The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-15
THE QUESTION or SECESSION.
Not Modern Idea or the Outgrowth. of
Southern Political Ideas.
Raleigh, March 10.


You have occasionally referred to the
secession sentiment at the North in the
early years of our government. Per
mt me to cite a paragraph from i1ffcr
son. when he was President, to Shox
that the right TO secede was hardly
questioned. He had just consumma Ell
the Louisiana purchase. His idea was
that successive tiers of States would
be laid off in that territory. when W."
shall be fun on this side (of the Ms
sisSippi rivcrl we may lay off & iangh
of States on the western bank from The
head to the mouth, and so. range after
range. advancing compactly as We mul-
tiply." And that YOU know was what
happened. Now mark this: ''Thc fu-
ture inhabitants of the Atlantic and
Mississippi States will be our sons. We
leave them in distinct hut bordering cs-
Establishments" Gle meant when that
generation had died ont such would be
the situation.) I'VE think we soc tleir
happiness in their union and we wish
1t. Events may prove it otherwise;
and if they see their interest in separa-
ton, why should we take sides With
our Atlantic rather than our VI ssiss-
ippi descendants? 1t is the elder and
the younger son differing. ,;ol bless
them both and keep them in union if
it be for their good, but separate them
if it be better" Jefferson's works, 4
col. p 800.
There is not a suggestion of the UNI
cOnstitutionality of such a proceeding
There is something else on the same
general subject that the younger gen
Grafton might read with profit For me
first thirty years Of this century the
men who were leaders in the movement
to emancipate the slaves were South
erners. Henry Clay was the President
OF the Emancipation anu Colonization
Society. Abolition societies then sprang
up. and conditions changed. | have
just read Il short sketch of Wendell
Philips, from which | make some eX-
tracts; In 1896 Wendell Philips saw
the aboliticnists, few in number. hn-
influential. despised. hated. banned and
mobbed." The mob in Boston had
mobbed the office of the Liberator.' a
paper issued from a garnet by CARR
son. In 1887 Philips attended his first
anti-slavery convention. He quickly
met with social ostracisln. The aris-
tocracy of Boston cast him out" Tie
was of the Puritan a1-istocracy of Bos
ton; rich and cultured.)
In November, 1887, Lovejoy, an aboli-
ZIONIST, was shot at Alton, Illinois. 4
meeting was called at Boston to CON
slider the MATTER. The authorities a
first denied the abolitionists the privi-
lege of using Faneuil Hail, but finally
assented. The attorney general Of Mas
sachusetts attended and made speech
not expected by the agitators. He
compared the slaves to menagerie
with lions, tigers, hyena, and an ele-
phant Il jackass or two and monkeys
in plenty, and he' likened Lovejoy to
one who would break the bars and let
loose the caravan to prowl about the
Streets Wendell Philips replied to
him. and this speech sealed the social
outlawry of Wendell Philips
I'm 1874 the NJ. e. church North was
rent asunder on the question Of slav-
cry. Abolitionists attacked both church
and State Many of the anti-slavery
apostles who started orthodox believers
became unbeleFers. Mr.. Phillips though
assaied with charges of infidelity re-
NAMED firm in his belief" Afterwards
he referred to this period as follows
"When the pulpit preached slave hunt
ing, we were called fanatics. seditious
scorners of the pulpit traitors. We in
deed thought man more than constitu-
tons. humanity and justice of more
worth than law" He exclaimed. My
curse be on the constitution of the
| United States He therefore became the
leader of those who chose as a motto
| mo union with shareholders. My OBJ
| ject," he said, lin becoming disunionist
| is to free the slaves"
In 1857 he took part in a dislinion con
vcntion held in Worcester. Mass. He
believed the free States could form an
unstained union, strong as well as free, "
and urged his belief that the mere act
of withdrawal would go far to carry
emancipation down to the Gulf"
The first gun of the war at Sumter
aroused the people of the two sections
alike. MIR. Phillips now changed. He
| had been disunionist since 1913. now
| he favored war and wished to save the
| union"
This little narrative illustrates. first
that it was not until about 1910 that the
North suspected that slavery was sinful
| and it was not until 1860 that they
| found it out Second. that the aboli
| tionists were for disunion, before the
| South was; that they changed to he
union savers only because they thought
| ii was to their interest to change.
| The war itself, / believe. was precip
itated only because certain Republican
leaders thought that one of the incidents
of the war would be to put the Demo
| Gratis at the North 'in hole" Such
was the handspring of the action of tho&C
| miserable fellows who caused the de-
vastation and havoc and suf ,r.I" and
| destruction of life and property iii the
greatest war of the world, and who
| being themselves disunionists, have
shrieked necessarily about the sacred
union,
There are doubtless some good men
at the North-even some Republicans of
good character; but taking them by and
at large. they have been miserable hypo-
| critics. as well as inhuman and tyranni-
cal. Even now they are engaged in the
business of reducing the Philippines into
subsection in order to fit them for free
DOM A contemplate set of hypocrites
s. A. A.
SCHOONER SUPPOSED LOST.
prOyidnnca r. t. March II Tho