Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-13

fered from many men in the South.
who seemed to think that the
war and its causes and consequences
should not be discussed except about
the fireside and then only IN ''bated
BREATH lest we should be charged with
plotting treason. 1t is true much foolish
talk has at times been INDUCED in by South
ern men. whose zeal Outran their ludg-
ment. But at the same time much
conservative and enlightened discussion
of the origin and purposes of the war have
marked these reunions serving the impor-
tant purpose of placing the South and her
leaders in proper light before the world,
and giving to history truthful details of our
struggle and the motives OF our people III
bringing on the contest.
do not concur in the statement so COM
monty made that the war was fought for
slavery. The South has ever been Jealous of
any effort upon the part of the Federal GOV
eminent to make aggressions upon the
rights of the states and on the institutions
which belong exclusively to the states.
Now, the fact that 4 great political party
had been organized in one section of the
country on the single idea and for the single
purpose of CONFUSING the destruction of
enc of the principal institutions of the states
of another section of the Union, and that
this party had elected its president, were cal
culated to alarm a people who had been
taught to believe that the liberties of the DeO-
pie depended upon the preservation of the in
tegrIty of the states under the constitution.
Slavery was the particular local institution
against which this party directed its at
tacks, and its leaders declared that the con-
stitution, and indeed the entire frame
work of constitutional government, should
be deStoyed If it stood III their way. If this
party was willing to destroy the states
to accomplish the destruction of one of their
local institutions, and seemed able and de-
termiued 10 do so, then there was nothing
else the South could do but stand on that
inherent right which belongs to every peo-
pie and engage i'll revolution for the pur-
pose of securing their liberties which We're
about 10 be destroyed by the government.
The attack upon slavery meant an attack
upon the states; the attack upon
the states meant an attack upon
and it was TO repel the attack upon the
states and their institutions, and the liber-
ties of the people of the states, that the
South made war. She need not have gone
out of the Union to preserve slavery. 1t
was provided for and protected by the con-
stitution of the United States; but tine
avowed purpose OF the dominant party to
subvert that constitution was what alarmed
the people of the South and provoked the
war.
1t may be said that the action of the Re
publican party and the declaration of its
leaders did not afford sufficient ground for
the revolutionary action of the South. But
that statement, which implies that the
South fought on the first appearance of
danger. shows the intense devotion of her
people to constitutional government, and is
I tribute to their patriotism and their
courage.
For one, did not believe that the neces-
sity for war existed, and hence opposed Sc
cession with all the strength and zeal |
4
held the other view, and | did not hesitate
moment TO my duty
l went with my people, tried to do my
duty and am proud of my record in the Con
federate army. If were ashamed of my
own course | would be ashamed of the cour-
age and endurance and patriotism of the
brave men who fought under the same flag
and fought as ! did for what they deemed
the right.
To say that the people of the South,were
disloyal to free government and were will
ing to destroy constitutional liberty to Sc
cure slavery is an outrageous SANDER upon
their intelligence and their patriotism.
The constitution of the Confederate
states was modelled after that of the United
States, and where changes were made, they
were always in the interest of the people
enlarging their liberties and imposing
limitations on the national authority.
1t, in plain language, defined
the power OF congreSS-left nothing to
implication and construction. 1t provided
for the election of president every six
years and that he should be ineligible to a
second term. It gave congress authority to
grant cabinet officers the right to a seat in
either house of congress, with the privilege
OF discussing measures appertalnlng to his
department. IL gave the president authority
to approve any portion of any appropriation
bill and disapprove other portions. 1t pro-
.1.IT So, L.
hibited congress from appropriating money
for internal improvements, and provided
for the payment for such Improvements
by duties on the navigation facil-
cilitated by such Improvements, thus
making the Deneticiaries pay for river
and harbor improvements, instead of taxing
the whole people in the interest of particu-
lar localities. 1t required that all acts of
congress shall include but one subject, and
that should be expressed in the caption
All these things tend to show that
the people of the South were de-
voted to the form of government
devised by the rebels of 1716, and they in
forming a new government sought to make
a constitution so plain and so simple-to
mark the line between Federal and state
authority so distinctly-that there could be
no controversy over the questions which
had fatally divided the country.
Mayor Smith followed Col. kilgore. At
ter welcoming the eX-ConfederateS to the
city and assuring them that everything pos
sible would be done for their comfort, he
said that it was his opinion that these &C.
casions in the lives of the old Confederate
veterans should not be given over to speech
making, but rather should be spent in social
intercourse and relating pleasant reminis-
cences and stories. He said
that the failure of the cause of the
Southern people was the greatest calamity
that ever befell the inhabitants of any
country in the direful damage that it
worked to life and property, and that he
felt it was Improbable to talk over the sad
affairs of the history of the five-years' war;
that he fought for the cause but was to-
day loyal citizen of the United States,
and proposed always to be so long as the
government lasted. After again welcoming
the visitors Mayor Smith closed his re-
marks.
Col. Morgan of Johnson county was
called for and was introduced by the chair
man. Col. Morgan said that he could con-
ceive of no higher honor than to be called
upon by his fellow-citizens to address them
upon any occasion, but that the highest
honor which could be paid him was that of
Bars-an invitation for him to compare
the notes of the past and present.
He was proud of the part he played in the
struggle-proud that he was in the ranks OF
the Confederacy at the beginning and
prouder still that he was there at the close |
of hostilities. He challenged any one 10
show in history parallel to the matchless
military achievement OF the Southerners;
- - IL