New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-17
Ousy hurting back the charge that the South
ern States had been guilty OF treason or re-
belliOn, he thus EXPRESSED himself


beOn he thus expressed himself:
We live to-day under new and different ColSti
tuition. changed by the bloody arbitrament Of arms
ly the invrterae res adjudcafa Of When the
southern States renewed their allegiance TO tie Con
stltuiOn and rcenerrd the Union after The war they
tacltly accepted the construction enforced Nv Inc
vcios. and the right Of secession was uncohd'iloh-
ally surrendered IL II an express amendment hnu
been passed TO that effect. II any man should b'
rash enousI 10 claim that STATE had IN" r-ht TO
day 10 scccde from the Union at lis pleasure.
should be the first TO condemn him.
1t would be interesting to learn If the
South rs q whole indcrses these views; if the
South as a whole regard, the right OF secession
as having been Internationally S'ifrendeicl.
What gives point TO this observation Is the
fact that Southern newspapers and southern
orators take frequent occasion to insist rs
Judge Fcnner insists tina. the hight OF secession
existed IN 1861, but none OF them. so lar rs
we have Observed has further insisted, as he
insists. that the right was lost with the lost
cause. This i, not affirming that the news
papers and the orators OF the South are want
ing in hearty expressions Of allegiance to the
Union of to-day They are not generally open
to criticism on that score. But they fail to 20
70 the significant length to which this Louisiana
.Judpe-tbis old Confederate Soldicr-gOcs.
A body known as "Thc Historical Commit
tee Of the United Confederate Veterans was
lately in session in NewOrleans, cndeavorlnS
to formulate a plan whereby true and I'M
Partial history of the United States can be
written, one that will do full justice to the
Southern states" "The Ncw-OIcans Times
Democrat speaks of the proposed history IN
terms of the highest commendation rcmarkIng
that it will "tend to check the false stores
which are being sent out in so many Northern
books" Can this history be depended upon 10
convince those who read it that the surrender
at Appomattox was in effect the surrender AMI
extinction of the right of secession
The Grafton invites one other word. Primarily
il is defence of the right of secession mel
dentay only is it pledge of devotion to the
Union If it is well to forget the things which
are behind, and press moi backward but for
ward then the Judge might better have taken
the incident for his theme and made post
script ont Of his views touching secession. But
we are not disposed 10 he clptlous. Whatever
nav have been his attitude toward the UNI
pleaSantness, the fact of Importance Is that
to day he is one of the defenders OF the mon
who hold that the right OF secession no longer
exists. Ii is earnestly II be hoped that every
citizen of the New South i really of his way
CT thinkin in regard 10 this vital matter Of
general concern, and will make il clear that he
is as opportunity offers. For there is no shut
ting ones eyes t. the fact that there Is an I'M
preston abroad that the average Southerncr is
by no means as loyal to the Union As the aver
age Norihcincr. The sooner such IN i'm
preston is cradcatcd the better for the pros
poets Of the New South.