The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-01-29
SOUTHERN WAR sENTlMENT.
GOVERNOR HrAGRATH TO GOVERNOR
#... VANCE. ...

Dissoiving the Southexn Confsderaev-.
1he Carolinss and GeurKia In the Same
Boat. 4 Wv" "'''A-'
tSpecsa Dispatch to tho Neto York Herald. I
WARRINGTON, January II, 1885,
Inc letter of General Sherman, about
which there was squabble in the
senate the other day, has led to the
looking up of other war correspond
ence than that to which he referred,
andSthe following letter of Governor
>.IMagrath,' of South Carolina, to Gov
=. ernor Vance, of North Carolina, has
suiiicient interest to be printed. go"
The conventions alluded to in the
letter were State Conventions, which
IL had been proposed to call on several
OF the Southern States to assert their
State independence of the Confederate
government, which it was thought had
oVorridden and trampled upon State
sovereignty. The letter is curious rs
showing TO how great n degree, even
under the extreme pressure of war,
many Of the Confederate leaders re-
NAMED merely political philosophers
and were incapable of political states.
manship. jeff. DAVIS and those who
ruled with him at Richmond were
undoubtedly practical men and saw
that war meant war and necessitated
the use of all the forces attainablc.
under o single head; but Governor
Magratl1s queer notion seems to have
6ecn that consistency in doctrine is
better than success in the single object
desired, and that success was, in fact.
imperrilled by the union of forces. and
might have been attained by each State
acting for itself.
such men as Governor Magrath had
80 stepped their minds in the queer
and anarchical doctrine of State indie
pendenco that they could see nothing
cise.s Ihey were as ready to sccede
from the Confederacy as they had been
10 eeccde from the Union, and ho
would no doubt have acknowledged
the II ght of county of South Caro-
INA to secede from the State and set
up Independently. Southern men of
pfaclical minds reading such letter
as this OF Governor Magrath's must
now smile to think what absurdities
ana anarchy they escaped when tho
RUE OF this extraordinary sect of politi-
cal philosophers were overthrown. If
they will compare the actions of the
Federal and the Confederate Govern
ments during the war they will see
also that the real and important rights
OF the Northern States were much less
invaded and much more carefully re-
garded than those Of the Southern
states by the Davis Government, and
that the vitally important principle of
sell.&oVernment was held more sacred
ana preserved with far greater care in
the North than in the South during the
war. That is the undoubted truth.
IL WAS only after the war and when so
many Republican leaders had become
Intoxicated with their success and cor
rnpted by their secret and illegal gains.
thnt they violated that policy in the
Southern States. Governor Maurath's
letter is very curious document:
GOVERNOR MAGRATH TO GOVERNOR
VANCE.
STATE OF South CAROLINA.
EXECUTIVE DEpARTM'T, Jan. 26, 1865.
GovERNoR: At my return from
Chareston Col. Mullins gave me your
!cttcr. L am at once gratified and
honorcd with your concurrence in the
suggestions ventured to make to YOU.
Confirmed. In my purposes by your
approval, am preparing and will dis
patch without delay to the Governors
of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
similar suggestions to those which
were addressed to you, and supported,
as they will be, by your endorsement.
l have 10 doubt of speedily securing
that united and concerted action which
l hope and believe will accomplish all
that we desire. At the earliest mo-
lnent and in anticipation of responses
from the Governors Of the States |
have named, will prepare and submit
to you tho draft of such q paper rs
think calculated fifty to express the
opinions we have formed. | have
written to Governor Brown in ac-
acknowledgement of his reply to me and
also the Hon. A. II. Stephens; to the
latter addressing myself particularly
TO the consideration Of the great dan
ger of calling the people Of Georgia
into convention, assuring him of my
nope and belief that without incurring
the great dangers involved in the call
for convention, all that we desire to
secure can be accomplished without it,
anu most strongly urging him to use
the authority of his name and the in
fuence of his position against that
proposition. 1t is to me o proposition
OF incontestable correctness that the
SsSot oouiCC VI Cnc cVllS unucr Which
we labor is to be traced TO the depen-
dent position which the State Govern
ments have been content to assume in
the progress of war which, in its
large proportion, has called forth the
exercise Of those powers which were
reserved to the States, but which Con-
gress has attempted to use, and i'm that
attempt the State Governments from
patriotic, but as events have shown
not wise; motives have acquiesed.
Starting from principles directly an
tagonistic, the Government of the
United States and the Government Of
the Confederate States have practically
arrived in the matters of administra-
tion at the same result. In both the
suggestions OF convenience have been
regarded as the sanction sufficient for
any conduct they might adopt. And
the most ill.omened cry throughout the
Confederacy is the one 80 frequently
heard, that the force of the law is sus-
pended, and the pressure of the war