The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-05-30

perVefSlOn OF Tile truth, Whlcn SELF |
respect and a decent regard for the I
memory of our heroic dead compels
US to denoHDce. And Eow to the
facts and the proof.
The speaker then sketched the
Declaration of Independence by the
colonies, not as a nation, but free
and independent States. making
treaties with foreign nations, in
which each State was named az 81
party. In 1877 an attempt to com
nit the delegates to a national gov
eminent, as distinguished from II
federal union, wds defeated aud the
name United States was retained.
Astounding to relate, the argument
of those who have denied the right
of State to secede has been largely
built on this resolution declaring for
a national government (Which was
unanimously rescinded by the con-
vention) and on the preamble to the
/ constitution, which says: we, the
people of The United States which
/, they cOnstrue to mean, not the peo-
| pie of the several States, but the
aggrega people of the whole cOuu-
try as one nation-a political entity
which has never had any existence.
The idea that the constitu-
ton was ordained by the whole peo-
pie OF all the States, acting as an
| aggregate nation. was never suggest
ed until nearly fifty years after its
| adoption, and the pretense that
there was any right to interfere with
| the separate sovereignty OF, much less
to coerce Statein any way, if it had
| been made, would have been instant
/ ly repudiated and il insisted upon
| would have dissolved the convention
| then and there. Antag-
Onism of interests between the North
and the South had existed from the
| beginning, and was the great source
of anxiety to patriots of that day,
and increased with the erincreas-
| ing wealth and power of the North.
With this power came a stronger
temptation to disregard those pro-
visions of the constitution put into
it for the protection of the minority
aud the preservation of the equalit Y
of the States. The Legisla
lures of fourteen Northern States
nnll.fied plainly constitutional acts
of Congress. Thus the 'irra-
pressible conflict was precipitated,
and the Southern States had no
choice but to submit to changes
which destroyed the equality oil
States, or else seek peace and safet Y
by withdrawing from the Union.
In doing the latter, were they
guilty OF treason or rebellion? II
so, against whom? Three
extraordinary facts arrest attention.
One is that Though the right of seces
sion was disputed and fought over
vet no amendment was adopted oI
offered to the constitution denying
the right of secession, and SO far rs
the constitution is concerned, that
power remains just as it was before
the war Another is that out o
forty-fOur States only nine of Tho
ceding States, two border States
and one Western State, now have
constitutions denying the right o
secession. The third extraordinary
fact is that though the North uDani
mously and vehementiy denounced
secession as treason and rebellion
yet when the Confederate President
was captured, the government
abandoned the proceedings begun
against him and for some Other
reason than ciemency to him.
Southern people resorted to TIL
only remedy ever suggested, even b.,
New England, and that was seces
sion.
The Confederate soldier then APP
peared on the scene to attract tn
admiring gaze of the world and viii
an immortality of fame. But alas
only to suffer and be strong in /
hopeless struggle re needs NJ
vindication from mortal lips
He was taught from childhood
ms all American youth had been
that his first allegiance and Who'll
duty was 10 his State. Her call TO
t his services was his all-suiiicien
3 | iustificatiC n, as it was his proudes
: badge Of citiz anship. He did no
bate, but had always loved tn
: Union, and would have been ready
, rs his fathers always were, to Civ
, his fortune aud his life in its detens
against foreign foe, but he lovet
his State more, and to her appeal hi
heart leaped responsive and his han'
: grasped the sword"
: Colonel Waddell then spoke o
what North Carolina had done in TIL
war. In 1861 her poll list of voter
was Is 900 and the total Confeder
ate rank and file was $4,000. Sh
contributed nearly one-fifth of TIN
soldiers in the Confederate army
, lest one-foucth of those killed il
battle, lost more than one fourth o
those who died of wounds, and los
one third of those who died o
disease At Gettysburg her twenty
, xth regiment, ever memorable, los
30 per cent. of the men carried int
action On several battle-fields il
Viginif she l,f5 more dead ant
r We unied than all the Southern
| Stat IS combined Her thirty secont
regiment foated the standard of tn
Confederacy at the farthest poin
North il ever reached. One of he
SONS commanding n Confederate shiI
J was the only man who carried TIN
, | Confederate flag around the world
And finally, at Appomattox and a
Greensboro when the end came anC
her banners were fnrled, she STACKED
: twice as many rifles as any othe
State of the Confederacy Ibis il
the glorious answer North Caroline
makes to those who ask where sh
. ! was and what she did during the wa
between The States. To every call O
duty ler steady answer always was
: 'Adsum.'
, DAVIDSON DOTS.
! EarmarS RadIv Rehind With Thei