The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-11-10


conceded by every civilized country
of the world
The great point OF divergence,
even among men who have sought
to be honest with themselves, has
always been the motives which in
spired the South to take up arms In
the serener atmosphere of the pre-
sent day the truth is gradually break
ing in upon those who are willing
ii listen and learn, and they az dis
covering that no greater calnnny was
ever uttered agnst humane AM.
chivalric people than to say that the
civil war was fought for the purpose
of perpetuating slavery.
Impartial students OF history re-
alize and concede that the South was
contending for theory of govern
ment which lay closest TO the heats
of all the American people during
/ the formative period of the repub
/ lie It was the yer essence of de-
neocraey IN its best and broadest
sense. It was the right OF local self
government The South espoused
no new doctrine. On the contrary
It was the South which kept the very
ark of the covenant when ambitious
politicians had perverted the original
purpose of the fathers and had read
into the constitution meanings which
were new and strange.
One needs only to read the debates
in the various state conventions of
the original states, called to consid-
er the ratification of the constitution,
to learn that the one apprehension
in the minds of all was that the SOW
ereignty of the states might not b.
preserved By every means in their
power they safeguarded the rights
of the state before giving their con-
sent to the original law, and Mas
sachusetts, among other states, es-
pecially instructed her representatives
in Congress to take advantage Of
every occasion to secure states
rights.
The state of New York, in ratifying
the constitution, specifically declared
they saw fit, resume the powers
when had been deegated to the gen
eral government Evidenie showing
that this was the spirit of the times
the will of the makers of the con-
stitution as expressed at the time it
was made-might be gathered from
a thousand sources.
Slavery was but an incident of the
great conflict. The basic issue was
the right of local self-governmene,
and the extinction of the Southern
Confederacy has no more effected
that right than martial law in a min
ing town has overthrown the consti-
tutiona1 right of hebeas corpus It
may be conceded that secession has
been setted forever, and the desire
for 1T has long since passd away.
But the right OF state sovereignty
IS as vital today as it ever was, and
every hour is indicating the con-
tention CT the South of forty odd
years ago. 1t is a right inherent in
democracy. 1t is not peculiar to the
South It is characteristic of every
: federated government under the sim
The individual states of the com
nonwealth Of Australia, with their
conflicting and Oversize interests
are contending for the principle to
day in a manner which reads like a
chapter from our own history. and
Western Australia has announced is
!; intention to cecede. There the ques-
ton IS not complicated by slavery OF
race 1t is simply demand for
, pure democracy for the logical right
of local disagreement.
The Capitalization of 1>bwer, I'M
: der whatever administrative form
cannot fail and has never yet failed
t to eliminate in tyranny and oppres-
sion, and IN the perpetuation of au-
; tocracy. It was SO when Augustus
: Caesar swept aside the last vestjge OF
: the emporers of Rome. IT was sc
: when the republican Bonaparte chose
to wade through slaughter tc
] throne" This tendency, unchecked
: will always reach its logical conclu
sion.
There are menaces to the govern
e ment today, when the oligarchy o
e complaisant judiciary, is seeking t.
r stlbvert the principles of democracy
{ These are perils which need to b
d watched with ttnsleeping vigilance
The sheet anchor of our institution
: Us the South's sustained content;o
/ for the very theory of government 70
# which the Confederate states ono
s stood Though extfnguished, tn
Confederacy did not hive in vain
d It's destinies were guided by me
/ whose intelligence and integrity cha
d Ieneed the admiration of the worlt
d. 1t was free from selhshness and col
ruption. It was upheld by love {
! freedom and equality 1t was fin;