The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-09-16

protests Of the law adding, conseTVa-
tive party Of the North, known as The
National Democratic party had /" be
appeased ami satisfied.
70 accomplish these obj-Cts, and To
declare and define exactly the origin
and purposes of the war Congress III
the month Of February, 1862, passed
a JOIN, resolution declaring that the
North was not waging this war on the
Southern States, for the purpose OF
freeing their slaves, but purely for the
purpose of bringing back the seeded
States, and for the restoration of the
Union.
Bear this resolution in mind and
let US see how IN 4 shorl time it Is null
lifted and set aside, and IN what an
arbitrary and dictatorlal manner the
policy of the North is changed.
In the spring and summer cam
paigns following the adoption Of this
resolution the armies Of the South
were SO successful that they had drive n
the Northern army across the Potomac
and were threatening the Capitol at
Washington. Everything indicated
that success was about to crown the
efforts Of the Confederacy, and for
eign powers were about to recognize
Us as separate nation.
You, my comrades, remember how
bright were our prospects at that time,
how full OF hope and confidence We were.
You remember with what light and
bounding step you fnrded the Potc-
mac; yo;i remember how the bands
played and the boys sang, "Maryland,
My Maryland" We though, we
could almost see the end of the war
with success and victory perched upon
our banners.
Everything was bright on our side,
while on the other side, all was gloom
and darkness. For them something
had to be done and done quickly, or
their cause was lost. And what did
they do?
Behold a change of policy-sudden,
radical and great. A change not
made by the legislative, or law max
ing power, but by the simple declara-
ton Of the President, as the head Of
the Executive department. y policy
in direct conflict with the Constitution
as interpreted by the Supreme Court
and in plain contradiction of the pur-
poses of the war as set forth in the res
olution of February, 1862. Within a
few short months, in September of the
same year, Abraham Lincoln issued
his Emancipation Proclamation, a
proclamation deClaratory of a purpose
to directly interfere with slavery in the
States
Any impartial student of history
Will enquire why so sudden change
of policy by SO great government
Were they driven to it by some great
military emergency? or was it STRAIT
egic move Of stateCraft to prevent for
elgn recognition Of the Confederacy?
or was 1t a stab in the back to cripple
victorious adversary? or 70as it an
expression BY the Yankee Of his IoUe
AMI affection fer the negy0l Poster
ity will Judge.
| mention these facts to correct the
false impression which many school
teachers and many school books are
ENGRAVING into the minds of our youth,
teaching them, that the sole cause of
the war between the North and the
South, was the naked question wheth-
er the negro of the South should be
made free or remain slave. This
was not the original issue at all. 1t
had nothing to do with the beginning
of hostillties, and every student of true
history knows the contrary. If this
resolution Of Congress above referred
to, daClared the truth, which no one,
not even President Lincoln dared
galnsay, then the assertion that the
freedom OF the Southern negro was the
cause of the war, IS absolutely false.
That the destiny Of the Southern
slave was that in time he was to be-
Come a tree man, we verify believe,
but thai he was to become SO and at
the time and in the manner that he
did, is clearly not foreshadowed in the
policy Of the government that gave it
to him.
1t was some great and sudden emer
gency that preclpltated it.
May it not be, that the emancipated
negro is more indebted for his free
dom at the time that ne received it,. to
X. +. Lee than he is to Abraham Lin
coln' Lincoln was the power on the
throne that declared 1t; Lee and his
bayonets behind the throne were the
power that compelled it. Had not
the victorious army Of Lee vanQuished
the army of the North, and was then
threatening Its Capitol, the emancipa-
ton proclamation would never have
been issued when it was
Coming at the time and under the
circumstance that it did, it was moth
prevent the recognition of the Confed-
eracy by foreign goyernments-an ef-
fort to neutra!ize the great victories of
the Southern Armies-and a cont
Il ftaf to SHIFT the cause of the war to
another basis, that would make the
Northern side more popular with for
elgn powers.
In this war between the States we
had as we believed Justice and truth
on our side, and as brave men we
sealed our convictions with our blood
and offered our lives in defence of
our cause. We failed in our efforts on
the field Of battle, bu, impartial his
tory IS now giving US credit for the
ability and success with which we main
tanned our honor The honor and good
name of the Southern soldier is bright
and untarniShed. There is no stain
tho IA % l.