New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-29
ment 1t reasserts the absurd PaIadiox q S.ass

| roots In the air. The fallacy has Deeh huuuIou
times analyzed exposed and refuted but the cnedp
| dogmatsm Of demagogues and the automatic inacn
nery of faction perpetually conlures 1t up ahe" v.
astonsh the suckllpgs and terrify the dotards %
| politics. The notable point IN the Declaration oi
Causes is that its complaint over grievances Past
and present is against certain States, ana LOT Ihese
remedy was OF course logcay PalIt tor U{ IND ali
| Its allegations against the Union are cohcernluS
dangers TO come, before which admission the moral
| Justification of disunOn falls TO the grounu. III
rejecting the remedy of future elections Tor future
wrongs the conspiracy discarded the entire theory
and principle Of republican government
The methods by which Union sentiment in the
Slave States was suppressed and reluctant MAORI
ties were swept into the revolution is we'll though
briefly described:
The prominent Office holders, Governors Senators,
Congressman. judges. formed IN each StaLe cei" i
CLIQUE of conspiracy. The Governors had 0lncial
authority to issue proclamations to convene Legs
| latures, to call out and command sucn nlhlEI as
existed. Had their authority been welded 10 De-
half of the Union no general revolt would have
! been possible but, exercised without scrupe or
rest to prone tie Secession nsurreGuon 9eean ",, d
an official prestige which swept the hesllatlhg anu
the tlmld irresstibly into the vortex OF treason
! Even then it only by persistent nu sing man.
J agement, and IN many cases sheer decelt Ihdt
sembance of maioritles was obtained 10 justify ana
apparently indorse the consprators piots. Legs
! latures were convened, commissioners sent I iT
| State TO state. conventions called, military oHlS
passed miuute-nen and volunteer companies organ
! led Deberative bodies were haranguta ny, lhe
|
matory kilograms. After the meeting oil ConElei,S
! the fre-eaters Of Washington held almost nightly
caucuses and sent addresses. solicitations ana
c. mmands from the Capital Individual oP!llou
! was oyerowed; the Government net only silent.
! but constantly yielding; legislative ueiprrall"n
became IN secret session legislative intrigue; pre-
texts were invented 10 defer and omit al proper
scrutiny of election returns. Inc Sta'e Wis 'uc
| idol of the hour. The State commands was as
| despotlc a formula as The King commands ana
| the voters personal judgment, the very OASIS ana
litegvIng principle OF republics Was ogIiicL,un
between the dread of prescription ami the nllghtihg
mdew of the doctrine of supreme state allegiance;
Certain features of the struggle deserve SPECIAL
! explanation. The lrrepresslble conflict between
! North and South. between freedom and slavery
| was not confined to the two ST les OF Mason ann
| DIXous line II found certain expression even I'D
the Cotton states themSe YES. Most OF these Slacs
| embrace territory OF radically different GuailN:
Their southern and coast front IS broad ncit o
sea-slands marshes, river SwampS. ana low aiuNIa!
