The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-12
Either Peace or War.

| AS the time for an election approaches
evidences multiply of an intention to re
vive the feeling of hatred in Northern hearts
| against the South. Such men az Banks
deliver public speeches flaming from
| beginning to end with the bitterest ami
mosity against that whole section of the
Union which was once known as the Con
federacy. A bill is introduced in Congress
looking to the enforcement of Constitu
tional amendments in such a manner that
the army may again decide Southern cleo
tions. Everywhere we find the key note
sounded and the policy of Southern subju
CATION openly advocated. Even Catholic
papers-we refer particularly TO the New
York Iablet-epeak of "united South"
as something to be relentlessly dealt with,
and insult our people by calling the great
Confederate war "a rebellion"
Now, our neighbors at the North-Cath-
olics and non Catholics-onght to know
by this time that no Southerner admits
that war to have been a rebellion, that no
Southerner regards the glorious heroes of
that struggle, living OF dead, as rebels, and
that no genuine Southerner is ever going
to make such an admission, no matter what
may be the result.
All such talk strikes as as being in bad
taste. If the South is solid, it is -in-self
defense,-not in aggression. What does
this Wanted supremacy of the South
amount tot To one dollar of public
money appropriated for her wants against
one thousand, perhaps, for the North and
West. Does the Tablet begrudge us the
one dollar Does it hate us for being
solid in our effort to dislodge a set of
thieves from the control Of our State and
municipal treasuriesf
As to Banks, Blaine, Halo and others,
avowed champions of sectional hatred,
where is their consistency In profession
they are incorporating Union men in
measures they are furious advocates of Sec
tional subjugation. They are utterly unwill-
ingIto see the South governed according to
this wish of her people. They are unwilling
to see development and prosperity and
greatness blessing her fields and cities.
They regard her with an eye of jealous
rivalry and bitter malevolence, yet prate
about the Union. This Is the union of
master and slave, ret cf free and equal
associates.
In other words, it is war.
1t is said that ali things are fair in war.
Still there is one thing that is expected of
every honorable peopie-that in making war
they should declare its existence. If the
North is determined to regard the old Con
federate war Rs still in operation, OF to
consider the Southern people as nothing
but captives. let it say 80. There should
be no subterfuge, 10 equivocation, on q
question of that kind. 1t is very unjust to
tell US on paper that We are in the Union,
and then treat us in fact as public enemies.
Besides justice, manhood is shocked at
such duplicity.
This question -beccmes the more impor--
tant at this time that great and grave
European complications seem likely to
involve America mere or less. Surprising
the North to teke ore eide in the contest,
the South must necessarily take the other
eide, if the North insists that the old Con-
federste war is still going on or that
SoutherneIs are public enemies. So that
fair play requires fair notice. Let it be
either war or peace. But deliver Us from
war in disguise and from peace which is
nothing but delusion.