Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-31


the hills and valleys until it comes to
barrier which II cannot overlap, and
II sinks beneath a mountain. only 10 rise
again TO view ana flow on TO the sea.
There are bright and beautiful rivers,
broad and deep, which hurry on 10 their
graves, and are lost I'm the
sands of some burning desert;
but the waters OF these lost rivers
rise in yapors and reach the skies sooner
than II they had flowed on through their
natural courses TO the ocean and had been
lifted by the sun and driven by the winds
back to their mountain homes.
The Southern Confederacy shot like a
meteor through the gloom OF a terrible
night up among the nations Of the
earth. All men wondered at the skin
Of her generals and the courage Of her
soldiers. What kindled the genius OF her
officers. and fired the zeal Of her men?
Nothing short Of the conviction that
they were 10 the right and that the God
Of battles would give them the victory.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
Allow me to state our case very brieny.
as held by the rank and file OF the south
ern army, When the Colonies entered into
a union for self-defence they framed a
Constitution and signed Il. II reads thus:
Articles Of Confederate and Perpetual
Union. Article /: The style Of this con-
federacy shall be the United states OF
America. Article 70: The Union shall be
perpetual. Done in Philadelphia, July 3
MS
But when the war for independence had
closed. and we looked az the situation
all around. our wise men saw dangers Of
as threatening a character from within
as from without. and when the Constitu-
ton was formed. which all the States
agreed TO sign. the Objectionable clause
was omitted We would not say. This
Union shall be perpetual but reserved
certain rights, which we never gave up,
and which are called states rights, -
because not given over 10 the Union.
All parties agreed that the Constitution
should be the rule Of our political life.
In that Constitution We find that the
United States has no power TO oppress
an individual, a state, or section. Franz
ing an entirely new government, with no
models TO work by, no successes to copy,
and no blunders TO warn us. 1t Is no Won
der that many sentences were left in
a clouded and indefinite form.
~ General Fftzhugh Lee, In his valuable
contribution TO the war literature says
that 1.-THE war was an effort 10 interpret
those dark sayings" We had two equal
dangers TO guard agalnst-the time-honOr-
ed rock on the right hand. and whIrl-
! pool on the left. one party wanted a
strong, centralized government; the other
| wanted the States 10 be very free and in
dependent the idea being that II equal
| rights could not be secured IN the Union,
/ then open separation would be better than
! oppression. So long as the States moved
/ on without any special proyocation, then
/ there was prosperity, and the dangers
were only IN the minds and speeches OF
politicians But presently the North be-
gan 10 pass a class Of laws which Grip
| pied the farming Interest Of the South,
and by special legislation protected their
| Industries. and made ~ a home market
| for all which the factories could turn out,
! and that. too, at their own prices.
The North soon grew rich. We pro-
| tested, but matters only grew worse
| The North first introduced slaves, sold
| them to US, and then discovered that II
| was a sin to own them
FELT TO BE AN EVIL.
| Slavery was felt TO be great evil by
many both North and South. Those who
owned them did not know what 10 do
| with them II freed I'm a body. Sooner or
| later they must become voters, and would
be an undesirable political element. Mo-
! rality, self-interest. and splf-preSeryation
] All contributed AHFii ldiA AA NiifAtt = ltAr
| the tangled question The meddlesom.
spirit OF the Puritan began 20 move the
North to attacks upon slavery The negro
| became a wedg-, gradually widening the
| gap between the West and the South
! More and more the state s-rights qsestlOl
! became a living issue. The property or an
! divlduals In the South was made a sub
! ject Of attack by the North and West.
We appealed IN vain o. the Constitution
| for protection. The North driven bacl
| by the shelter afforded the South by th'
| Constitution, said II must be set asid
| for a "higher law There was no argu
| ment 10 that but shot and shell. TeXa
| was now added 10 the Union. The VOt,
| had been close between. and this seemet
| 70 throw the balance of power In the
! hands of the South, and slavery NIGH
| be perpetuated for years. Men wer
| rushed TO the West 10 make other States
| Of feeble Territories In order 70 counter
act this state Of things. The Indian.
! were driven back. and all OF their right.
trampled upon by the frantic North. &
| give rights 10 the black foreigners upOr
the native soil Of the American Indians
| Then came fight over the Territories
should they be slave or free? Lines wer'
| being drawn around the South. She wa
| outnumbered-the North could beat hr
NNAlUNt UuA AlpA AANhAitlef dNAAf i'A'N4A ''t'
| Jim Lane leaders Of the Abolition part'
in the Territory. were driven from Kan
| sas by other men, but the western tid
| rolled on. Emigrants were drawn by spe
| cial grants Of public lands from tn
| North and the world. The government
| owned the lands which had been glyei
| In part by Southern States, and which
! were being used by the government e
secure a population which would be an
| tagonistic TO the interests OF the South
At the polls the South was beaten. Thei
came more and more the question OF tn
! legality and eXpediency Of secession. ]
| was 10 longer 10 the interest OF tn
South TO remain In Union in which he
property interests were hourly threatened
! Northern orators talked Of the Union
and a centralized power: the South 0
her rights under the Constitution. tn
| North did not want 10 give up the Constr
tuition and the South did not want L
give up the Union.
Lincoln was elected. He was a stric
party man, who was intent upon SO
curing the interests OF the Radicals
The South had notified the North tina
the election Of a party man meant 10
a war challenge. The States went out o
the Union one by one.
THE PEACE COMMISSION.
Old Virginia and other States sent
peace commission" 10 Washington. The
were treated with GOODNESS then informe
by Mr. Lincoln that II was too late {
treat for peace.
Who began the var? Are these me
whose deeds we would hold up for imita
ton the authors OF all the sorrows whic
befell this country North and SOUTH
| No! We ever held that the North force
upon US the choice between war, Wit
the chances OF defeat all against US, o
an ignoble surrender OF all OF our right
without one blow in their defence. W
can now honor these dead heroes, but W
could not have honored them II they ha
purchased a peace by the surrender q
their rights. The North forced us
fire the first shot at Sumter. And W
give them credit for driving as 10 pos
| lions which we did not wish TO occupy
| We were the Constitution party an
vet we seemed to be making war upo
| IL. We seemed 10 b. seeking the disruI
ton OF the government; but we were oni
seeking TO secure our rights in II an
have a voice In the control or our II
terests. We did not want to legislat
for the North and West We sought onl
our own protedtlon "Self-preseryatlOu
| tn first law OF nations" We were at IN
time accused Of breaking up the govern
ment because We could not run II on
way. We only desired such legislatio
as would protect our people.
FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS
Our taxes helped to build the forts, an
ne claimed our proportion OF them