The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-19


In one Of the last speeches male By the
venerable Aiexa nder II. stephens. Of Geor-
gia, 10 congress the ex-yice president Of the
Southern Confectionery soiemnIy warned
his countryinen. sorth and South. against
sectiona,isrn. He noted the drift toward
sectional rather than patriotic legislation
and he deplored It, He had without avail
opposed the secession OF Georgia. but, like
Lee, Longstreet, Joe Johnston. and many
other of the best minds Of the South who
had opposed secession a. without warrant
in equity or public polio he had followed
his state out Of the Union. lie did not
expect success any more than did
Lee or fongstreet or Johnston but
he was loyal to the Confederacy. and
IL was not his fault that jefferson
Davis did not justify Gladssone's pre-
dsction and establish an empire. After
the civil war closed Mr.. Stephens served
In congress several terms; he enjoyed the
confidence and friendship of President
Grant. and like Longstreet he was never
weary of expressing his admiration of
both Lincoln and Grant as men of broad
national spirit; the spirit of patriotism rs
opposed to sectionalism. Mr.. Stephens
believed that the spirit OF sectionaiism
had not only caused our terrible civil war,
but he believed that the spirit OF narrow
eeetionalism in legislation was dangerously
likely to be fatal to the Union in the fu-
turc The spirit of these patriotic words OF
warning from the great Georgia statesman
have been more than once repeated since
his death by other eminent ex-Confeder-
ates. such as Longstfeet. Buckner, Joe
Johnston, Beauregard, Gordon, Hcdbert,
MeLaws and Heth. On the Path ult an
ex-confederatc soldier, United States Dis
trict Judge Emory speer, in his address to
the grand jury at Savannah. Ga. directed
attention to the fact that not only he. the
Judge, was an ex-Confederato soldier, but
that the district attorney and the United
States marshal were also Confederate
soldiers and then said:
1.-THE very men who attempted to separ-
ste the country are now actually combin-
ing for its welfare. taking patriotic inter
est in Its councils. and discharxing with
impartiality and devotion its public func-
lions and duties No other people can point
IN Its history 10 such an instance of mag
nanimity on the part of the government
IL Poland. he continued. with far
greater reason to attempt 10 establish an
independent sovereignty than the South
had. should do so and meet with defeat, the
leaders would die under the knout or expi-
ate their lives in Siberian mines But here
We witness In this great government
which we tried to- overturn, and in this
court the fact that the marshal and the
district attorney were gallant Confederate
enldiers, and that the Judge himself had
the impudence TO fire on the flag of his
country from the outworks of two of the
cities in which be now holds his courts.
Certainly such government so mag
full. free and unreseryed support of all its
people.
Judge sreer further points out success
for tho Confedevacy in war would have
meant military oligarchy and thai the
condition OF the people of the South would
have been much worse than il now is.
''Ne would have been strong military
government as n matter OF necessity
Those of Us who are OF the appropriate
military age would have been in the
standing army or in the uayy Our
boundaries would have brisiled With forts.
Opposed as We would have been by the
rtsirsted people OF the northern section Of
this country, a people noted as we'll Tor
courage and determination, We would
have constant wars. We would have been
taxed into condition OF poverty which
the peopie could not have borne"
These are remarkable words coming
from Georgian. born aud bred. and an
ex-Confederate soldier. Words ~ equal
patriotism. instinct with the broad shirt
Of nationality "a opposed 10 poor and
mean seetionalism, have recently been
rpoken By Confederate Gen. John II. Cor.
don. United States senator from Gecrgia.
In his popular lecture concerning tho
civil war as he We've it today. nearir
twenty-nioe years after his surrender NJ
Appomattox. These national ana patriotic
sentiments OF eminent er.Confraera,e,
ere sll good, hut the trouble with our
country both North snd South Is ,hat
men Of these broad, national senti.
nsea,s DO not rule the peoule. or
ct least seeilonalisgn, rather than m.
tieaagiSm. Is reelected IN the legislation
Of congress aud in the vnice of the aeons-
gogue newsparsrs and politicians the
country over. IL is true that with IA.
new generation Of the South the Canfsa.
eracy is nc longer a nams 70 coniare with.
even IS service in the armies OF the Tnlon
is today treated with contempt by cres.
tuEes Who jest At scars beesuss thew never
felt wound. Bat in place Of this old
romantic regard for the Union aaa Con.
feaeTate soldier we have net risen 10 ths
higher and aohler level Of nationality: va
have less romantic patriotism both AZ ,hs
South ana North sad Ear more nasaa
malignant, Sordsd seet.oaAlisn. Itfs nos
Of much consequences that an able. in,sllI.
fent Southern newspaper. Ike the Charles
ioa hess aaa CssTisr. describes. ex-senator
hswes' sketch II Liaeo,n's great var sec.
rotary as ''Siohaerirs ever Stanton, il Is
net Of much oonssq asuee that the sasas
Southern Journal continues to describe
shermsn's army "a having mad= ..wsr on
~oaasa, eGi IL IS Of vital consequence