The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-10-05
FINE ADDRESSES
AT THE UNWILLING.
Continued from page nine.)

by training and experience SO to do.
Another slander is that the South
fought to perpetuate slavery. The
issue was not slavery. Nor was the
war fought by the North to free the
slaves, except as an after thought.
The principle for which we fought
was local self government and three
fifths OF those who fought had never
owned slaves.
The slave trade was introduced by
England South Carolina ana Virginia
wanted to get rid of the slave trade
before the war with England. After
we had wrested independence from
Old England, New England took up
the infamous slave trade. Many of
the fortunes, which there have bios
somed so beautifully in the last half
century have their roots planted deep
in the dirty black soil Of the slave
trade.
DIR. Lodge declared that he would
say nothing to disturb the present
harmony between sections, but let the
record be kept straight. New Eng
land abandoned the use of slaves FOR
economic reasons and then opposed
it for political reasons, for they did
not wish too many Southern men i'll
congress. The hypocrisy of it,! New
England gathered up the slaves from
their home in Africa. sold them to the
South, then came down with cannon
and rifle to steal them away from
us.
The Right to Secede.
Did we have the right to Secede?
That question has been settled so far
as the force and arms is concerned,
but in the eterpal verittes we We're
right then and that principle will be
right until Gabriel blows his horn.
The 13 colonies were Doun TO Eng
land. each by an individual cord, none
having authority over the others.
The sword OF Washington severed the
cords and I'm the treaty of peace they
were recognized as free and independ-
ent States. In the constitution the
States retained" their sovereign
ty." They sometimes say that Lee
was atraitor and that Jackson was a
rebel The text books on constitu
tional law at West Point when Lee
and Jackson and Davis were cadets
there teach Us that the States had the
right to secede. " these men were
traitors It was because they were
made SO by the government while they
were cadets.
Noah Webster's dictionary juggied
with the words Sovereignty" and I'm
dependence" In the first edition the
definitions were in keeping with the
idea taught IN ihe South. But in the
second edition published during the
excitement of 1861 the meaning had
been changed by the Northern editors.
New Epgiapd's Inconsistency,
Was IL right to secede? in 1903
when the Louisiana purchase matter
was pending and jt seemed probable
that the South would have additional
representation in congress. New Eng
land said: I'VE will go out Of the
Union If YOU take in this new state"
Josiah Quincy said: 1t will be the
right OF all and The duty of some to
prepare for separation amicably If
possible, forcibly Ii Decessary."
Again when New England shipping
New England sailors were pressed
into British service, Southern presi-
dent went to war for New England!
And then what did New England do?
government. to hamper the progress
of the war and some OF her sons were
in reasonable communication with
the enemy. The Hartford conven-
tion of 1914 would haye declared for
secession had not the speedy signing
OF the treaty OF peace thwarted their
plans.
The difference is this: The South
seeded when the nation was strong
and not beset from without by for
eign foe. New England threatened to
secede when common foe was weak
ening the defenses of the government
In 1S45 Texas wanted to come in.
Massachusetts again said: 1--WE will
secede ii you do" And now we wish
to God that she had. But 16 years
later when the South seeded the
troops from Massachusetts shed the
blood of Southern citizens on the
streets of Baltimore for doing the very
thing which Massachusetts would have
done before