The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-06-13
G. n. Rosser's speech.

|
If the speech of Gen. L. il. Rosser, on /
,he occasion OF lite Confederate MemoS
-ial on thr Sth inst. VIII attract atteh
ton more from IL e inttmpeiate spirit
which , erva les it than for INV calm phil
Dsophie discussion of the question he
presents. Ii is 10 be regretted that such
time should be chos eli to give nterance TO
sectional fe-Iing ana pieJndlce. III Is APP
Oh such occasions To co i li JUS
tice TO The motives Of those who Tell III
the defence Of "A cause they bt heVto w
be ia t. Bravery in all ages anu N al
chimes comm 4Hds the admiration ara no
mage O. mahkin al d bravery was i.h-
tied To no lines and 10 organization our
ing II late war between the States. III
was out Of place for Gen. kosser to as
sail the motives of those who fought TO
preser> The Union. There was great
underlying principle involved III thae
struggle, which had engaged the atttntlo
of S a!esmen from the inception of our
government. The Constitution ltseil was
a compounds bet ween the interpretatl rs
of that principle by the North and SoGtn.
The Month Was educated III the views OF
Hamilton and Webster, that this WAS
n .ti1u with sovereign powers. with no
o her authority competent TO challenge 1t.
jefferson and Calhoun maintained mat
the Ssa rs were sovereign-that they ere
a.ed The Union and that the CT eature could
not be greater than the creator and that
the ST. 5 had tie right To judge OF any
intrac5'vu OF The compact OF union. and TO
| Withdraw IRON it if they deemed 1t light
| to d, su, The North commended for an
appeal To the Supreme Court DIS The linal
aruis- in disp !tes bel ween a State and the
| Federal owes unient-tha the sovereignty
of tie Stale as it related to such matters
WAS suIrenueied To the Federal govern
ment. rs constituted of the three depart
ments-the Executive. Legislative and
Judicial. The South maintained That The
State Itself, as sovereign power. was
vested with The exclusive right 10 judge
of any infrnctlnn of its relations to The
Federal power aud could appeal to such
rem dy as it might determlle, even to
Withdrawing from the Union.
THESE two luterpi etdt ,ns of the pur
pose and powers of the National govern
;nrut were the cause of bitter antagonism
and fierce political feeling. which agltated
the country for more than half century,
at tunes, until the final appeal TO arms Ill
1861. The one side for the lndlSSolubie
I'm on of the States and the other for the
rIyh. of tie State to dissolve that Union.
Ut,on these lines the conflict was waged,
There were many in the Southern army
who did not believe in the doctrine OF Sc
cession, and there were men IN the Unloll
army who did not subSe. ibr to the views
of Hamilton and Webster. They VT re
Influenced 10y association, in many ln-
stances. and domestic ties. But in either
Case it is unjust to charge the motive as
merce nary, aud The object pelf and pun
der.
judging from the views expressed by
Gen. Rnsspr. we conclude that he Was for
gettul of the Scarlet Letter" OF VIM. IL
Yance,, written i'll 1856. In that paper
he outlined the plan aud purpose of the
Colt III States. They were to secede and
establish IA Southern Confederacy which
; was 81 te protected by the border States
until such time as they might deem i
proper to unite with the Cohtederacy. ant
in that way consolidate the slayeh0ldlnl
States into a separate government. Me
; Yancey was the moving spirit in the PRO
gram of secession. lie traverSed TIL,
whole country pleading for the "Uniol
/. under the Constitution" with the inter
e probation he gave to that instru 'nent, ant
g his "Scarlet Letter" the key TO the pun
u pose.
o But fortunately the sentiment which
It found expression in Gen. ltosser's speech
i as well as that of Gen. Early, at Win
- chester. few days before, does not NEE
response from the great mass OF. tn
q people, no more than extreme sectloYH
e ut,erances from Northern speakers reflec
y the views of tho maj ,rty of Northern
= people.
T The issue in controversy was decided g.
u an appeal TO arms. The country has ac
cep'ei The verdict, and gond cilZehsiii
r and rational prosperity and progress de
Is mand that what was thus d+termine
IL should be permitted TO rest.