The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-24
DEFLsN OF VANCEs q
LECTURE EsuSrON.
Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore Sun
Gen. McCleien, in a recently pub
lished posthuUOus work, expresses
the opinion that the war vas prose
Gated by Stanton and otae7 lel1e
at Wsshington in the interest of
particular political party. The war
itself, with the reconstruction policy
that followed, was directed prac;i~
cally, if not openly, to the establish
ment OF Republican supremacy. Its
history has been written, Mr.. Vance
compl aims, on the assumption that
the exigancies OF a party were those
Of The Union itself, and that party
tricks must be accepted as honest
representations inspired by the pur~
est potriotism. He gives special at
tention to the attempt on tho part Of
Northern writer's in dealing with tie
civil war to fore,tall history, and tn
impress upon all who took part in it
on the Southern side the stigma of
treason. The term ''rebelliOo," still
used by some persons to designate
the war between the States. shows
what confusion of ideas has thus been
produced. "AlI crime,' says Sena~
tor Vance, lis 20 be found in crimi~
nal intent. and no Southern man be
lived he wss engaged in rebellion or
treason.' On The contrary. the South
ern people, in common with leaders
Of opinion North and South. believed
;hat secession w4S constit utional aud
right. 1T was the universal undcr>
standing" says Mr.. Vance. '-when the
constitution was adopted, that when
a State deemed herself injured She
hal the right to Withdraw The
Madison resolutions OF 79S asserted
this right aud it was reasserted
81 Massachusetts in 1903, when,
upon the annexation Of Louisiana.
that State threatened to act upon it,
massachusetts, agaiu. several years
later, asserted the right Ct secession
at the Hartford co.veDtion. But
the doctrine bee W, n I'll uni
versal when the resolutions Of 110S
were incorporated IN the political
! platform Of the Democratic paItr
and were again and again enunerat-
ed among its principles bg EatiouAl
conventions and hy tie candidates
who we're elevated to the Pre- sidency
by the votes of majority Of tbs
American people. The Southern
people considered the doctrine es'
tabliske and no court has ever de-
ciled that secession was treason
.There could have heen no crimina
intention,' said. tie lecturer, "be'
cause there was no criminal know
ilelye.n 1t IS therefore unfair ant
untruthful, Mr.. Vance contends, t
continue so speak of secession a.
treason ''the question was neve
'ecided until it was decided by tn
war; A like error is Involved, i
; was held, in the common assertion
; that slavery was the cause Of 'h'
war of which it was on the oc
casSion. the real cause being the at
tempt Of the feieral government t.
con troll the internal affairs of til
States Failure to resist interference
with Slavery would have pieclud
.d resistance to anything else what
ever, !husmak;ng an end OF State eo'
.r.:iynty. A. for the sin OF SLAYER.
Itself. it is equally divided, Mr.
Vance main aims, between tue No t
tni South. Rhode Island and Ma:
sachu5ett5 sent ships TO Atrlc;9
|
.xchange New Enyland RAN tu
slaves, and disposed of thelf pu'
chases a5 home and in the Soutu
~ hen the Northern States," sal
the lecturer, ''.Ound their ciimat
unsuited to slaves they sold them
The Southern States, quit the bus
ness and turned phllantnropists.
The Soathern States were not les
forward than the North in bringin
:, about the suspension of the s!a1
trade, $50 that on both subject
secession AMI slavery, New Ene
: land is not in a condition to thro
;. stones at anybody else."