The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-05-14


When hear men say that the Civil
War was fought over the intrinsic
value of the slave, | refute the impu-
tation. Ladies and Gentlemen, our
forefathers did not wage four long
wears of war with their brethren en-
account of the intristic value of the
negro. Bat the same spirit that in
| spired our revolutionary forefathers
to wage an eight years war with the
mother country when she levied a
three pence tax per pound On tea,
although nine-tenths Of the people
did not drink it, inspired our South
ern fathers to enter the civil strife
when the North said that we had
/ no property in slaves which we could
transfer to other states, although
tie Supreme Court of the United
States had held otherwise.
No, Sirs, the Civil War was fought
to establish principle which involv-
Cd the honor and integrity Of the
! South. It was to adjust constitu-
tional question that had disturbed
the minds Of the nation from the
establishment Of the government.
It was the question Of States rights.
From the beginning the thirteen
colonies from Plymouth Rock all
the way down the Atlantic coast,
each was jealous of its individual
rights. When they were forced to
Join themselves together under that
slack, loose instrument known as the
article of confederation, which viz
tually gave to the central govern
nent no executive powers whatever,
It was with light finger that the
drafters Of that instrument drafted
those lines that would take away
from the respective colonies any of
their former rights. Eight years
later, in 1889, when the representa-
tiyes of the thirteen different states
adopted our present constitution it
was with curious eyes that they
conned those lines that denied states
rights, and neither North Carolina
: in the South, nor Rhode Island in the
North would come into the union
, until certain amendments were made
. to the constitution, so jealous were
they of their rights. At that time
there was not state that came into
the union but believed that it haC
the right under the constitution, tt
| withdraw when it's rights were at
tackled. Scarcely was the govern
: nent fifteen years old before New
| England had threatened to secede
When the United States Congress
, had under consideration the acquisi
: ton Of Louisiana Hon. Joshua Quincy
! then president Of Harvard. gave ex
. preston to this utterance ans
, thought so much Of it that he had i
+ reduced to writing:
: eff this bill passes" referring t
= the bill OF the acquisition Of Louis
: ana, st is my deliberate opinion
2 that the union is virtually dissolved
: and the states will be free from thei
5 moral obligation, ard IS it will b
e the right Of al, so it viii be the dut
e Of some, to prepare for separation
! arnicably, if they can, violently i
4 they must" Scarcely had this revc
;, lutionary sentiment died, before tn
!, war OF 1912 came, then we hear o
: the famous Hartford conventio
+ that adopted the most revolutionar
n resolutions that are still Of record
:, and the entire New England pres
| and pulpit were at red hot pitc
G with threats Of secession.
II I call your attention to these fact:
0 not to arouse sectional feelings, fo
) God knows that | would blot on
It every trace Of sectionalism and PAL
h tisanism and boast of a united COY
: eminent without reference to SCI
tionalism, but l feel it only fair an
!. just to the Confederate Veterans t
h say that prior to 1861 there was
o universal belief that under the COZ
s stitution any state had the right t
o secede; that our forefathers wer
f not traitors but were honorable me
fighting in the defense of just an
f honorable cause.
o Thus believing that they had
e right to secede, the time came whe
e their honor and integrity demande
d that they exercise that right. The
: believed that they had the right
Ii secede under the constitution; undo
r the same constitution they kne'
70 that they had the inalienable rigf
IS of property, and under the sam
o constitution they knew that the slay
n was their property. Northern state
d not only refused to obey the laws {
lie comfy, and return the slave to h
IS master when found within their bo