Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-09-11

servile instruction at the time of th,
John Brown raid. But the chief reaso,
was the danger to the rights Of the State
that the Southern people thought was t
be dreaded from the avowed principles o.
of the Republican party"
The Government is accused of double.
dealing, thus:
"Mr. Stewards reply, made through
Justice Campbell, was that he was in ia
vor of peace, and that Fort Sumter would
be evacuated in less than ten days, even
before letter could 60 from Washington
to Montgomery. He assured them notice
would be given of any design to alter the
status at Fort Pickens. in Florida.
Meanwhile, great activity prevailed
in the navy-yard at New York. Early
in April squadron Of seven ships, car
rying two hundred and eighty-ive guns
and two thousand four hundred men, was
fitted out at New York and at Norfolk,
Virginia. When the Commissioners
heard Of this they feared that this arma-
nent was designed for the relief Of Fort
Sumter. When Justice Campbell, at
their request, addressed letter 10 Mr..
Seward asking information on this point,
his reply was, Faith as to Sumter fully
kept wait and see.'
"At this very time the fleet was on
its way to reinforce the fort. Mr.. Sew
ard gave notice of this fact, not to the
Commissioners, but to Governor Pickens,
of South Carolina, saying that he in
tended to reinforce Fort Sumter-peace-
ably, if permitted cut forcibly, if neces-
sary. Soon after this Justice Campbell,
believing in the right Of the Southern
cause, resigned his seat on the Supreme
Court Bench"
Again read:
1.-The Northern States responded en-
Enthusiastically and promptly to Mr.. Lin
coins call. Men Of all parties rallied to
the support of the Government. The
most bitter Abolitionists were now zeal
Gus to maintain that very Union which
they once denounced as "a covenant with
death and an agreement with hell.
States-rights Democrats, who believed and
had always proclaimed the right Of Sc
ceSsion, sided with their section and
marched side by side with Republicans,
who claimed that the Union was superior
to the States, and denied the right of
any State to withdraw from the Union
for any cause whatever. All united in
declaring that the Confederate authori-
ties had, by firing on Sumter, brought
upon themselves the responsibility Of the
war.
The people of the South were ECU ally |
The Confederates main
tanned that the capture Of Fort Sumter
was merely an act of self-defense, and
that the Government of the United States
had begun the war by sending hostile
fleet with the avowed intention to rein.
force the fort at all hazards. They |
claimed that they stood upon the we'll
established principle that the aggressor
in q war is not the first who uses force,
but the first who renders force necessary
Just as the best men Of the North rallied
around the Federal Government, so the |
best men Of the South flew to arms in |
defense Of the sacred rights of the States
which they believed to be threatened with |
The most ardent union men
who had opposed secession to the very
last, believed it their duty to obey the
voice Of their respective States, and
ranged themselves with the most extreme |
under the banners of the
new Confederacy."
Such Is the character of this so-called
history. 1t is rank with manifest mis-
and secession doctrines
against the Union, often adroitly dis
guised with sufficient truth to make these
generic and alarming errors appear pl4us-
ible, especially to the young, and the
more so when accompanied with Confed-
crate explanations from prejudiced
teachers.
This work was published in 1882, by
Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. The
author is Joseph T. Derry. Professor of
Ancient and Modern Languages in Wes-
leyan Female College, Macon, Georgia.
Why does it appear at this time unless
it be fore the purpose Of perpetuating the
struggle through which the Nation has
passed, by sustaining the so-called right
of secession and notification Why
should that institution unite with Father
Ryan, the popular Jesuit, in efforts to
indoctrinate future generations in those
political errors which have disturbed the