The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-11-18

error.
As a party man, he had respect for the
determinations of the authorized organs OF
party action and of party opinion. He was 8
Democrat from conviction, and he believed
that the success of hispsrty was for the pub
lie good. But he was not the slave of party.
He recognized parties as necessary in free
government, but he did not make the sue
cess of his party the end of political action.
In his view, parties were means-politi-
cal agencies-to accomplish the public
good. His allegiance was to his country and
her people-his aim, to subserye her inter
ests and their happiness To attain these
ends, he deemed his party an efficient agent.
He was not unaware that the machinery of
party might take advantage of the natural
| fealty of its members, and pervert the organi-
cation to improper ends. He was then for
| resistance. He knew also, that even where
no improper motives existed, the party
| might still fall into serious error. When this
happened he maintained his own convic-
tions without severing parry ties. Memorable
instances of his independence, were his sup
port of the INDECENT Insane Bill, and his re-
fusal to join in the ostracism of Mr.. Douglas.
He was a Southern man, and he deeply
loved his native land He was proud of its
people, proud of its history, proud of the
great names it had given to the country.
He felt keenly any slight cast upon his
section, any injustice done to it. He had
a high veneration for the Constitution of
the United States, and profound admira-
ton for the government which it established
He regarded the Constitution as compact
between equal and sovereign States, to be
observed with scrupulous fidelity. He
considered the Federal Government as the
creature of the Constitution and as having
no vitality beyond it. He deemed it the
agent, not the master of the States and the
people. From its operations he desired no
undue advantage for his State or section;
but he was unwilling that they should have
less than equal justice His proud spirit
could not brook the exclusion of his State
and section from the common territories of
the Union, nor the seizure of the common
government by sectional party pledged to
the destruction of the interests of his peo-
pie. He was therefore for resistance.
1 regard it as a misfortune to our section
that at the most critical time, the very
Inauguration Of the controversy we did not
have his invaluable services in the councils
of the Confederacy, and that instead of
sharing the responsibility and assisting in
the deliberations of those who assembled at
Montgomery and Richmond in the Provis-
ional Congress-, he was nobly discharging
the humber duties of "a Captain of Infantry.
His thorough knowledge of the people in all
sections of the Union, his keen insight into
human nature, and his almost divine sagacity
in political matters, might have materially
aided in the adoption of a policy which,
though it could not have averted, what
seems to have been predestined failure
might yet have diminished the evils of
defeat.
But whilst he was thus sensitive for South
ern honor and Southern rights-thus ready
to resort to extremes in defense of the Con-
stitution as he understood it, when the
conflict was over, and the cause he loved was
lost forever, he had the sagacity to perceive
the full extent of the revolution and the ir-
reversability ofits results, and the manliness
to acknowledge accomplished facts. Since
Southern independence was unattainable, he
was for full, free, manly and honest ac-
ceptance of the new order of things. He
saw that the North and the South were in
deed to be one people, inhabiting one coun-
try, and he was therefore for reconciliation
and harmony-for making the lately hostile
camps one in sentiment and feeling--one in
devotion to the great work of advancing the
people to the highest degree of prosperity
and happiness.
Buthe did not deem that he and his people
were sinners in what they had done. He did
not regard, that the flag of the Confederacy
had been upheld by rebellious hands inspir-
ed by traitorous hearts. Recognizing fully
that there had been two diverse theories of
the Constitution at the beginning of the
war, and that both of these theories had
been sanctioned by great and patriotic
names from the establishment of the Union,
he was willing to concede to the North the
same honest convictions in the truth of their
views as he claimed for himself He asked
no apology, no explanation; nor was he
willing to abase himself or his people by an
avowed repentance for an imputed sin, not
felt. To the victor he was willing to yield
the legitimate fruits of success in the estab-
lishment of his theory of the Constitution
and in the taking proper guarantees for
it's maintenance. But here he deemed the
right of the victor to end. He felt that there
was no forfeiture by war of the rights of the
Southern people to self-government, and to
protection for life, liberty and property. For
if the conqueror for any cause can adjudge
that the defeated have forfeited their just po
litical and civil rights-the weak hold their
liberties only at the will of the strong. In
any just view of government these rights
must be inalienable.
Whilst entering on the new era with the
conviction that the South should conform its
| future action to accomplished facts, he did
| not concede that the victor had subjugated
to his will the souls and the sentiments of
the defeated.
he cherished the remembrance of the
glorious and gallant deeds of the Southern
people in the war, which overthrow their
institutions. Each little mound that mark
ed the grave of Southern soldier, who had
fallen in defense of his country, was to him
a more precious spot than the mausoleums in
| which were inurned the ashes of kings and
| conquerors. It marked to him shrine, in
which was entombed the result of the richest
gift which man can make to mantle sur
rendered for common cause. The solemn
judgment of history may, after the event,
pronounce on the abstract justice of this
cause. But be that judgment what it may,
it can't destroy, or even lessen the noble.
ness and grandeur of the sacrifice.