The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-21

COL A. K. MCCLURE delivered the annual
address before the Washington and Lee Uni
versity, Virginia, in which ne discussed some
Of the problems Of government in relation to
the war and the reconstructed Constitution
The address has attracted the attention of the
Charleston News and Courier, the ablest po-
litical paper in the South, and the best expo
nent of the real feeling of Southern statesmen
and publicists. We make few extracts from
lengthy editorial, giving them without COM
ment, for we wish our readers to see, just as
they are, the sentiments of the South as
given in this representative newspaper. They
, will afford occasion for comment hereafter.
Says the News and Courier:
ut is pleasant to see that Colonel Mcclure
admits frankly that slavery was not the
source of the war, and that our civil war is
enormously accepted by the multitude as a
war caused by slavery, and waged solely for
the maintenance or destruction OF slavery
This is an eternal truth, which is not compre-
| hended by some of our people. The war was
| caused in the view of Colonel Mcclure, by
| the conflict between the theories of Washing
| ton and jefferson, or, between the idea OF cen
I tralzation and naturalization and that of q
! strict construction of the Constitution, in.
| volving tho constant assertion of the reserved
rights of the States. It were much more
| simple to say-and this is the truth-that the
war was caused by the notification Of
constitutional provisions and require
ments, by the Northern and Western
| States The Southern States withdrew from
the Union because they found, by sad expert
ence, that the Constitution afforded them nc
protection as against the fanatics of the North
| The organic law was asserted and enforced
when it could be made the means Of injuring
! the South, but it was dead letter when the
| Southern States and Southern institutions
needed protection. When the more perfect
union failed to insure domestic tranquility,
to promote the general welfare, and to secure
| the blessings of liberty to themselves and
their posterity, the Southern States withdrew
| from the confederation which they had
formed. THE UNION OF STATES CONTINUES,
IT is TRUE: BUT 1T CONTINUES AS THE GREAT
URE OF FORCE, NOT CONSENT; OF CONQUEST,
NOT EQUALITY. This is the result Of the
civil war"
The emphasis placed upon these words is
ours. The News and Courier continues:
Without the recognition of slave property
| there would nave been no UnlCeQ states, ana
had it been asserted that the constitutions
compact Of 1887 was to be indissoluble and
| irrevocable it would never have been formed.
| THE SOUTHERN STATES WERE FAITHFUL TIC
| THE CONSTITUTION FROM THE BEGINNING
| THE NORTHERN STATES DERIDED 1T, MOCKEI
AT 1T AND NULLIFIED IT."
Again our emphasis. The article then
proceeds:
'"There is no sovereignty in the American
people anywhere, except as the people speak
and act through the States of which they are
citizens The will of the people is the supreme
law, but that will is expressed, and can only
be expressed, through the means provided by
the States. The people of the several. States
constitute those sovereign States; and the
States are the people thereof. To say that
there is absolute sovereignty in the people is
only to say that the voice of the State is SUI
preme, for that is the voice of the people OF
the United States
s'There is no such thing as nationality as
apart from the action and voice of the States.
Their action and their voice is the only ma
tional expression that we can have, for with
out the States there are no States united, no
| United States. Without the States there is
no Congress, no federal judiciary, no Presi
dent. Take away the States and nothing is
left. So falls to the ground the vicious idea
of some intangible and irresponsible national
authority which is independent of, and separ-
ate from, the power given to the general gov
eminent, as their agent, by the States Of the
| Union"