The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-20

economical and industrial reasons, sed-
ulously agitated and inculcated up TO
the Mexican War, and the rights dis
tinctly recognized by Misleading states
men up to 1860. History ought not TO
allow them 10 slip this odium, if odium
it be, from their shoulders to the
shoulders of the South.
Il Was Not Rebellion.
"Our children should know that the
Confederate States, by the act of Sc
cession, made no war on the United
States; that the war between the
states was not rebellion. 1t was the
result of an effort by the United States
to coerce states against their will TO
remain in the Union, power not to be
found in the constitution, power
which all the earlier fathers believed
did not exist, power utterly inconsist-
ent with the right of secession, which
it is believed all parts of the country
recognized when the constitution was
framed and for many years thereafter.
IF the Southern States had the pow
er, Notwithstanding the constitution,
to withdraw from the Union in 1903, in
1912 and in 1S45, as New England
statesmen then affirmed, they had the
same power in 1861. No change of the
constitution had been made and the
relations of the states to each other
were unaltered. If that power exist
ed at all, the expediency of withdraw
ing was one solely for each state to de-
eide for itself.
1T was not a question of the control
| of the government, or an economical
or industrial question; it was not a
question of preserving the balance of
power or the equilibrium of the Sec
lions, such as was felt in New Eng
land when the Louisiana and Florida
purchases We're made. and Texas ac-
| CURED 1t was a question of civiliza-
ton, of constitutional liberty, of the
preservation of the principles of the
constitution; and the South when the
alternative was presenting of abandon
ing the principles of the constitution,
or giving up the Union, with alacrity,
but with deepest reluctance that the
| necessity existed, chose the latter. She
was overcome; she has suffered, but
| she ought not to be maligned or mis-
represented.
Children Should Understand.
I'VE are assembled here for no igno-
BILE ends. We are here to revive no is
sues settled by that unhappy conflict.
We are not here to defame others or
| pervert or warp the truth. We are not
here to exaggerate or magnify the
glory and virtues of one section of our
common country at the expense of the
other. We are here that mankind may
not forget, nor falsehood nor calumny
cloud or tarnish the calm Judgment of
posterity, as to the sincerity of the
motives, and the honorable conduct of
the Confederate soldiers. We affirm
our desire that our children may I'M
| derstand these things, that they may
the more reverence their ancestry; that
they may know of their suffering and
sacrifices, and be able to defend their
good names, and proud of their
achievements, emulate, in the great
struggles of the future, if such await
our country, the fidelity, patriotism,
love of home and country attested by
the veterans of 1861 on an hundred
bloody battle fields
Who would have them forget the
Lees, the Johnstons, the Jacksons and
the Hills? Who would have them for
get Bragg, Beauregard, Hardee, Price,
Polk and Hood? Who would have them
forget that great Wizard of the Sad
die, Bedford Forrest; and our own lit
tie Joe Wheeler. Pat Cleburn, the la
mented Walthall, and innumerable
others? Who would have us forget the
grand old man (Gen. John B. Jordon)
yet with us, and others still spared:
and the hosts who made for them
names that can never perish from the
earth as long as genius and courage
and patriotism challenge the admira-
ton of mankind.
The convention will meet at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning
The Sons of Veterans met at noon in
the Crescent Theater, but transacted
no business beyond listening to a num-
Der of welcoming addresses and ap-
pointing various committees.
The chief feature of the evening was
the ball given by the Washington Ar
tillery at their armory. 1t was a Sc
lect affair in honor of the visiting
sponsors and maids of honor and was
a distinct social success.