Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-24

the Union, in the exercise of this
right, 10y her ratification Of the
Constitution delegated the powers
therein gwen to the Federal gov
ernment, and accedcd to the Union,
80 may she IN the exercise Of the
same right, by repeating that rati-
ficatiOn, withdraw the delegated
powers, and secede from the Union.
The act of ratification by the
State is the law which makes the
Union for it, and the act of repeal
of that ratification is the law which
dissolves it.
1t appears then from this view of
the origin and character Of the
American Union, that when the
Southern States, deeming the con.
stitutional compact broken, and
their own safety and happiness in
imminent danger IN the Union,
withdrew therefrom and organized
their new Confederacy, they but
asserted in the language Of Mr..
Davis, "the rights of their sires,
won in the war of the revolution,
the State sovereignty, freedom and
independence which were left to
us as an inheritance to their pos
terity forever" and it was in de.
fence of this high and sacred cause
that the Confederate soldiers sacri.
feed their lives.
There was no need for war. The
action Of the Southern States
was legal and constitutional, and
history will attest that it was re.
luctantly taken in the last eXtrem-
ity, in the hope Of thereby saving
their whole constitutional rights
and liberties from destruction by
Northern aggression, which had
just eliminated in triumph at the
presidential election, by the union
of the North as a section against
the South. But the North, left in
possession Of the old government
of the Union, flushed with power,
and angry lest its destined prey
should escape, found a ready pre-
text for war.
Immediately upon secession, by
force of the act itself, the jurisdic-
tion of the seeding States respec.
lively, over the forts, arsenals, and
dockyards within their limits, which
they had before ceded to the
Federal government for federal
purposes, reverted to and reinvest-
ed in them respectively. They
were Of course entitled to i'm.
mediate repossessiOn of these
places, essential to their defence in
the exercise of their reassumed
powers of war and peace, leaving
all questions Of mere property
value apart for separate adjust
ment.
In most cases the seeding States
repossessed themselves Of these
without difficulty but in some
the forces of the United States
still kept possession. Among these
last was Fort Sumter, in the harbor
of Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina in vain demanded
the peaceable possession of this for
tress, offering at the same time to ar
range for the value of the same as
property, and sert commissioners
to Washington, to treat with the
Federal government for the same,
as well as for the recognition OF
her independence. But all her
attempts to treat were repulsed or
evaded as likewise we're those sub
sequently made by the Confeder-
ate government.
Ofcourse the Confederacy could
not continue to allow a foreign pow
er to hold possession of a fortress
dominating the harbOr of her chief
Atlantic seaport; and the Federal
government having sent power
ful expedition with reinforcements
for Fort Sumter, the Confederate
government at last proceeded to
redSsS1t::" haa !.
The reduction, however, was a
bloodless affair; while the 9rrrhtur.
cd garrison received all the he anors
Of war. and were at once lssent
North, with every attention to tn cir
comfort, and without even theifN"
parole being taken.
But forthwith President Lincoln
at Washington issued his call for
militia to cOerce the seeding
States; the cry rang all over the
North that the flag had been fired
upon; and amidst the tempest of
passion which that cry everywhere
raised, the Northern militia respon-
iled with alacrity, tte South was in
vaded. and a war of sublugation,
destined to be the most gigantic
which the world has ever seen, was
begun by the Federal government
against the seeding States, in
complete and amazing disregard of
the foundation principle of its own
as affirmed in the Decla-
ration of Independence, that "gOv.
derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed"
and as established by the war Of
the erevolution for the people of the
Statesvespectively.
The So'th accepted tho contest
thus forced snon her with the eager
and resolute courage characteristic
of her prOudsplritea- -,,AA..lA. But
tba Federal government tbonoh