The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-12
THE oKoLoNA STATES
On states Rights and several Other
Things.

Aulukas
We have on our table the Okolona
(AIiss.) States Of July 9th, and as usual
find it replete with lively reading. It's
leading editorial is on Gen. Sherman
Whom it styles "the hummer boss and
its text is his recent letter to a Southern
friend in depreciation OF the State Sover-
eighty issue in Congress. The editorial
opens out thus:
"That Christian pirate and serene, con-
templative butcher, Gen. William TeCum-
sch Sherman, has been fighting State
Sovereignty with his goose.Quill.. Find
ing that he and his -bummers could
not shoot the life out OF the principle with
their muskets, nor cut the throbbing
heart out OF it with their sabres, he has
been testing the old maxim that the pen
Is mightier than the sword, and the test
has been fzzle Of the first water"
After thus delivering itself at some
length in regard to the General Of the
Army, it plunges into the States Rights
question after the following style:
The States were sovereign before the war
and they are sovereign to-day.
We owe our first allegiance to the State
in which we live-to her laws, her au-
thorities and her flag.
II she lifted her sword to smite the Cen
eral Government it would be our first duty
to fly to her defense.
We, Of the South, have no respect, no
love and no reverence whatever for the
"nation'-none. We run our local mat
ters to suit ourselves, in direct defiance Of
Federal laws and Federal statutes when
ever those laws and statutes come in con-
fliCt with the Constitution.
This is Gods truth.
Sherman and his Consolioationists may
grind their teeth and threaten, but they
cannot change it.
No!
And all the guns and battle.blades,
grape and canister, powder and shot, that
they can muster from this until the crack
OF doom cannot change it one degree.
Why, look att!
The General Government orders her
troops to surround our ballot-boxes.
They come.
We tell them 10 stand back.
They submit.
They know they had better submit.
Which has shown itself the master in
this matter: the State or the "nationP"
Again: The General Government makes
the negro voter in violation Of the Con-
stitution, but notwithstanding the blacks
have majority in many OF our counties
and States, they turn up in the minority
with remorseless regularity. Thereupon
the cry OF bull-dozing and ballot box
stuiIiing is heard, and the Federal Courts
take cognizance OF the matter.
But what Is done?
Nothing is done.
The grand juries do not indict, OF, il
they do indict the Federal Judge find it
good and comfortable and safe to let the
cases slip through their fingers after farce
Off trial orno trial at all.
Which has shown itself the master in
this matter; tho State or the "nation%
We might further illustrate this point
with many instances, but these will suf.
fee for our purpose.
Yet General Sherman thinks that the
great question OF State Sovereignty has
been settled by the war!
Did he think 1t was settled by the fact
that his bummers stole pianos, jewelry,
silverware, &C., from our people?
Did those thefts settleIt?
Did he think it was settled by the fact
that he burned Atlanta and Columbia like
the barbarian that he is?
Did those fires settle It?
Did he think that it was settled by the
fact that he and his mob OF Lincoln brutes
and blacklegs slew and crippled thousands
OF our soldiers?
Did dtheir blood settle it?
Let him not betool himself.
Tho flames Of our burning cities purified
the principle, and the blood Of our martyrs
consecrated 1t anew.
The next United States SenatorshiE
from Mississippi TO succeed Bruce) is dis
cussed at considerable length by the States
Its first choice is JEFF Davis, whom th'
editor thus apotheosises:
"0ur first choice, and the FIRST choice o
every patriot In Mississippi, Is Presiden
Jefferson Davis, and we do not belieyI
that there Is single candidate In the tielt
who would not feel proud to retire 'ant
make room for this second Washington
who, like, his immortal prototype, !
first In war, first In peace and first In tht
hearts OF his countrymen."
Asto what the Southern Democracy vii
do when they elect JEFF. or his equiyalent