| lands exceedingly unhealthy from malaIiaI eNerS
IN the hot seasOh bnt OF unSurPaS>eH ier'lItN, anu
possessing the picturesque aspects OF an eXuherant
hal-trOplcal vegetation ms Is Tue region GA llc
great cotton rice and sugar plantations NiCn Hdfc
| made the South rich and famous mere tur ~
Glars and Lcgrees of real life counted Their slaves
by hundreds and aspired to syb9Titc lives III ample
| hGsnitable mansions surrounded by magnificent
| and venerable live-oak ana magnolia groves
| avenues of stately palms princely gardens OF ma
| tive and exotic bloom, and iilImlta3lc heoEe llheS
! nj the Cherokee rose a swarm hOuse-s"rvants
| TO minister to pandered Incidence ana usPchNt, Il
lavish hospitality; troop OF heid-hands 10 NJ me
| cotton rice or sugar houses: blending OF Area
| dian simplicity and feudal pretenSIup every plan
tation with its ndulgent master It's eNactihg over
! sees: its submissive slaves. These were the Il3niS
of the picturc: ADLER pens have painted the horrible
| background of bloody slaVe-whps nafoaiou9 s'tNc-
| codes degrading slave auctions yellow fever
| cypress swamps the bloodhound nunt, and the ever
! present dread of scTvie instruction. FROM suGh
surroundings came the morbid dreams OF an uhhoy
| league between perpetual bondage and free trade
! which should rear gigantic save empire pGIule
which the intellect. the power the splendor anu tne
government of all preceding ages ana nations shOuu
Tho northern half of the Cotton States was very
different: here were thin sandy u glands OF meagre
pruductiveuess; mouOtonOus forests OF PINE. ana
Scruboak running again INTO the more varied and
romantic scenery of the suhSldng spurs Ci the Ale
phanes: blue cragS bright streams shining wafer
falls and the changing, declduous tonnage ni the
North. Great slave plantations cou.a hOt HouIlHH
here: white population prcdOmnated; alrclltuIe
was varied; the husbandman had 'lerner
struggle with nature; ana communities were
burdeued wi h all the economic and social Cetri-
ments of the slave system having none Of us
A dense slave population and ultra secessic nism
were therefore the rule ~ the southern and white
maOrties and Union feeling IN the northern as
trlcts of the Cotton States. Therefore, also poiit-
cal power lay IN the slave region, which again was
aiiad ia the commercial interests clustering about
southern seaports. All the leverage was ID the
hands of treasOn-oiiccS. Ostiaclsm. advantage IN
representation commercial ambition. party ascen-
dancy. The wonder *, not that secession ~nr-
ceeded in the struggle. but th9t mere was any
serious contest at all With all this there Is strong
ground for belief that Instruction gained rs ends
at last only through chcane' deceit ana Haua.
Not single Cotton state but Texas dared 10 submit
| its Ordinance OF Secession to direct vote OF the
| people.
The development of the plot in State after State,
the formation of the Coniederacy, the extraordinary
proceedings of The cOnSpirators in Washington, and
| the behvor of President Observation-Disclosures If il
| had not been so disgracelul-are treated N few
| animated pages. The fourth chapter brings Mr.
Lincoln upon the scene, and he is thus IN reduced
| Could the quick intelligence of the American
penpe be otherwise than intensely curious 10 be-
| hold this remarkable man. whose strange career
| they had heard outlined in the recent election
speeches HIS obscure birth in the deep ~ccTslon
| OF the Kentucky forests how he read Mccmss Life
| of Washington by the pickering freight ~ an
| humble pioneer cabin in Indiana how, a. tail
emigrant boy, he split rails to fence hs fathers
clearing in Illinois; how, launching III. solitary
! canoe on the Sangamon he sought III, own fortune
| becoming llatb0atman, postmaster, deputy county
surveyor, and captain OF volun GERS IN the BACK
! Hawk Indian War; how. commencing with
borrowed Blackstone, he argued cases before neigh
| borhood jures, followed itnerant circuit couri
! from county TO county, and gradually became the
| first LAWYER his State; how IN primitive com.
munity. where politics dealt with every Office from
postmaster to President he rose IN pubic service
from Representative IN the Nandala Legislature to
! Presldent.clcct of thc Nation
The people had also heard how this elevation was
tired by the tombstone of slccpless rivalry OF nm
scrupulOus criticism OF mighty political conflict
| of party and OF principle. HOW in lhG momehIous
| slavery discussion OF the day. he was the champion
| who had overcome Douglas, the hitherto victorious
Philistine OF the kansasNcbraska bill; ms match
less definition of the political injustice OF slavery,
applicable 70 all nations and ages: "Wnen the
| white man governs himself, that Is scli-goycrn-
| ment : but when he governs himself and also gov
! ems another man. that is more than selt-govcrn-
nent-that is despotism'; his luefutable state
ment of the natural right of every man to eat the
! bread without leave of anybody else, which his
| own hand earns ~; his prophetic craftsmanship IN
! declaring that the Union cannot permanently
endure half slave and half free, four months before
| VIM II. Seward proclaimed the "lreprcNsiDle
| conflict"
ard stump speakers had told the country. TIE
| mainder which his intimate Illinois ncghbors
| could have related, the people hall OWNED from
what they heard. That he had risen from Obscurity
to fame from ignorance TO elOquencc, from want to
Tulershlp, uncontamlnUted by vice, indebted by