New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-29
HISTORICALLY INACCURATE.

Ii has so long been the CUSTOM to'ch du!
reference to the late unpleasantness between
the two sections of our common country in the
presence of our Southern brethren with u
"S-h-h. You will hurt somebody's feelings
that we venture with some hesitation to q'les-
ton the historic accuracy OF statement con-
corning the meaning of that unpleasantness
contained in letter from the present Gov
ernor of Virginia addressed to the managers
of the Home Rule demonstration at the Acad-
envy of Music last Sunday evening. 1t would
be bad form to say that Governor Mckinney
had been guilty of perversion of history in
the statement referred to, but we may at least
say without great improperly that either his
,nemcry is at fault or the sources OF his in
formation are not entirely trustworthy. In ex-
tending the assurances Of his heartfelt sym
patty with the cause of Home Rule for Ire
land, the Governor says the question " Is about
what the South has contended FOR in this co'in-
try fer nearly a century past; our question OF
States Rights and State Sovereignty arc most
nearly allied TO il in every respect. We OF the
South showed our love of liberty by pleading
in the forums until to continue to plead was
useless and by battling when no other resource
divine origin of the inherent right of the people
to rule, and all who are struggling for Home
Rule have, and will always have, the deep
sympathy of myself and my countrymen."
For some reason the portion OF the letter
containing this statement concerning the origin
and purposes of the late war was not read TO
the audience in the Academy; possibly be-
cause il might have been misunderstood. In
his comparison of the principle Of Home Rule
for Ireland with that OF Statos Rights and
State Sovereignty the Governor undoubtedly
intended 4 graceful compliment But when he
says it was love of liberty" for which the
men of the South were "plcading in the
forums" and that they continued TO plead for
it until it was useless, when they began
"battling' for it rs the only resource left them,
he is quite inexact. His memory must be fail
ing if he does not recall the circumstance that
it was love of slavery that inspired all their
pleading in the forums that il was to extend
slavery and not liberty that they fought four
years, and that their doctrine Of States Rights
and State Sovereignty had not been touched
nor endangered when they began battling
There were people in the South who were ami
mated by Glove OF liberty" but they showed
it by running away from that part of the coun
try, and what the gentlemen represented by
Governor Mckinney were pleading for was the
liberty 70 follow and bring them back and
compel them under stripes to work for moth
ing That also was the essence Of the doctrine
of States Rights and State Sovereignty for
which they rcsortcd TO battling the right of
some States to compel the citizens of other
States TO return the lovers of liberty to con-
dition of slavery.
1t must be, too, that when the Governor
speaks of the inherent right of the people to
rule" as being of "divinc origin he means the
right of some people to rule other people and
even to own them abSolutcly-body and soul.
For the main contention Of the South was al
ways that that Inherent right was of " divine
origin" We had supposed that the results of
the battling" had brought about change
of view in this regard. But II Governor Nc
Kinney truly represents his people we have
been under Misrepresentation. According to
him, the South has the same love Of liberty
and the same kind of liberty it pleaded for so
long and finally battled for unsuccessfully. We
need then some new definitions. Governor
Mckinney no doubt means well, but his memory
seems to he failing and his statements lack
accuracy.