Southern
idea, into the Southern soul and made
it surrender. without conditions to the
Northern Idea.
The last Presidential election came
off. The Southern politicians selected
us their Standard-}earcr Horace
Greeley, who, OF all mon, represented
and advocated the Northern Idea. 1t
was a fearful blundcr. They gave
their votes to Grcclcy-and were again
in the political field, conquered by
Grant. But beaten is we we're physi.
cally on the battle, plain,-hcaten us
we were again politically,--it was not
enough.
Our oppressors wanted more. They
wanted and still want to conquer us
in the very sanctuary of conscience
and to force us to surrender the very
last Idea and sentiment and tradition
which makes US u distinct people.
This is the last surrender and the low
est degradation. Some of us have
reached it. Eight years ago Gen.
Grant. To-day, Gen. Bcaurcgard, in
tar as he can, surrenders Southern
manhood to Northern Policy.
The Resolutions passed at the Uni
l~ication Meeting mean and can mean
nothing else. The Radical Northern
Idea rules in those resolutions. And
Gen. Beauresard stands sponsor for
Idea. The South repudiates ii.
may advocate it. But the
tricks of politicians will rebound from
IL - II 49, - 49, ILL