The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-01


states, in their separate capacities
and at short intervals, met IN sol
cmn convention and declared
to the world their sovereign
and independent existence. Ii
would he superfuous to enter
upon the argument of the
right Of secession, since my immc-
diate predecessor discussed this
question before YOU with equal abil.
ity and elaboratencss. No1with
standing the decisive stand taken
by the states South, and notwith
standing the note of preparation
for war heard on both sides, North
and South, there vet remained 4
lingering hope that the pco-
pie north and west would
wake up to sense of justice
and that the incoming administra-
ton would tender the olivd branch
To the South. The hope was vain
The inaugural declaration OF Prc>i-
dent Lincoln that 1.-THE Union can
not he broken" was accepted by
the South as declaration OF war.
The .uage of war was rendered and
accepted. and the Southern states
then united into II confederacv, adj
dressed themselves with the limited
resources at their command TO the
work of preparation for the coming
storm.
A history of the war. thong but
u running sketch, would be out OF
place on an occasion like the pres
ent. This office will employ the
pen of the future historian, and
truthful history will record the
most remarkable war in the history
of modern times - remarkable in
that it presented the spectacle OF q
segregated section OF a country,
without military discipline, without
money, without credit, without, in
short, :ne customary resources of
war, yet standing upon the rampant
of their original sovereignty, and
hurting defiance in the face of n
powerful government with millions
of men and billions of money at
| cOmmanl-a nation at whose feet
the British lion has been made to
crouch more than once. Coming
generations will read the pages of
faithful history and will wonder
when they read that our intestine
war, unequal as it was, was main
tanned four long years; and the
wonder will increase when thoy
are told that the scale stood in
hopeful cquIpoise nearly all the
time. History will tell, too, Of
prodigies of Southern valor worthy
of the best days of Greece or Rome.
1t will furnish examples of auda-
cious personal gallantry not to be
found in other books ancient or
modern. In short, tho bones OF
Southern soldiers arc this da,-
bleaching the plains of every bat
tie field north and south, testifying
alike to their patriotism and spar
tan ohivalry. Nor will the people
OF Madison county have reason to
blush when they see the names OF
their illustrious dead inscribed on
the roll of immortality. But while
the commanders skill and the sol
dler's courage supply the lack of
numbers, yet these qualities have
their Limits. The fortune of war vi
brated like the pendulum of a clock,
until finally the sword of the great
Captain of the age was surrendered
in obedience to law of physical
necessity, and Appomattox has be-
como historic because it was the
theater on which was enacted the
closing scene in the mournful dra-
ma of our country's history. 1t
| only remained for our shattered
armies, having lost all but their
honor, to return to their homes and
endeavor to rebuild their broken
fortunes by Il cultivation of the arts
of peace; hoping TO receive, as in
their better days they enjoyed, the
fostering care and protection of the
government to which they, in good
faith, renewed their allegiance.
They hoped to realize in the con-
duct of the government toward
them a veritication of the noble
sentiment once uttered by one OF
Virginia's statesmen, "the brave are
always generous"
Though su5jugated by the power
of overwhelming numbers, vet they
brought back from the battle field
the same unconquerable spirit
which stirred their bosoms in the
beginning of the strife. AS gem
eral soldiery, they were unequallcd
i'll intelligence and had an Intelligent
understanding of their rights under
the Constitution. Acquiescing in
the loss of the institution which
was the objective point of the Fed
cral government, they had a right
to all the privileges and immunities
of citizenship enjoyed in other sec
tons of the country. The course of
Federal legislation, however, very
soon awoke the South from this
vain dream. While hoping for an
exhibition OF magnanimity worthy
of a great nation, their eyes were
opened to the fact that they were
still regarded as rebellious subjects
and treated accordingly. Under
one preteXt and another the bayo-
net has been substituted for whole
some laws.
Mississippi and other states pre-
sent to-day an anomaly in the his
tory of politics, which is, that the
inferior mind is dominant in tho at
fairs of government. This has been
etie, ted by artful legislation III sub
scrvicnce to party ambition-the
Inst of power. The South has borne
this state of misrulc because power
less TO resist, entertaining, mean
while, lingering hope that there
yet remained in the Northern mind
some sentiment of virtue, some
sense of justice, from which relief
might come.
Indeed, is there not already some
thing in the signs of the times to
justify the hope that we shall soon
be cmancipatod from tho bondage
uudrr which yo have vroannJ thnSc