The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-05-30
THE WAR AND STATE RIGHTS.
The South Entitled to Euli nnd ET"Ni
Participation m the Government.
ISt. Louis Republican,

! ISt. Louis Republican.l
Tho Cincinnati Commercial says:
",The Southern Confe.leracy was con
quered. The Southern territory might
have been held In military districts for
an indefinite time. 1t was thought the
better way to permit tho States that
had been overcome to resume their
political placcs-they had no rights
| that the cOnHuerOrS were bound to fCS-
pcct-in tho Union on certain condi
tiOnS. Those conditions arc contained
in the amendments of the Constitution,
which are the treaty of peace. This
treaty has been violated, and upon its
ruins rises the re-cstablishcd Southern
Confetlcracy, which rcasserts ali tho Old
dogmas of State Rights, and all the
old caste and political prcjudiccs. This
] Is tho solid South; and that Is what liz
the matter. A solid North follows, of
course.''
Tho Southern Confctleracy was con-
quered i'll military sense, but the
States Of which it was composed wore
not conquered in II political sense; that
is, unless ''the war for the Union and
the Constitution WAS bloody lie.
That war was begun, prosecuted anu
ended, not for purposes of conquest and
|suhjugution, but to restore tho Union
and re-establish the authority of tho
Constitution. Tho Southern territory
could not "have been hold in military
districts for an indefinite time" without
violating every principle upon which
our Government rests. Conquered and
subjugstcd provinces may belong to IN
empire, but they cannot bc part and
parcel of Il Republic. The rule of tho
sword is appropriate enough under an
l,r,f | u hp
II permanent feature in II Democracy.
Tho Southern people had ns many
rights after the war hS before. They
were not brought back ;s subjects, but
as citizens. They are bound to rccog-
nizc and respect tho amendments to
the Constitution, not as "cOnditiOns OF
the treaty of peace" but ns portions of
the organic law of tho land. This was
Mr.. LincoIn's view, and 1t is the only
ono that can be successfully maintained;
unless we assume that the four years.
fight was conceived in deceit and born
in fnlschood.
The South has asserted no H'uoSnas
of State rights" which the North docs
not assert, or which have not been
held since the foundation of the Gov
crnmcnt. The right OF secession was
finally and forever rcputliatcd by tho
arbitramcnt of arms, and the South has
neither tho ability nor the desire to re-
vive ii. Tho motto of Illinois may be .
taken as the political creed of all her
Southern sisters: estate Sovereignty
National Union" The Commercial
and the party of which it is tho organ
are laboring zcalously in behalf Of con
tralization; the theory of Hamilton
instead of tho theory OF Jefferson. The
American people rejected tho former
and adopted the latter. They have not
changed their minds. They do not
want an empire, and they d" want -
and will havc--a republic. There can
be no republic where Fcdcralanthoriiy
is every thing and State authority n"i'-
ing. Each must have its proper pIi'r"
and proper recognition, and both work
harmoniOusly together for the common
good. so the founders of the fri'"h'"'
Ordaincd, and their children VIII not
surrender the precious heritage.
on the Springfield plantation IN lh'4
county, on Thursday last, an "l'i
ucrro man struck quite II bonanza.
While blowing in his field he struck an
old rotten stump, tearing it up AMI
bringing to light Il tin can old and rusty,
$50 gold pieces To the
amount of 1920. The old man
bought the tract of land II short
lime ago from Mr.. a. 6. Brilton,
,nd this Is the first crop of the kind ii
has ever been known to yield. n
number Of negroes in the ncighborh"oh
hearing of the Old mars ssfnd' went 10
ligging in the Immediate vicinity to
such an extent rs to gricvc the old man
by the damage done ms
young cotton. .--Nufch"7 D""'o"'W.