The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-09

o.,
| TO care for their families. We owe it
! TO them, we owe it to ourselves
we owe it to history, to assert
on all proper occasions with hon.
est, manly sincerity tho convictions
which let to sacrifices unparalleled IN
this century, and to declare the rcal
issues at stake in Il conflict SO stupcnd.
Gus and appalling. There is great
danger lest, in allowing others tc
make our history for us, we permit
the truth to be perverted and our.
selves to he placed in false posi-
ton. 1t is surprising how general is
the impression that slavery was the
lsSuc-that we fought for its Dcrpctll-
lty and extension, while the Nortl,
fought for its abolition. This impress
sion is widespread, not only among
those who arc interested in fostering
ii, but among ourselves. 1t is, as we
conceive, grave and radical mistake,
ana we cannot allow such II view to
incorporate itself into history without
an earnest protest. 1t was the occn-
sion, and only the occasion. of the
struggle; and the destruction of the
peculiar Institution was an i'll
cldcnt, and only an incident, of its
progress and end. TO show that VIC
are not speaking at random, or pre-
scnting theory, you have this dis
tihct ana emphatic announcement by
tic Federal Congress after the war
had fairly Opcncd-"tlut this war is
not prosecuted for the purpose of over
throwing or interfering with The rights
or established institutions OF the South
crn Statcs." This clear and explicit
ulsciailncr by Il competent authority
must DC accepted as satisfactory and
conclusive on the Federal side. AS to
INC Coniedcratcs, We were always dis
posed to resent Indignantly The charge
llat we were fighting from merely
selfish consldcrationS-that it was the
low spirit ofZcal for African slavery
which llnpcllcd the Southern States to
that last and cOnicsscdly desperate
| measure, withdrawal from thc
Union. No, gentlemen, while the
question OF slavery figured promincnt-
~. IN the beginning, progress and ter
innation OF our struggle: while twas
the immediate topic Of discussion and
agitation; while ii was made the sub
.lcct OF innumcrablc declarations and
rcSolutlOnS,--: core and marrow of
the difficulty, the Kernel and essence
Oh The dispute, is TO he found in the
anta%oniStic views and interpretations
ol lhc very nature and structure of the
government itself. It WAS a differ
cicc that reached to the Fundamental
law or the land and that struck at the
very heart OF the ConSti.utiOn--the
one party holding that this is a gov-
crnmcnt OF the people, and the other
nat this is government OF States:
the latter view admirably expressed
DY one OF the greatest statesmen Of our.
country, and he Carolini;ln, in these
words:
"HcSo|rcd, That in drlcgating a
portion OF their powers to be exercised
ny the Federal Government. the States
retained, scvcrally, tho exclusive aud
sole right over their own domestic in
stitlliions and police, TO the full extent
to which those powers were not thus
delegated, and arc alone responsible
tor them; and that any intcrmcddIinm
OF one or more States, or q combiua-
lion OF the citizens, with the domestic
institutions and police Of the others,
on any ground, political, moral, or
rcll9lous, or under any prcicXt what
ever, with view to thcir alteration
or subVcrsion, is not warranted by the
constitution, tending to enllangcr the
domestic peace and tranquility of the
States intcrtcrcu with, subycrsiyc OF
the objects for which the Constitution
was formed, and, by necessary consc-
Iucncc, tending to weaken and destroy
the Union itself"
In that declaration you have state
ment Of the powers Of the government
and the rights OF thc Statcs-a dccla-
ration that Was endorsed, that was
heartily maintained, by the whole
South-a declaration that was resisted
by those who held that slavery
was the "sum of all villainics," and
that as domestic institution it could
not claim, and should not receive, the
protection Of the Constitution. Here
was Il difference that discussion, con-
cesSlon and compromise only widcncd.
| and yet one so vital and practical that
it must be settled. Aitcr wears of
bitter and fierce agitation, after the
most manifest, persistent efforts to III
tcricrc with the institution, after the
avowcd purpose that the conflict was
irrcprcSsiblc, then the final step was
taken in the various ordinances of
secession, Whether or not That was
tho wise course, or the proper remedy,
need not now be discussed. There
were wise statesmen and sincere, earn
est patriots who differed about that.
The truth is, the case was very much
like that Of The man who was very
fond of mushrooms, and went to Il
scientific friend and asked him how he
could tell mushroom from a toad
stool. The wise man replied: "Thc
only way is by eating it. If it kills
you it is the toad-stool; if it doesn't it
is the mushroom" l rather think Sc
ccsSion has proved the toad-stool.
This, however, is by the way. The
point that wish to present, is that the
war was not in its primal cause "pro-
slavery" and "anti-slavcry." I feel
that we stand upon higher ground,
that we were contcnding for rights
and principles which arc as real, as
present and as precious to-day as they
were III 1860, although it is near scvcn~
teen years since the emancipation
proclamation was issued. GAppluusc. I
They were principles of the govern
mcnt, and so long as the government
exists they will live. They may be
ignored, they may be tramplcd under