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

would attack and destroy iiss property
everywhere. 10 tha Southern people this
meant social and financial disaster little
short ~ absolute fuia. nod degradation, 10 a
hiab.splriled pepp'e. aimoat ~ hitler. u
| there then clear reasam either ~ wnnder ~
censure, that when they cav enc eon#iius
,ionai compact. aecof1ibg 30 ferna ~ which
this property was ~ BE- ruspHeiod, about ~ b.
violated in this rfannl, ihe pc0ria ~ ihe
South should wish End Meg ~ falolnd the
compact entirely. 30 people w0Bld esieem
such treatment usi, Or feel That they should
submit % &c. The ssgth snsriei undor IN
Jury and Insult both. ebvs tbose who had
unloaded slavery on them, proposed tbat
they should suffer serious punishment ~ the
STA Of generations.
Reformation n tbls great owl, a. some time
nnd IN some way, vas necessary md ineyita'
bic. Bat the Efforts Of q rcfufmar who Inns
once held stolen property and hassoidi, will
xOt be kindly appreciated by hla voudec'
/ nor got fair argument that men must always
| discern aud act ~ b. Ihe best ethics NJ then
| age, at Whatever cost, I'D that They shall hot
defend proprietary rights, recognized aud
guaranteed by Inv, wien q newer md stdcter
morality or more advanced tncvyy Of social
! science mny pronounce against them. The
| time may come when the civilized warld will
declare that individuals shall not DO per.
mittoG absolute title ~ land. y le E5t Inn
possible that the majority Of mankind may
some dny conclude that MI property Il rob.
berry" hut the accusation that people hfe
| criminal because they assstt claims, proyi.
ously recognized M rights, ard def"ud prop
crly, legally acquired viii be made only Wy
| those stricken b. judicial blindness
| Comparison has sometimes been instituted
between the Southern effort f1r separate po-
| litl.al existence and tlinstruggle Of the Amer.
lean colonies for independence. I do not
think that It does us injury, flour rovoIu'
! tionary fathers, never questioning the su-
premaoy Of The Crown and tho mother coun.
! try right 20 rule, could refuse obedience ~
her authority, becapse Of The doubtful csnsti.
nationality Of lts exercise, and dcfcrye up.
plause for such resistance lftaxstiob without
repres uiation be Just cause for revolt against
an admitted soyereigniy-ihe most confident
censor may hesitate TO condrinn mon wto
invoked a sovereignty, they hr1 always held
supreme, ~ defense against sweeping cUnhs.
cation. our fathers fought because their pro-
per,y was 20 be subjected 30 nm ASSORTMENT.
! technically at least, AUTHORIZED by law. The
| Southern states sought protection In new
Confcderacy, because totni destruction of
| certain property, which the Instrument NJ
association and compact had declared invlo.
| late, was threatened. The Idea on which we
based our nctloB Is rs Ineligible a. That which
| impelled our fathers to Grmcd resistance. II
! n was the patriotic duty OF Americans 20 con-
! front the British troops brought Into the
colonies 10 compel obedience to The Kings
authority, and they would have been recrcnnt
had they not fought against the British hng
at bunker fIlil and Lexington, shall southern
men. living or dead. be adludged traitors he
cause they stood In open and manly battle
against the armies which invaded their native
soil and coerea the states 81 which they were
children and citizens.
But | mean not 10 pursue discussion,
which, save IL the interest nllusiUn 10 the
questions involved Il stale md Improbable.
The real argument IL over now. The people
of the south have answered for their action
to the men Of their own generation, ard they
are ready to answer 10 the bar ~ history.
who viii deny that they were .incote who
can even declare them 10 have boon mis-.
always discern In the mighty procession Of
the ages. where men have resolved Alright and
when they have been ..istakeu; o. docs that
infallIble Judgment belong alone to the Diety
who dir, cts all that W. do IN furthcranco ot
Of his inscrutnbIe endoP The world has wit.
messed more than one conflict, in which there
was so much Of good aud error on either side.
that even now "God ouly knows" which was
right.
hut In the light OF the present, and looking
back calmly at The past, We cnn feel aud say
that II Il better that the Union was preserved
end our country not divided. believe that
the terrible cxpericncers ~ That contest have
not been frultless ~ benefit and We will set
perceive more and more 81 good which they
have wrought. They have made tho prupie
OF this country less sectional and moro
/ American, and schnOled aud sicclod the ma
tioual character for trials yet 70 come
Progress Is but the sum Of human efforts,
achieving improvement from many starting
points, IN many directions, and with mnny
goals. The civilization It's product is, In largo
measures, compromise Many social end
political creeds have aided 90 produce H. In
the main all that hrs been true and useful
has been preserved, all that has boon false
0
nnd hurt.al has been discarded. Tho world
has had 20 contend with multitude of or
rors and yet It has struggled surely although
l slowly, away from that which WA hpd and
toward that which y better. History has
~ ny actl, pregnant with immense and benz
cticial consequences, which were dictated not
I by wisdom but by prejudice, sometimes self
| ish aud narrow, sometimes generous aud
/ heroic. Pat n" has studied history to little
I purpose, who hns not G.segrucd, that man
! kind however blinded by humellatd Inter
est, however, unjust In particular cases, has
failed. 81. the eansh rs!!.al w, 90 accept and
1 make permanent that which has been best
[ for It's welfare that which iN,s been fUuud 81
/ Ga the broadcast equity. Ia the long, strange
| story, unfolded age ~ rye the story % bat
, tie and contest going on ia every shape, in
every form Of thought Ia every arena Of
/ human action, We c,u sre Gre every c0utro-
I ytrsy twhen mon have contend "a for 81. rs
I aud cre1ls, and have not been urged merely
/ 10y srced and aIdbi. iu.Ii that earh dis1utaut
Z has had elimpses 81 the truth, gui mankind
I has gained, the foCe las gone forward, The
+ civilization attained has teen more couIre-
hcsive and bcnenelcut, when, hovcver aii-