The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-02-03
As to Secession.
Editor The Bamberg Herald:

Editor The Bamberg Herald:
The cause for which so many
Southerners and Northerners laid
down their lives in the war Of Sc
cession is dead issue. Never again
will there be another slave issue.
At least we have reason to believe
that there will not be-. But in the
wake Of the dreadful conflict waged
we observe many mementoes that
serve as lesson to liberty lovers the
extreme havoc of war. Naturally the
inquiring youth will unfold the pages
of history in search Of the causes of
these great strifes, and he is often
deluded by biased or prejudiced
writer's, the so-called makers of his
tory, but We are gratified to know
that there are many sons born of
Southern parentage, and patriotic
to Southern principles, who are not
so easily led into misrepresenta-
,tions. I quote from the Story Of
America, a contribution by Colonel
A. K. Mcclure, entitled: Some for
gotten lessons of the war" 1T will
be equally surprising to the students
of American history to-day to learn
that the great mass of people Of both
sections of the country were so pro-
foundly interested in ayerting fra
ternal conflict that only the madness
of the secession leaders forced by the
North to unite in the support Of the
war by ,wantonly firing upon the
starving and helpless garrison at Ft:
Sumter when it's peaceable surrender
could have been accomplished with
in a few hours thereafter"
This is a fragrant misrepresenta-.
ton. It would lead the student to
believe that the Southerners, or prop
erly South Carolinans attacked the
garrison at Ft. Sumter without any
provocation whatever. It is conclu-
sive that the State Of South Carolina
would not have been followed by the
other Southern States were the at
tack upon Ft. Sumter unjustified.
War at this time was inevitable.
The slavery question had been con-
tested in the National legislature for
many years, but to avail very little
towards the emancipation Of the
slaves, at least to no avail in some
of the Southern States. The stern
advocates were met with no less an
tagonism through the South's rep
resentatives in the National legisla-
ture. One declaration by a South
ern leader was: Slavery now pre-
serves in quiet and security more than
six million human beings, and that
it could not be destroyed without de-
stroying the peace and prosperity OF
nearly half the States in the union
Was not this prophecy adequately
fulfilled? It is not necessary to go
into details of history on this ques-
tion; suffice to say that the question
was at issue for immediate settle
ment, and the Northerners would not
accept any compromises as they had
done in many instances.
South Carolina and Georgia were
the most obstinate States, and they
declared they would secede from the
union if the North did not pay recog-
milton to the existence Of slavery
within their borders. But here is
the lesson. South Carolina or either
any of the Southern States were not
aggressors in this agitation as Is 80
fagrantly misrepresented by North
ern writer's. When the State of
South Carolina seeded we were a
free and sovereign republic, and
knew that We would have to fight to
preserve our 81 fcession at all hazards,
and this we did by making immediate
attack upon TIE federal garrison at
Ft. Sumter, aiming that just van
tage ground in the waging of con-
flict to follow and declaration OF
war to maintain our sovereignty.
Again Northern writer's have made
Misrepresentation by asserting that
Lincoln's attitude was to preserve the
union. How cou'l they expect the
union preserved in the face of the de-
preston brought % bear upon the
South? Here We have arrived at
the issue. We were loyal to justice,
and to justice only. and had they
not forced the issue upon us we would
not have seeded. History says that
Lincoln at one time during secession
offered resignation of his Office. Why
did he do this? He had felt remorse
of conscience at that grave moment,
but ah, it was too late. Public SEN
timent had wrought its awful work,
and he having pledged his party to