Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-19

On State so repuGiating It's cond;t;,
The opposite principle that tho I'm, I'm.
was an indestructible constitutional 4toA
nation, incapable % dissolution - 'ji'
struction in any of its powers. and .,
the Government had innately the ,lal
10 use any agencies OF peace or warto w
serve ITS own eXlstence-was that Viii
the secession leaders rejected and denjaJ
As the Union grew IN territory. az t5,
people grew IN intelligence, and ID u.
public conscience became enlightened ~
conviction that human slavery w. ''5
great moral wrong came into posses
of the minds of the non-slaveholdino ~
pie OF the country But the system
lsted under State laws. and the perIicion.
principle of State rights became lis my.
powerful bulwark. This fact. in retTr,,
strengthened the political leaders az A..
slaveholdlng States In their adherepca a.
stat rights principles. which they 6p.n.
ATTEMPTED to enforce in action when Am.
ham Lincoln was elected as an anti-slsva,,
President They waged war against tb,
Union through four long and bloody wear.
and they We're conquered; their cause M.
destroyed and their slaves were liberated a.
the result The rebel States contained ID
100000 inhabitants. or one-third of the ar.
tire population. of the country at that time
In this war over 2, 200, 900 men were en.
gagged on the side of the Union, and abort
half that number constituted the rebeI
armies. who fought almost entirely ON MI
defensive, on inner lines and behind an.
trenchments. The deaths in the Union
army numbered about $40 900, those i'm The
,..l. 4 90, !. lRn
war to the nation was $1,000 100000 TIE
Confederate campaign cost g 900. COCOON
IN their currency; their losses in slave
property were S400,000,000 and their
other property losses were simply inestiD-
able. Thir territory and cities were made
homeless and penniless.
Jefferson Davis was president of the
rebel government, which he administered
as long as the confederacy existed. He
was the official representative and leader
of the greatest rebellion in history. In
his defeat a penicious principle in poIi-
ties, which mad been a menacing element
in the nation from the beginning wa,
destroyed. Slavery was abolished. The
cause of disloyalty and treason was hope.
lessly lost. The right and the duty OF the
government to enforce obedience on re-
cacitrant states were established. The
sublime principle Of an indestructible
union was placed ON an impregnable
foundation. The rebel president was made
a prisoner while attempting an ignoble
flight and escape; he was ironed and
placed in confinement and was two years
afterwards liberated on bail, wearing
these bonds of the law to the close Of his
life
A man who reached such an elevation
who guided, or misguided, the destinieso Of
so many men and of so great though so
wicked a cause-who experienced a disas-
ter and a downfall so complete, so utterly
beyond repair and so inglorious, can have
none other but a conspicuous place in his
tory His deluded followers his people
as they were called by him, and as they
called themselves, after his overthrow to
the last-will cherish his memory with
tenderness and reverence. But it is
weakness and a madness. BY the patriots
who love the Union, the flag and the laws
10y their posterity to the remotest time. by
impartial history when its Judgment shall
be made up, he will be execrated as the
cause and author Of a greater evil, of great
ar distress, of greater losses in life and
property than ever afflicted any other peo-
Pile. He fell from bad eminence, and in
his fall eternal justice and the ways of God
to man were yindicated