New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-18
THE CENTENNIAL AT THE SOUTH.

1890 49,
conscientiously believed that every com.
munit:r should be governed by its virtue,
y It's intelligence and its property. These
interests represented and were embodied
in the ruling class. The education pro-
vided for by this sentiment was found in
colleges and classical academies alone. 1t
had no system OF common schools. II
did not recognize commerce nor the me.
chanic arts. but maintained that the
highest standard Of human excellence
was to be found in agriculture, and that
: the material. social and political welfare
OF agriculture could be best maintained
through the agency OF slave labor. 1t is
not surprising. then. that this sentiment.
essentially aristocratic in its theory. should
regard the condition OF such foreign gov
ernments as enjoyed the ease and elegance
Of nobility. the decorous orthodoxy of
religious establishment, with the sta
bility OF a standing army and drilled
police. should have appeared very de-
sirable state of society. The party which
represented this sentiment had maintained
the doctrine that State could enioin a
federal officer from executing any federal
law within the jurisdiction of the State
when the authorities of the State should
have pronounced such a'law inconsistent
with the federal constitution. This wa,
called notification. 1t was defeated as alike
unreasonable and unjust in claiming that
a party to a contract as the State was al
legged to be. had right to obey OK annul
its own contract at its own discretion
The party representing this sentiment was
defeated even in the South, but subse-
| quently renewed its alliance North and
South by interpolating the term State
rights upon the title of Democracy. The
Northern and Southern members then
united unde, the style and firm Of 1.-THE
State Rights Democracy.
The concern worked very well until a |
question arose as between the people liv-
ing upon public land il their innate and
sovereign capacity to adopt their own in.
stitutions and the right Of Congress or of
the State to prescribe their institutions
for them. There the cement of spoils hoped
for proved too weak to bind together
opposite and antagonistic principles.
Davis representative State rights doctrine
of one section Of the Democracy and Mr..
Douglas the Democratic or popular pril.-
ciple of the other. Northern and South
ern Democracy separated upon the issue.
1t was no: the issue of secession but of
notification. Both parties disayowed
the purpose Of secession. and denied that
it was involved. The election Of Mr.. Lin
coin, since demonstrated to have been
amongst the most conservative of men.
made the ;ssur Of secession.
The conservative wing o: the Demo
cratic party at TIE South were not. as we
have said. nuliifers. believing in the right
of State veto upon federal laws. They
believed that the federal Union had been
formed by a compact Of equal sovereigns.
and that the tigi; to accede to the Union | ,
involved the right 20 withdraw from it. {
The act o.! secession was then adopted by '
the Southern people: /. Because the !
first class. as we have described it. wished ,
the government at an end, and preferred c
another more congenial with their views c
OF political organization. 2. Because the | t
other division. as we nave described il, I
the calamity. and dreaded the a
OF emancipation. There u
was. first. an immense investment at stake: h
md secondly. all the results which had p
similar measure in San Domingo
md Jamaica. Regarding the enforcement G
If the laws as an invasion of the South, ! g
he resistance was universal, yet it still D
emains 4 singular fact that the slave. Il
folders who wera nearest the line Of in. it
aston were the last to advocate secession. c]
We have endeavored to show that with is
ne section Of the Southern Democracy "
he first opportunity to test the strength W
+ the Union by war was scored promptly. q
,hile the other or Conservative sentiment
ccepted it with reluctance and only after y,
II efforts at q compromise had failed.
It is, then. natural that after the war -;
as passed away. intlc:ing upon both Sec n
ons incalcuiable loss i'll life. property. NJ
reduction and alienation. these two Gle. he
tents OF Southern sentiment accept the y,
tuation in different spirit. The NULL bv
er believes the Republican doctrines no 80
e:'sr than those unjustly attributed 20 :,
sck Cade DIR. Ayimer) or to Thomas w
eiierson. They believe the federal gov i.
ninsnt an oppression by the tyrannical g.,
il!ions. IA. worse in their belief than
"a: o: an established government with .,
tablisLed orders. tn. conservative W.
ing. finding the deed Of emancipation -.
,ne-thc soe.a! and industrial condition ! On.
the South no: SO bad as they had APP -,
ehendei- former Eon-slavehoiie,. ~.
lding free labor 70 De had on hire In ~,
cad Of on sale. determine that ;hi, Re VIC
'biican government. Tor which tLe!. ..o,
ces:ors fought. IS. o. ..!c whole, bette. "a,
an tina: o: governments o: kings, priest. ,l..
d aristc.ya:s. We find. then. ;:e mg:s. ,,,
cratic an! an:i-.e, Go!ican sections .: RI,
. Democratic party striving t. renew .oI
cir alliance with such State rights
,Mocfats .; the North as August BEL :.
,n'. Generals Gia:. ana Mcclellan, with ;
issues - ca:
'isinS and :ep.al.n: the constitutional. 49,,