Saint Mary's beacon., 1894-03-22
GENERAL JoHNsoN's vALEDIcToaY.
Why Earylanders Fought for the South.


AT the meeting of the 81. Mary's Ex
Confederate Association at Leonaadtown
Court Houve, Monday, March 10Th, 1894.
Gen. Bradley r. johnson delivered the
following address
The common right O T self.defeuce has
been the imminent ofEnglish liberty fer a
thousand years. Every mans house was
his castle, Lis rights were his own and no
man could interfere with them from king
to constable without warrant Of law.
When his person or property were tres
passed upon, his right was TO defend both
with rs much force as was necessary 10
protect them. Thus self-defence justified
the taking of life; therefore. when King
John usurped the right of making laws,
the Barons extorted from him at the swords
point the Great Charter. When Charles l.
levied taxes by his own will the Commons
resisted. unthroned and beheaded him
When Cromwell set up government un-
known TO the law the English overthrow il;
and when George III levied taxes on the
English in America without their consent
they rose in rebellion and established an
independent government controlled by
themselves. The right Of armed resistance
TO illegal acts of authority was as well es-
tablished as the right TO habeas corpus and
trial by jury. Resistance TO tyrants is
obedience 10 God" was the Fundamental
faith and practice Of the race.
When Great Britain acknowledged the
Independence of the States, she recognized
each by name as an indept ndent and SOW
ereign State. Maryland was as sovereign
as England or France.
These sovereign States formed a govern
ment TO protect their liberty and indepen.
dence, but they never gave up the right
to change their form of government at their
pleasure. II was To be government of
equal States and equal laws, but each State
must Of necessity be the sole and final Judge
as 10 when she would require other guar
antee and protection of the liberty of the
people.
The institution of slavery is the c.ganiza.
ton OF labor in all primitive societies.
1t always has been so and always will be
Sd. II is one of the great forces by which
savage races are civilized and civilized peo.
pie suhdne nature and dc velop arts, science
and thought. II was the basic institution
OF the American colonization.
New England enslaved the Indians. We
never did. But African garages were civ
ilized here, aud civilized by the control Of
the civilized race-ils religion, its moials
and its measures.
There never has been an equal number
OF Africans as highly developed as that por-
ton of the race living in America, and this
development was the result Of American
servitude.
When the invention of The cotton gin pro-
NOTED an inlmense production of cotton, an
enormous increase of power, prestige and
moral force resulted to the States where the
institution Of servitude was developed.
The habit of control and the practice of
masterdom made the Southern man re-
liant, positive and forceful. He controlled
the formative period of the new society.
He Termed the Union under the Constitu.
ton, and he directed the ciicy of the I'm
ion for the first seventy years of lis exist
ence. His power was the lorical re ult of
the institutions by which he was Ermed.
His whole energy was directed To The art
OF governing. The assertion Of intellectu-
al predominance and the exhibition of ma
terial power in the South produced irriia.
ton, envy and ilf-will. For thirty years
prior to 1s60 the North had been gradually
making ur its mind for the overthrow Of
the predominance of the South.
The first attempt 10 organize public opin-
ion in the North for this supreme effort
was in the Fremont election of 1856 This
failed as an achievement II succeeded as
beginning. And, in 1860, the Northern
States combined together 20 seize the com.
mon government without the slightest re
gard TO equal right or equal laws, and they
succeeded. Under the form of the Consti-
tuition aKi the provisions Of the laws the
government Of the United States was taken
possession e by The Northern States. This
meant that hcreafler they would make such
laws as they thought fit and protect such
rights and such people as they thought
proper. II was revolution Of govern.
ment of oqlal rights aud the establishment
of the domination of the strong over the
weak. twas the overthrow cf ;he govern
ment Of consent and the setting up of the
government offorce. Ifthc minority States
submitted, they would bold everything
hereafter at the pleasure of the majority.
The guarantees of the Constitution were
swept away. for the Norih would construe
the present Constitution al its pleasure aud
amend il at its discretion
Now, absolute goyernr utis government
without check, whether ,minstcred by
Car, Sultan or a Sect. lsl majority. and
absolute government Is ,rcoesistent with
liberty, peace and ouie Tue southern
States promptly resolved that their rigbts
interests and lie cry Tcsu.ye.i That fhey
should chaEye tie fulm of IS .sna.Srt un-
Ger which they and t..s ncystuYs lad
been. living for seventy, . 4 sra form
Lew government Eatisfacfess :.i,.l,s Ives
they bad this undOubted rs.G HisSll,er