The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-02
OUTHFOUGHT In DEFENCE OF HER AFFAIRS AND F7IRESDES

laborers. etc, but little consideration
seems to have been given them or OF
their status to the war, either IN Ine
Congress or tho Cabinet of the Con-
Ifcderacy.
The reasons for this Ore manifest to
those of us who lived In those days. but
q word of explanation may be necessary
to those who have since come on tne
stage or life. In tho first place, sl'lv-
cry, as 1t existed in the South, was
patrlarclial In its character; tho slaves
| (servnnts. as we called then) we're re-
! En:ded and treated ~ members OF the
| families to which they severaliy BE-
/ l9nged; with rare executions. they were
| treated with Kindness and consdera-
tion. and frequently the relations be-
tween the slave and MS owner were
/ those of real affection and confidence.
AS Mr. Ltlnt. tho Bostoa writer. from
whom we have already quoted says:
"'rhe negroes were perfectly
contcntcd witt, their lnt In gen
| rral they were not emily hnppy in
! their condition, but proud Of 81"
| Their owners trusted them with their
families, their farms and their affairs.
and this confidence was rarely betrayed
scarcely ever, unless they were forced
to violate their trusts by coming In
contact with the Federal armies, or
were beguiled ana BETRAYED themselves
by mean and designing white men.
The truth is both the white ana the
black people of the South regarded
the Confederate cause alike as thrir
cnusc. and looked to Its success with
almost II not quite. equal anxiety and
delight. a most striking illustration
of this and of the readiness of the
slaves to fight even. If necessary, iof
the Confederate cause, is furnished by
the following incident:
In February, 1865, when negro
troops had been authorized TO be en-
rolled in the Confederate army, there
were employed at jackson Hospital.
near Richmond seventy-two negro
men. The surgeon In charge. the late
these men formed in line, and, after
asking them ST they would be wiling
to take up arms to protect their mas
ters families, homes. and their own
from an attacking foe, sixty out or
scvcnty-tw" responded they. wonl'l
volunteer to go to the trenches and
fight the enemy to the bitter end"
(War Reb. Rec, series w, Vol. Ill.
p. 1103)
at the date here referred to we
soldier was one Of the greatest hard
ship and peril and the fact that five
out Of every six of these negroes were
then ready to volunteer and so to the
trenches showed conclusively how truly
they regardedthe Confederate cause as
their cause, as we'll as that OF the
white people of the South.
Indeed, We doubt IL a larger per
ccntum of the whites In any part of
the country. would have volunteered Re,
| war II then 1t were true. as alleged,
that the white people of the South
were lighting for slavery. does 1t not
| necessarily follow. that the slaves
| themselves were ready and willing to
| fight for 1t, too: One OF these positions
is Just as true as the other.
Wrongs Committed by North.
We think we have shown. then,
that, even If we admit that slavery
was, as falsely charged, the cause OF
the war;" the South was in no way re-
sponsibe for the existence Of that
cause. but 1t was condition forced
upon It, one recognized by the supreme
law of the land. one which the South
dealt with legally and Justly, as con-
Itemplated by that law; and history
shows that in every respect and in every
instance the aggressions and violations
of the law We're committed by the
North, Mr.. Lunt says; or FOUR SEE as
eral compromises between the two sec
lions of country since the Revolution
ary War. each has been kept by the
south and violated ny the North In
deed, we challenge the North 10 pom
/ out one single instance in which the
South violated the Constitution, or any
| of the laws made in pursuance thereof.
whilst. on the other hand. fourteen OF
the Northern States passed acts NUN,
wing the fugitive slave law. passed
Nv Congress in obedience to the Con-
stitution, denounced and defed the de,
Irisions OF the Supreme Court ana
Judge Black. Of Pennsylvania, says OF
the aboitionists:
"'Thcy applauded John Brown to
the echo for a series of the basest
murders on record: They did not
conceal their hostility to the Fed ed
eral and State governments, nor
which protected white men. The
Il Constitution stood in their way.
and they cursed 1t bitterly The
Bible was quoted against them.
and they reNiled God, the AL
mighty, Himself
9. Our next inquiry Is: Which was
the nggrcssor in provoking the con-
flicts
Mr.. Halam, in his Constitutional
History of England, states univer-
sally rscognized principle lon When i,sn. ne
he who begins it) is not the first who
uses force, but the first who renders
force necessary
we think we have already shown
| by Northern authorities. that the North
. was the aggressor and violator of the
) Constitution and of the legal rights
: OF the South in reference to what they
| allege to be the cause Of the var and
| lit Is easy to show. by like authorities
1nnt IL WAS clcNElS AuS NS@ASS"uE An
bringing on the war. On the 18th OF
, April. 1861. President Davis said: Witt
the Lincoln administration rests the
responsibility of precipitating col
lision, and the fearful evils of pro
/ tracted and cruel war.
t In his reply to Mr.. Lincon's cal
5 for Vlrginia's quota of seventy-hvt
: thousand troops to coerce the South
t on April Is. 1861. Governor Letchel
r said: You have chosen to inauguratt
3 civil war. and you can get no troop!
3 from Virginia for any such purpose,'s
But we are not content to rest this
1 question on the statements OF these
t Southern authorities, as high as they
: are, but will let Northern, writer's say
what they think about this important
question. Mr.. Iunt says, in reference
to Mr.. Lincoln sending the fleet to re
I inforce Sumter in April, 1861: 1T wa!
I intended to draw the fire of the Con
$ federates, and was Il silent aggression
\ with the object of producing an nctlv,
aggression from the other side.
Mr.. Benjamin ]. Williams, anothe
: Massachusetts writer, says:
"The South was invaded, and q
WI AnyD ~ A&nTD N-