The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-07-09
sEcEssIoN's UNREAsoN.


| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Brennan.
of New Orleans, wrote some years before tho
civil war:
1 "Spurning, with ancient shibboleth
/ All wise and Just restraints.
10 the saints Of heaven was empire given,
| AND we alone are saints"
| There is a claim that these lines describe
Northerners rather than Southerners. But
when Stonewall Jackson was killed. the
New York World remarked that the Confed-
crate cause was buttressed by great indi-
vidual worth" 1t would be difficult to find
an equivalent expression of reciprocal
| courtesy. 1t would even be difficult to show
that the words Union army" have ever vet
passed the lips Of any ex-Confedsrate.
There IS claim that the Confederate
Congress went through the motions of con-
cedlng the free navigation of the Mississippi.
But the same Congress did not 90 through
the motions eOnceding the free navigation of
the Missouri
There is q claim that all the South wanted
was to be let alone. But what was the
South? The annals of American diplo-
macy record few such tangled questions as
this. The Territory of New Mexico was
| officially declared to be a portion of the
Confederate States of America.
There is claim that when man owned
negro, the property was his, exactly as if
it had been horse. The refusal of the
North to recognize this principle brought on
the war. 1t was safe, though it would have
been silly, for man to say that all horses
had right to run loose: it was not safe to
say that all negroes had right to run loose.
There is claim that every peOple-What-
ever people may be-has a right to alter
its institutions. On the assumption that
Missouri was one Of the Confederate States,
her people tried 10 alter their institutions,
putting more than 100000 men in line-of-
battle for the purpose. Consequently, in
contemplation of Confederate law, all their
property was cOnfiseated
There is a claim that the sovereignty once
assumed by Texas land perhaps by other
Southern States) had never been suffered to
lapse. An international compact, amend
able at the pleasure of a portion OF the Ma
tiOns, would be grand tribute to PuncRs
side of the question.
There is q claim that the territory. say, OF
Arkansas, was invested with the unrestricted
power by Congress which did not itself
possess unrestricted power.
There is a claim that the United States
might have concluded treaty of peace with
the Confederate States, but q preliminary
admission would have been either that the
Capital of the United States was situated
upon alien soil, or that it was imbedded in
alien soil; either admission would have been
tantamOunt to a remuneration of nationality.
There is claim that the Georgia peace
resolutions meant no particular harm; the
last remark applies.
There is a claim that in every case of q
compact between sOyereigns, each party has
a right to judge of itself as well as of the
nature and extent of the infraction, as of the
mode and measure of redress. The historic
ca parallelism is pretty close. Persons from
Engand were imprisoned in France in VIC
latiOn, as England decreed of the treaty Of
Amiens; England got what help she could,
and remodeled the Government of France.
Persons from Massachusetts were imprisoned
in South Carolina in violation as Massaehu-
sets deemed, OF the Federal compact; Massa-
ehusetts got what help she could, and re-
modelled the Government of South Carolina.
There is a claim that the Confederates
fought for liberty; but they had all the
liberty, without wasting a cartridge. that
they would have thought proper under any
to petition for.
There is q claim that the institution OF
slavery was fit basis for great demands
and great sacrifices; but when the master
class were privileged to mourn for chatteI
slavery, even as France mOurned for Alsace
and Lorraine, they fell very far short of this
standard of lachrymOsity.
There is claim that the stars and bars
Ire suitable emblem for Grand Army men
20 march under. But the number of stars
n the field cannot be regarded as conform
ng to the present practice, or even to the
recorded practice of any Government. Gen.
sterling Price restricted himself to partial
enforcement of the CONSUMPTION act. To
very MissOurian the right of choosing his
,wn flag was eoneeded.-J. TILDEN MoUL-
TON, Aurora, Ark.