Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-08

The Union in 1861.

lAO C4AsCAA IL ACN~-
We have recently said several times that II
was owing TO unwise counsel that MIR. LIN
COLIN began the war upon the seeded States
in 1861; because the Union feeling was 30
strong even in those States which claimed
the right to sccede that II free institute ons
had been allowed TO vindicate themselves all
che States which had seceded before the call
upon Virginia aud other southern States for
troops to put down a "rebelion" would
soon have been coerced by public opinion to
return to The Union. We have also ex.
pressed the opinion that even so uninportant
n consideration % the need OF the excellent
mail facilities OF UNCLE SAM might have
caused the people Of the seeded States TO
desire 10 resume their places In the Union.
That is, OF course, II force bad not been
brought 10 bear upon them. Virginia was
Union state BY forty thousand majority on
the lst OF April, 1861. General JUBlL A.
EARLY declared near the end OF that month
that the nag which had been lowered al Fort
Sumter was the fsg OF his country. Ken
lucky, Tennessee. Missouri, Delaware, sud
MARYLAND would have ranged Themselves
side by side with the States OF The North.
Under such circumstances the seeded states
would have been as heples, in 1861 as Rhode
Island and North Carolina found themselves
10 be in 1TSS when they were still outside oil
abe same Upion.
It has afforded us much pleasure to read
report Of what has Just been sad on these
points by Colonel CHARLES MARSHALL, OF
Baltimore, who was q trusted member OF
General ROBERT L. LEES staff as long as he
had military stat. In that city few days
ago was celebrated the first anniversary OF the
Maryland Line Confederate soldiers Home
On the stage sat Mayor LATRoBE, Colonel
CHARLES MARSHALL. General NJ. c. BUTLER,
OF South Carolina; General JOSEPH +. JOINS
srOS, and others. Colonel WILLIAM Z. Z0L-
LTNGER presided snd General BRADLEY I.
JOHNSON introduced Colonel MARSHALL, who
made the opening address.
Colonel MARSHALL first complimented the
Federal soldiers and said that Maryland
generosity. like Maryland valor, belonged to
no one political party. lie added that even IL
be were disposed to say anything bitter OF
any part Of the country he could not do 1t
in the presence OF that awful sorrow that
has fallen upon a sister State aud caused
every American heart to bleed aud every
American hand to be stretched ont b aid
their stricken brethren. He then said
ave do not dispute the Judgment that
has been rendered against us. We recognize
its conclusiyeness as 10 every issue that was
submitted to the stern tribunal to which both
sides appealed"
"But what we do protest against and
what We can protest against without IN
curing lust suspicion OF being traitors. or
OF desiring to set aside the iudgmen. against
US, is the misstatement OF the record OF The
case: the misstatement OF the issues we made
with our late adversarles when we sub.
United our case TO the great sssize OF arms
alt Is demonstrable that the overthrow OF
slavery was but an incident OF the war, not
anticipated by either party perhaps at the be-
ginning, but brought about by the eXigen~
cies Of the struggle"
.'If we may put any faith in the decla-
ratons OF pubic men or representative
bodies, OF the statements OF Federal officials,
including Mr.. Lincein himself, war Tor the
overthrow Of slavery was not thought OF in
the outset nor would war ayowedly
waged for that purpose have received The
support Of any considerable part Of the
northern people, while it would unques-
tODabiy have made the southern people
unanimous In their resistance.
alt is equally untrue, n matter OF his
tory, that the war was undertaken on the
part Of the South for the purpose OF effect
Ing the disruption Of the Federal Union as
something TO be desired OF itself.
alt l. true that such was the object Of the
secession Of the cotton STATES, but DO not
think that the secession OF those states ADD
the formation OF the Montgomery Coniede'
rscv would have resulted In war; nor do l
believe that ConfederScy would have long
survived but for other reasons than the rea-
sons that brought 1t into existence"
Now let us hear Colonel MARSHALL, n high
military authority as we'll As accomplished
constitutional lawyer, as TO what would have
Resulted bad not war been made upon the
seeded states. lie said
"But the actual advantages which the
Montgomery Confederation beld out 10 the
people OF tho Ststes that con posed 1t COM
pared with the advantages they had enjoyed
under the Federal Union, and which that
UDiOn wSs capable Of procuring for them,
were not sufficient TO have sustained that
Coniederacy. Indeed II Is not easy TO see
what advantages the Montgomery Coniede-'
rscy offered 10 It's citizens al all.
"There are many wbe believed then that
those advantages we're not sufficient 10 have
cOunterbslanced the Inconvenience resulting
from the Withdrawal Of the mails, and that
II President Lincoln. instead OF making war,
bad stopped the mails IN the seeded States
that formed the Montgomery Confederscy,
Mr. Davis and the Montgomery Congress
would In few months have come back into
the Union TO get their letters and papers.
Certain II s., however, that the great mass OF
the people OF the slave States deliberately
and eIDDhaticaly refused 10 secede from the
Union before the proclamation OF April Is,
1861, and condemned the action Of the cotton
States"
Thousands and tens OF thousands OF lives
and millions and billions OF money were
worse tbsu wasted. II the good sense OF
the southern people bad been appealed TO,
and no armies had been raised to put down
"rebelion," the "rebellion would have
died al ignoble death In less than the four
years which ended In April, 1865.
IL any OF our northern contemporaries
suppose that Colonel MARSHALL enteriains
unkind feelings towards the people Of their
section, they Will be beiter Informed upon
reading the concluding paragraph OF his ad.
dress. lie said
I'VE can cherish the services OF those
who fought for this cause. aud place the
tribute OF our affection aud honor upon the
graves OF those who gave their lives for II,
without sbstiDg In the least our ddeiity TO
tbe principles for which our fathers contend
ed ia the war with King George, aud with.
out one feeling OF bitterness towards those
with whom we fought"
Who Are TRAITORS?