The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-12-24
Southern Opinion.

In another column will be found q
correspondence between Col. }. b.
Danforth, Northern (Illinois) Journal
list. and Hon. Jefferson Davis, origlna-
ting on the part Of the former TO secure
from the leaders of Southern puonc
opinion" such expressions as would
'counteract the effort of the Repuoh-
cans who are endeavoring TO make
solid North on the idea that State
RIGHTS mean secession that the people
of the South are still for secession that
there is no freedom of speech or OF the
press in the South and that the South
has been made solid by means of the
shotgun" Mr.. Davis, among others,
was addressed, and has written tenn
porate, frank and lucid reply in which
he shows that estate rights" properly
construed means anything else but
secession. His review Of the formation
of the government and its political
history commencing with the events
contemporaneous with its origin, is
conclusive on this point. The letter is
an emphatic contradiction Of the prepos-
ferrous Islander that the South is opposed
to the Union; and exposes the absurd
pretence that she shows her hostility by
asking equal protection with other
sections to her rights under the Consti-
tuition
1t is truly stated by Mr. Davis that
no secession Is meditated in the South
that her elections are peaceable and
orderly-that her people have every
motive to cultivate a spirit Of reciprocal
kindness with other portions of the
Union and Of inviting agriculturalists
and manufacturers from every quarter
to make their homes with Us in order
that prosperity may be restored to oul
communities. Col. Danforth gladly
welcomes Mr.. Davis exposition o
Southern opinion and says 81
Will be gratifying to all, eNcep
those who wish to keep "
sectional hate" In this latter elias
may be mentioned the Cincinnati
Gazette, whose ire seems to have beer
aroused by the conservative and truth
full version Of Mr.. Davis. 1t accuse
him of 'having confessed that thc
Southern rebellion was without pre-
tence Of lawful right and was crime.
Now, he never confessed that the Soutl
did rebel, and has always held the re
verse, viz: That Il sovereign could not
rebel. The accusation rests upon asinglC
sentence as follows: I'm 1860, the
secessionists per sc, to use the phrase o
that day, were few and far between
They are fewer now and further be
lween." Mr.. Davis is correct. Their
were but few secessionists per Sc in thu
South then. There are none now
/ The secessionists per sc could not have
been those who ayoWed the creed o
State sovereignty and that the uniol
was compact between free and indie
pendent States; nor those who revereC
the Constitution, and desired that til,
/ Union should live as long as the com
pact was preserved. They who regard
ed the Constitution as a vicious instru
ment, and said that the Union form
ed by it was bad bargain-''f
/ league with hell and Il covenant Will
death, to quote the memorable expires
sion of William Lloyd Garrison-wer(
the secessionists per sc, and they were
not found in the South. The men o
that school of fanatics, were not the
men who through every trial upheld
the principles Of State rights and loca
selfgoyernment upon which the Union
was founded, and gave their blood anc
| died to perpetuate the blessings it wa.
designed to confer. They who fol
principle and conscience's sake encoun-
tered the hazards of an unequal contest
when no longer able to resist, coulC
honorably lay down their arms, but
/ their convictions could not be changed
by force, and while they are yielding
true and loyal allegiance to the govern
ment, they would not. stain their souE
and their honor by protesting a repen
lance which they did not feel. The
few who once desired to dissolve the
Union, even if the Constitution had
been observed in the spirit in which il
was adopted, may become few and fewer
until not one is left, but they make q
great mistake who suppose that South
ern men will ever join the horde who
make war upon that instrument, and
would substitute for its checks and
safeguards, despotism built upon the
ruins of the Constitution.
The Mississippi River Levees.
! 4 Il