The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-02

Early in 1861 seven of those States,
by the action of the people thereof, with
drew from the Federal Union, and by the
same authority established common
government, styled the Confederate
States of America.
With this controversy between the two
sections. about the relations of race and
labor, other questions arose, among which
was one relating to the reserved powers
of the several States and their relation to
the Federal authority One school as
serted the doctrine of State sovereignty,
and, as an incident, its right to secede
from the Union. The other theory is that
the nation, the United States, Is the sole
indivisible sovereign, and that the Fed
eral Government is charged with the duty
of using all its powers TO maintain the
national unity and integrity OF the nation
al domain. This last question antedated
the foundation Of our Government and
remained unsettled till 1865, when it was
adiudicated by a tribunal from which
there is no appeal
Such were the issues staked on the
result of the war Sir, can it be said
that in such a conflict lin which questions
as old as the Government had passed
from theory into fact between two great
sectional organizations, whose armies.
larger than those Of the first Napoleon,
stretching their line OF battle across the
continent and maintaining war of four
long years Of alternate victory and de-
feat. the crimes of treason could attach
to either belligerent? | do not meant he
technical treason that the fortunes Of
war give YOU the power to record against
the southern people, but the moral guilt
that lies in reasonable intent? They
certainly did not conspire or attempt to
subvert your form Of government or 10
destroy your Constitution or 70 depose
your rulers When their secession was
consummated, they LETT the United States
the United Statesstill, a great and pow
erful nation, with its extended sea-coast,
its teeming population, its vast extent OF
territory, its mechanic arts, It's commerce,
It's Constitution safe, its laws unobstruct-
ed, its administration unembarassed, Its
agiStracy-Federal, State, and local
with unimpared authority. Do not say,
then, that we attempted TO overthrow
your Government tor there 1t stood,
after we left you, one OF the greatest aad
most powerful nationalites upon the face
Of the earth.
There was no dispute between the two
sections about the form Of government.
Devotion To the Constitution, to the prin-
ciples of American freedom, was the
fountain al which both sections drank in
inspiration for the stupendous war which
they maintained. And when that war
closed with defeat for the South, and
victory for the North the controversy
was closed also The result Of that We
tory has been to embody in the Constitu-
ton two great priciples-the legal indis
soIubility of the American Union and the
universally of human freedom on the
American continent.
But, sir, the North was not satisfied
with these results. Holding that having
plucked the black race from the shelter
as we'll as the restraints Of existing in
situations, protection to that race was an
imperative duty; and holding that they
were further hound to tortify the result
of the war against further disturbance or
reaction, mo sfle organic law or the re
public they adopted the thirteenth
amendment, which WAS followed in quick
and logical success ion by the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments, for q stricter
enforcement OF which were superadded
your reconstruction measures, whose pit
iless provisions sunk the iron deep into
the soul Of the southern people l refer
to them not TO complain o. to arraign
your policy, but simply to remind you
how completely and effectually the logical
results of the war have been inter fused
in the very elements of your national
l., l. l.
tireIy the South realized that the fate Of
her labor system and her creed OF sep
arate State sovereignty were stalled upon
the issues Of the war From the day Of
the surrender of her armies To the present
moment, in no part OF her vast territory
has one single hand of insurrection been
raised against the authority Of the Amer
lean Union. Nowhere within the limits
OF your great empire has the national su-
premacy been maintained with such ab-
solute omnipotence. Is not this fact of
itself, unprecedented in the annals Of
civil war, occurring among a brave peo-
pie, sufficient gage of their fealty to
your Constitution and laws Have they
not abided in good faith by your policies
az you have successfully established
them?
Sir, my friend from New York read
something from Ku-Klux report and in
voked from me either al indorseIhent or
a reputation of it. | cannot, sir, now
give the language Of that quotation, but
tell him, that he was quoting not from
report of the democrats on that com
mittee. 1t was the special report of
a single member, for Which the others
should not be held responsible.
Mr.. SMITH, of New York. The gen
tleman will allow me to correct him. 1t
bears the signatures of eight democratic
members of that committee.
Mr.. LAMAR. If the gentleman will
read the report he will find that those
particular sentiments are those of one
Individual member, and not of the others
Mr.. SMITH, of New York. Those par
ticular sentiments are repeated four, five
and six times over.
Mr.. Cox. | will say that they were
the sentiments of Judge Van Trump
was member of that committee we
never read the report; it was the report
of a subcommittee and when it was
made, several of US took occasion to disa-
vow it. We never agreed to retrogres-
sion as to African slavery, but simply on
the social question involved in it.
Mr.. SMITH, of New York [ never
heard that report retracted heretofore;
and am rejoieed to hear il nov
Mr.. LAMAR. | am not either indorsing
or condemning the views or policy of
either of the great parties. | think |
can respond to the question of my friend
more distinctly than by repudiating or
detached sentence which, to
say the least of it, is susceptible of differ
ent constructions. Mr.. Speaker, upon "A