The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-12-08
Norfolk Virginian ilot.

NOrCn IlCUle cOuntenance is now given
to the view OF secession which Was
almost universally held by the polit-
ical pOlemists of that section during
the thirty years following on the col
lapse OF the Confederate cause. The
theory that the Constitution was
violated by the States, which with
drew their allegiance to the Federal
government and the citizens who fol-
lowed their States were guilty of trea-
ron has never had competent judicial
sanction, and of late a sOunder and
broader Judgment has been voiced
by a school OF writer's whose opinions
both as iurists and as historians
carry with them the weight of au-
thority. These teachings have per-
meated and Influenced the public
mind beyond the Potomac to the ex-
tent, that only bigotry and ignor-
ance continue to contest the truth
against such masters Of COnstitu-
tiOnal lore as Blaine, Adams and
Lodge, and the day is not far distant
when general acceptance will be given
to the fact so tersely and fOrcibly set
forth by General Grosvenor. at Chau-
tauqua the other day-that the
trainers OF the Constitution left it an
open question, and therefore one to
be settled by each State for itself.
whether the original ratification Of
the Federal compact bound each
member in perpetuity or reserved its
rights to assume it's sovereignty when
so disposed. In the original instru-
ment all rights were saved to the
States which were not expressly
granted to the central agency, and
the implication is all in favor OF the
grantor. Certainly in such a con-
structiOn there was neither violence
TO reason, political crime, or moral
perfdv. The next generation of
Americans will place the ban OF os-
tractism on any book which writes
down the secession OF ,,rginia as
treason or applies to Lee or jackson
the foul name traitor. The concess
is not, and perhaps will never be, that
we put into practice an absolute
right; but it will be allowed that we
acted on we'll buttrpssed "claim OF
right" which has never been adverse
ly passed upon except in that forum
of arms where Law is silent. When
the United States government failed
to prosecute the case it had against
the President of the COnfederated
States the first step was taken in ex-
punging from the pages of history
the accusation that the South broke
any valid obligation of law or politi-
cal morals in essaying to set up a
government of, by, and for her own
people.
On another material point, how
ever, the Northern view has been with
out correcting guidance and is still
far astray. 1t was a clever device OF
Seward and his coadiutors to stimu
late enlistments for the armies of
coersion with the cry that the war
on the part of South was one OF ag-
gression with the purpose OF destroy
ing the Union" This was the shib-
boleth which influenced thepOpulace,
particularly that portion OF it lately
foreign which regarded the Washing
ton government as the one ark OF
safety for the oppressed of all ma
tions. The seeding States had no
desire save to be let alone in renOunc-
ing a government which had grown
distasteful to them and the establish
ment of separate institutions refiec-
tive of their sentiments and interests.
The cherished dream OF the UOnfed-
crate statesmen was OF two friendly
republics, each working out its des-
tiny along lines in accord with the
genius OF its people and it's special
needs. Exercising what they believed
to be their wnprerogative. they had
no thought but that every State pos
sessed an equal right to determine
it's own alliances and the idea Of ques-
tioning thejurisdictibn Of the Federal
agency over those States which elect
ed to remain in the Union never en-
tered the brain OF the most ardent
champion OF Southern independence.
The first act OF the Southern Con-
gress at Montgomery was to send an
embassy to Washington to enter
into a treaty Of peace with the United
States, based upon agreed terms OF
separation; and the military policy
OF the Confederacy was strictly defen-
sive from the outset OF hostilities and
continued SO until the end; for the
two campaigns North OF the Poto-
mac were only desperate strategic
expedients, undertaken in the forlorn
hope OF impressing foreign powers
with the policy OF intervention; and
if these incursions had been success
full, even If Washington had been
captured, the use to be made OF vic
tory was no more than to compel a
cessation of hostilities and to extort
recognition of the Confederacy as a
sovereign political entity.
Yet the school-texts, as we'll as the
more ambitious treatises on that
period OF convulsion still present the
struggle as one in which the effort on
one side was to annihilate the Federal
government and on the other to
"save the Union" And to such an
extent has the poison OF error work
ed that, even among the Southern
youth Of today a very small traction
is left with a clear perception OF the
verieties OF the case,-that the South
ern States, the wayward sisters o.
| uorooo Eroolov's ia mons anOstODhro