The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-30
The Cause of the War,

The Cause of the War.
We are sorry that General Bonham regards
our notice OF his speech as "harsh criticism"
No such thing was meant We were anxious
TO be entirely agreeable in that notice and
tried to find him at his hotel to show him
proof of it before publication.
Without disputing with anybody about the
war, we submit:
l. That Secession resulted from slavery,
and that Secession caused the war.
Q. The President Of the United States then
declared war for the preservation OF the
Union. The abolition of slavery was war
measure, and proclaimed long after the war
had been inaugurated, and had nothing what
ever to do with the action Of the North IN
commencing the war.
The official declaration Of the cause OF
secession, which brought on the war, we hnd
quoted in the following words by committee
of the Secession Convention:
We assert that fifteen Of the states have de-
liberately refused for years past 10 fulnl tnelr
constitutional obligations. ana We re- reler po, 70
tuition of the United States. In It's fourth artl'
Gle, provides as follows: No person held 10
labor or service in one state, under tne laws
thereof, escaping into another. shall, 10 con.
seouence OF any law or regulation therein. be
discharged from such service or laoor, put
shall be delivered up on claim OF the party 10
whom such service or LABOR may Pc pe que, en,nant
that without 1t that compact would not nave
been made. The greater NUMBER OF the con.
tracing parties held slaves, and the state OF
VIRGINIA had previously declared her esti-
mate of it's value by making 1t the condition
of her cession Of the territory which now
cumposes the states north OF the Ohio river
The same article OF the constitution az tu
gitives from justice from the other states
The general government, as the common
agent passed laws TO carry into erect these
slpulations of the states. For many al nins years
hostility on the part Of the northern states 10
the institution Of slavery has led TO disre-
gard OF their obligations and the laws OF tne
general government nave ceaseE Tha 70 s,nias 'r
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont. Massa.
chusetts, Connecticut. Rhode Island. New
York. Pennsylvania, LIMOS, Inoiana, Onlo,
laws which either nullify the acts of congress,
or render useless any attempt to execute
them. In many OF these states the 1ugltlVe
is discharged from me service or iaTor gouern
ment complied with the stipulation made IN
the constitution. The state OF New Jersey, az
an early day, passed law for the rendiuon OF
tutional undertaking, but the current OF anti
slavery feeling has led her more recently TO
enact laws which render imperative the
laws OF congress. In the state of New York
even the right of transit for q slave has been
denied by her tribunals; and the states OF
Ohio and Iowa have reused 70 surrender 70
Justice fueitives charged with murder ana
with inciting servile insurrection In the state
of Virginia. Thus the constitutional COM
pact has been deliberately broken and olsre.
ole ah0lI
Ihe conseo uence follows that South Carolina
is released from Its obligation. The ends ior
which the constitution was framed are ae.
clared by itself to be TO form more perfect
untop establish justice, Insure domestic iran.
GUILTY, provide for the common defence, pro
mote the common welfare, and secure the
blessings OF liberty TO ourselves and our pos
terity' These ends II endeavored TO accom-
nIisii by a federal government, In which each
state was recognized as an equal, and had
separate control over Its own institutions.
The right OF property In slaves was recogniz
ed bNeivipg to free persons distinct political
rights; by giving them the right to represent,
and burdening them with direct taxes ior,
three.fllfths of their slaves; by authorizing
the OF slayes res ios cf
tives from labor. We afhrm that tnese enos
for which this government was lnstltoteo
have been defeated, and the government "
self has been made destructive OF them oy the
action of the non.slaveho olding states. Those
states have assumed the right OF deciding
upon the proprtety OF our domestic lnstltu.
tions and have denied t1e fgats o1 d recoS
nized by the constitution; they nave de-
nounced az sinful the institution OF slavery
they have permitted the open establishment
among them Of societies whose ayoWed object
is to disturbed the peace and to eloin the pro-
perty of the citizens Of other states. They
have encouraged and assisted thousands OF
our slaves to leave their homes; ana those
who remain have been melted by emlssarles,
books, and pictures to servile tnsurrectlon. !
For twenty-five years this agitation has been
steadily increasing, until 1t has now secured
TO its aid the power o. common f mo Os,,n gOSet
tion, sectional party has found within that
article establishing the executive department
the means Of subverting the constitution It
across the Union, and all the states north OF
that line have united in the election Of man
to the high Office Of president Of the United
States whose opinions and purposes are DOS nos,
the administration OF the common govern
ment, because he has declared that that gov.
ernment cannot endure permanently bali
slave, half Free and that the public mind
must rest in the belief that slavery Ia In the
course Of ultimate extinction. This sectional
combination for the subversion OF the consti.
tuition has been aided in some OF the states oy
eeyating to waS oy =, bs
coming citizens; and votes have been USED
to inaugurate q new policy, hostile to the
south, and destructive OF its peace and safety
Mr.. Stephens said in a speech at Savannah,
March q, 1851:
1.-THE new constitution has put at rest for
ever all the agitating questions relating to
our peculiar Institution African slavery as
1t exists among us-the proper statutes OF the
negro In our form Of civilization. This was
the immediate cause Of the late rupture and
present revolution"
We again assure General Bonham that we
meant no "harsh criticism," and that we are
sorry that he 80 takes our remarks. We
only spoke Of the facts as We understood
them. For the facts neither OF us are respon.
sible, and each should have the right Of put
ttp hi Int