The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-05

vNI Souh'
zD ; ;s f., and H.. ' "'..s.,
which has come to us is unwortny
of the name: the accounts or the Id
mour struggles OF trloes go
nations have generally oeen
written by the conquerors: tne
Carthagenians preserved no recoIus
of their wars with the Romans; the
caufs left us no reports of their
struggles With Caesar; and the Pc
ouods were unable to transmit TO US
their experiences in their wars with
the Puritans of New England, Hence
very little of the History when we
have been reading can be relied on as
a safe guide to those views OIL lie
which we need in framing our moral
code. and in arriving at just Judg-
ments of nations, families and midi
yidUals.
These thoughts came into my mind
some weeks ago when a gentleman
was giving his opinion as to the cause
OF the late war between the Northern
and the Southern States. Nearly all
the books, magazines and famous
n~ewspapers which discuss this war
give the claims of the North; and even
Che few works which have been writ
ten by SOuthernerS can be seen IN
very few public libraries or private
libraries III the South. Indeed, few
persons of our post-bellum generation
are willing to read any discussion OF
the war by a Southerner, and possibly
his gentleman belongs to that class.
trust that the can find
SPACE enough to give to their read
ers one of the noted documents which
present the views of famous states
mer Of the war period, and clear away
many Of the myths which at this time
can almost defy exposure. 1t is the
paper submitted to North CarOlina's
Secession Convention. which me. in
Raleigh on MAY 30. 1861. by George
+. Badger. who will sc down in our
annals as one of the States most hon
ored citizens.
Mr.. Badger was an uncompromis-
Ing opponent OF secession: in Gov.
Graham's sketch of his life (See
Peele's Lives of Distinguished North
Carolinians) it is said that he opposed
a '~'strict' construction of the Federal
Constitution; as to the right of a State
to secede, The had never for a mo-
ment believed in it or given it the least
c~ountenance;" and. while canvaSsing
the State as candidate for Elector on
the Bell and Everett ticket. he
charged that "a large portion of the
supporters Of Mr.. Breckinridge' de.
sired the election of Lincoln, because
of the opportunity it would afford fol
a O1SSOlutlOn OF the Onl0n.'
1t must have, therefore,, been quite
a surprise to the bers of tina
convention. which contained a large
per cent Of the politicians who helG
Mr.. Badgers views-iucluding VIM
A. Graham, JOIN A. Giimer, Kenneth
Raynor and K. p. Battle-when h
offered the following:
An Ordinance Declaring the Sep
aration of North Carolina from tn,
United States of America.
"Whereas, Abraham Lincoln, of IL
1inois. and Hannibal Hamlin, o
Maine, were chosen President an,
Vice-President Of the United States b
a party in fact and avoWedly entirel
sectional in it's organization. and hos
tile in its declared principles to tn
institutions of the Southern States 0
the Union, and t~hereupon, certain
Southern States did separate them
selves from the Union. and form an
other and Independent government
und the name Of THE Confederat
States Of America and,
Whereas, the people Of Mort
Carolina, though justly aggrieyed b
the evident tendency of the election
and of these principles. did. neverthe
less, abstain from adopting any sue
measure OF separation, and on tn
contrary, Influenced by an ardent al
tachment to the Union and Constitu
ton which their fathers had trans
mltted to them. did remain in the sal
Union, loyalty discharging all the
duties under the Constitution, in til
hope that what was threatening i
public affairs might yield to the un
ted efforts of patriotic men from ever
part OF the nation, and by these g,
forts such guarantees for the secur
ity Of our rights might be obtained {
should restore confidence rene
allenated ties, and finally %re-unite a
fha States in a noroeronn lool - r
terna1 Union; meantime, cheerful
exerting whatever i%nhuence they no
sessed for the accomplishment Of tn
most desirable end; and,
Whereas, things being in this co,
dition. and the people of this Sta