The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-07
THE CAUSE OF THE WAR.

The way that che war and the causes
which led to 1t are persistently mis-
represented to the Southern people is
we'll illustrated by an address by Capt.
A. b. Hill before the Sara Law Chap
ter of the Daughters of the Confeder-
acy of Memphis and published In full
in the Memphis papers. Capt. Hill
said:
1.-THE tariff the violation of the Con-
stitution by the Northern States on the
slavery question, States rights and other
questions, the election Of Mr.. Lincoln,
an avowed Abolitionist. by a sectional
vote. these are some of the causes that
led up to the war.
But as one Of our greatest living
Confederate Generals has said. Com
merce seemed to be the principal
cause. and I agree with him. The
commercial interests of the North had
become endangered by the prosperity
of the South consequently jealouses
and bitter feeling had arisen which
could not be overcome. and every
means and every excuse for trammel-
ing the South was resorted to by the
leaders of the North"
This is absolutely contradictory of all
history. President Lincoln. SO far from
being an "avowed Abolitionist," ex-
pressed from the first the strongest de-
termination not to interfere with the
institution of slavery where 1t legally
existed. He simply occupied the posi-
ton that 95 out of every 100 members
of the Republican Party did. That is.
that slavery should be restricted to the
places where 1t was lawfully estab-
lished, and not be allowed to spread
beyond them. He persisted in this de-
termination until comparatively late
period of the war, when the contest had
assumed such aspects that the aboli-
ton OF slavery became q necessary mil
itary measure. Nor were the CONNER
cial interests OF the South in the
slightest danger from any act on the
part Of the North. The South had all
freedom of trade that the North had.
Its ports were as good, entrance to them
and exit from them was as unrestrict-
ed, and IL the South did not have the
commerce Of the North 1t was because
Of her own lack Of enterprise. For
many decades in the history OF the
country commerce with Southern ports
was as great as with the Northern, and
even down to the outbreak of the war
New Orleans was second only to New
York in the extent Of It's commerce.
Trying to explain why the South fired
the first shot Capt. Hill says:
"Mr. Lincolns purpose was to REIN
force Fort Sumter and destroy the city
OF Charleston and enforce his revenue
laws, which was virtual declaration
OF war"
Nothing could have been farther
from Mr.. Lincoln's thoughts than the
destruction of the city Of Charleston.
The people of the North would have
been as Indignantly opposed to such an
act as any In the South. Mr.. Lincoln
simply proposed that United States SOL
diers occupying one of the National
fcrts should be properly supplied. 1t
was his duty to see that this was done,
and when the Confederates fired on
the Star of the West they committed
a fragrant act Of treason and struck
most insulting blow at the sovereignty
of the Nation. When they fired on Fort
Sumter they meant to provoke war,
and no Nation could maintain its integ-
rity which did not resent such an in
dignity to its flag. Capt. Hill starts
from falSe premises, and his logic Is
exceedingly lame at every step.