The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-08-18

ana q very nHl4hAAh eA
cause Gift
The differences manifested In the
very convention which adopted the fed
erai constitution andin the convention
of each one Of the states ratifying it.
and an the legislation introduced IN
congress. under It, shows that it origi'
nated in the differences Of opinion as to
how far The government created By the
I constitution was central or national
or how far it was federatiye in its char
acter This was the germ from which
the conflict came That slavery was
ziezed upon BY the fanatics OF the north
TO shower blows aud hatred upon the
southern slave holders. / can well con
eede But this did not make it the
cause Of the war
When Mr.. Seward boosted in the
senate that the north was about to take
control Of the government Senator
Hammond, Of South Carolina said, in
reply to him. DO not torget-it cannot
be forgotten it is written on the high
est page of human history, that we the
slave holders Of the south, took our
country in her infancy and after rul
ing her for sixty or seventy years Of her
existence, we shall surrender her to you
without a stain upon her honor, bound
less in prosperity, ~inealculable in her
strength-the wonder and admiration
Of the world.
=. Time will show what You will make
Of her but no time can ever diminish
our glory or your responsibility
YES, time has shown, and our faith
ers, could they speak from the grave,
would ask, Who is responsible for the
destruction Of the federatiye system Of
the government 2
When the seeding states had adopt
ed constitution, a complete counter
part Of the constitution Of 1788 their
first act was-as early as February 4th.
before the Inauguration Of Mr.. Lidcoln
to appoint a commission for the pur.
pose Of negotiating friendly relations
between that government and the Con.
federates States OF America and fol
the settlement Of all questions Of disa.
greement between the two governments
upon the principles Of right. Justice
equity and good faith.
Two of their commissioners Martin
Crawford. Of Georgia, and John For.
sythe, Of Alabama, arrived in Washing
/ ton the 9Th day Of March, 1851, and OF
b the 22th of March addressed a commu
nication to Mr.. Seward, the then score
tary OF state Of the United States 0
America, explaining their embassy Mr.
e Seward declined to confer with then
officially, but through Judge Campbell
Of Alabama, assured the commissioner
of the Confederate States that the gov
eminent at Washington was friendly t
d a peaceful settlement and further as
IS sured the commissioner that the 'statu
j IN quo in the harbor Of Charleston
should be observed, and that motto
n should be given to the commissioner
before any change was made therein
Thus the commissioners were held i
Washington until the 8th day Of Apr.
following, when the public press con
a ~municated to them the fact that til
r government Of the United States wa
sending vessels Of war from the port {
New York, laden with ammunition
provisions and troops to supply and T,
enforce the garrison in Fort sumpte.
IN IN the harbor OF South Carolina, A
tonished at this breach Of plighed fait
d. on the part Of the government Of th
~ United States, the commissioners froi
the Confederate States demanded a r
lie ply to their official communication
the 18th of March previous.
as ITO this demand they received a +
II. ply on the sth day OF April, 1861, b
H. bearing date of March 18th, n mont
"a before, refusing to hold any ofici
ct communication with them On the T
ceipt Of the reply the Confederate cor
d missioners retired from Washington
Of THE promise made to the confede
be ate commissioners had been grossly !
his olated vessels Of war had been sent
I'll garrison and supply Fort sumpter.
Major Anderson, In command of u
sal forts in Charleston harbor, had aba
lal doned Fort Moultrle, after spiking b
Ia. guns, and taken refuge in Fort Sum
on ter. then regarded as an i~mpregnat
fortress. When the confederate col
of misEoners made their report to th,
.he government Mr. Davis, the preside
tea of the Confederate States, in transm
nix ting their report to the confederate &C
pt gress, said
on The crooked paths Of diploma
can scarcely furnish an example 50 wal
Oh. ing in caudor and directness as was {
be course Of the United States governme
ars toward our commissioners FL Washir
ton.
ted What was done by the confeder.
on, government was done IN the open lig
are Of day challenging the criticism q I
to world Every effort was made to avs
the shedding Of fratricidsl blood
.ca. Away then with the charge thet
mi truthful charge that this war was
ofi war waged by traitors, with troasona'
zen designs
bv Let Il never be forgotten Let
wa be reiterated again and again aa q
,hn the indisputable facts Of history that
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