Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-04

/ laws when cpDtrol the deFcippnont huu
conduct OF society than f. positively known
now, before confident and authoritative con-
domination may be- pronounced Of tho people
Of eleven states Tor their EFFORT 20 nbnogaic
existing political relations with other states
their equals only, not their superiors 10 rights
aud authority aud 20 establish new relations
among Themselves The fncts which con-
stltuto plain and perfect plea IN bar ~ all
charge OF treason and every ascripiion *
! tochnlcai wrong-doing are familiar, bat loso
nothing Of their force Ny frequent recital
] No denunclation Of secession, however lndlEs
nant and sincere, can efface the Historical
! truth that the states which attempted ~,
were distinct, organized political communi.
ties Independent except In 40 far a. tboy had
themselves limited their independence by
! thoinstruTnont which leagued them together.
That they had always claimed to DC sovereign
after the msthcr states had renowned ale
glance to Great Britain. That the bond and
obligation uniting them had beer voluntary
assumed, tho original communities each
separately, and as q sovereign party, ratify-
! ing tho articles OF agreement, ana those ~
later birth having been admitted Into tho
federation on terms Of perfect equality with
the rest and from the moment OF Union Un-
IN the date OF attempted separation, they had
claimed that what had been done voluntarily
| could be undon0; that relations not con.
strained but adopted OF choice could not be
Justly maintained by compulsion. There Is
neither justice nor reason IN judging these
men by the rules which ordinarily might
properly DO applied to the conduct OF indlvid-
unls Engaged in revolt against constituted
| a. .YI,.
| or band Of individuals with treason, and
quite another thing to "draw another indlct'
ment against q whole people" Concodlng
! 20 the men who fought for the Union and ito
wealth OF political benoit every exalted aud
heroic aspiration claimed for them, and do
yoton to an idea on which depends the
| largest fruitlon of American hope and hnppi-
ness. / yet assert that those who drew the
sword to maintain the rights OF the states,
were contending, also, for principle without
which the constitutional LIMITATIONS, In
which we recognize the best defenses OF
| liberty, would be destroyed, and the Union
itself would fail OF It's purpose and promise.
! Deny them who VIII, cause for war, ia that
they were not already smarting under CON
summatod wrong, or burdencd with opprcs.
sion which had reached fun shape and stature
but that they we're urged by an apprehension
only. say that the tyranny which in the
ruder ages Of mankind, and In the carllcrhis-
tory OF our own race has driven mon to re-
sistence induced revolt, was lacking hero.
/ BE IL so. Nevertheless mon who had been
trained from infancy in the faith held by
three generations OF ancestors, that the duty
| and allegiance they owed their states was
! paramount, that such claim was frst and
that authority indisputable, can not be light
! ~ censured because they rushed to arms In
| vindicatlOn OF q conviction bred In their
hearts and hereditary In their blood, nm Idea
taught them as n principle by which their
| whole political conduct should be ruled, and
1t essential, II they are TO be rightly Judged,
that the events which Immediately induced
their action be regarded In the light OF opln-
| ions which prevailed then, not by the stand
ard which may be erected now. Those men
realized that institution peculiarly their
own, part OF their social fabric and the pro-
tcctection Of which, whether good or bad nc
cordng to the canons OF abstract morality,
was to them matior OF vital imperative
necessity institutions recognized and guar
anteed immunity by the very instrument
and compact from which the general govern.
They saw these institutions threatened. Not
about to fall before the peaceable and legti
mate forces OF public opinion cxerted through
constitutional methods, but menaced with
unconstitutional attack by a political party
which had become possessed OF the national
administration, and was dominant In all Of
| the moro populOus states o; the north. They
heard earnest and frequent declarations that
| Ii.
rights acknowledged and pledged protection
/ by tho constitution which made tho union
! possible, were Incompatible with the best
developments of American civilization under
that union, and that the pledges the const-
tuition had given, "higher law" could and
would absolve. 1t Is not at all necessary that
we should In any manner justify the institu-
! tlon OF slavery in order to mako out oar case.
! Admitting that slavery was q thing which
could not In itself, be defended aud that II
ought not to exist that 1t was not In accord
! with the spirit OF the age, and thatits eXtinc.
! ton by some process was but matter Of
time, tail this we 10 Gdniitl stll we may re-.
| peat and insist not as an historical gibc, not
! In any spirit OF the WgHoVfe argument, but
as II fact which mast and should have rs
| logical Importance In this debate, that the
/ people Of the South were not responsible FOR
| tho existence Of negro slavery, and yet have
been made to bear all the oiiHm ana penal.
| tics Of its accused cstutli.nmlnt. It's exist
ence among them was accidental; 1t had
come down to them from other hands and
former generations. The English guya sla-
I very 10 the American coloastS, and the pew
/ pie often Northern aud Eastern states, whoa
slavery became Improbable, abolished It Tor
/ themselves, and sold their negroes 80 the cot
I ton and tobacco planting populations Of the
| south. This uudeuith!c fact, merely 10 would
sccrl because OF the frequency Of It's rrpcil-
| ton, f. now refused is proper value in the
/ h.stnrp OF It's controversy. Eat 20 n fair nm
Gcrstoud.n- 81 the attitude and rights % ti"
. parties e.. that controversy AID proper este
mate oi their guilt or Innocence, 70 Is of Inn
. uorrmcc Because slavery had previously
/ been permitted ana c5uatolguccd in the
/ north. did not, Of conr,c, make the practice
morally right IN the south. But the effect W
rcmJnstruncc truh sch source VAS In
ucus.ly impaired; aud Tie fact that New
. England hl2 roc',,'tl Southern cash Dor her
slave property, nude her Geugnriatluu OF
( slavery altogether futile and doUrly cXa,pcr.