The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-06-02

upon them--the insulting words and
incendiary conduct of the North made
of every true son of the South a cham
pion and defender of that which deep
down in his heart he longed to be rid
of.
Slavery Not the Issue.
"T utterly deny that the South Sc
coded from the nion, and poured
out the priceless treasure of her he
roic blood. to maintain the institution
of African slavery Such sacrifice.
such matchless courage. such sublime
fortitude. such unfaultering trust in
her God sprung not from a source
so ignominious, Do men gather grapes
of thorns of figs from thistles?'
II know that Mr. Lincoln, in his
inaugural address, declared:
One section of our country believes
slavery Is right and ought to be ex-
tended, while the other believes slav-
cry Is wrong and ought not to be ex-
tended This is the only substantial
dispute
But / also know that the inaugural
address of MIR. Davis, at Montgomery,
did not once mention slavery; and that
the second inaugural, at Richmond.
breathed a spirit and wore form
utterly Incompatible with the base mo-
tives Northern abolitionists found it
profita Bile to impute to the people
whose causes he represented. Suffer
me to quote its concluding sentences:
My hope Is reyerently flxe< on
Him whose favor Is ever vouchsafed
to the cause which is just. With hum
bic gratitude and alteration. acknowl-
edging the Providence which has so
often vista bile protected the Confed-
eracy during its brief but eventful
career, TO Thee. Oh God. / trustingly
commit myself, and prayerfuliy invoke
thy blessings on my country and its
cause"
The people" says the historian
Dodd. dispersed silently and in medi-
tation. as though they had attended
Divine services
Fought for Independence.
81 also know that President Davis.
after three years OF terrific lighting.
declared to representatives of Presi-
dent Lincoln:
I'VE are not fighting for slavery.
We are fighting for independence. Say
to Mr. Lincoln for me ] shall at any
time be pleased to receive proposals
for peace on the basis of our inde-
pendence II will be useless to APP
proach me with any other F"
II repeat, with all the emphasis
can impart to my words. that the
EeC&uH
to maintain the institution of African
slavery spurn the calumny!
ut was what was back of and
around that issue. The question of
slavery had become so enmeshed.
through sectional hate. with insult and
wrong wrong both in private and
and public legislation--that proud
and sensitive people were driven to
seek relief from intolerable conditions
4 he H. I'd
of peaceahle withdrawal frcn the com.
pact into which they had voluntarily
entered The most fundamental and
sacred purposes OF that compact hav-
ing been luthlessly disregarded, the
South Relieved II to be her unauesiiea-
able right ID resceably withdraw
That such peaceabie withdrawal
was her intention i shall show; but
before ! leave the subject OF slavery 1t
is in my heart TO say that the truly
noble. unselfsh, yes chivalrous, con-
duct of Southern slaves during the
war, when our men were at the front
and our women and children almost
wholly under their protection is
complete ard triumphant refriation OF
the Islander which branded that do
mesEie at the South as
1.-The sum of all villainies." That cruel
ties were perpetrsted / doubt not
guilty parties belonged to that class
which is the curse of every section
essentially base in birth, breeding and
instincts.
Tribute to Faithful Negro.
THE southern gentleman and the
southern gentlewoman were never
cruel With the fine feeling engen-
dered by trustful dependence, they
gave TO their slaves a watchful care
.,rfr
tiful. old Mistress and old Master
were words spoken lovingly In those
days
Had 1t been otherwise, think you
the millions of negroes in Southern
homes and on Southern plantations
would not have risen In their might
and thrown of their letters by deeds
that would have sent fathers and
brothers and lovers rushing back from
the front to protect their dear ones at
home? One week of such horrors
would have sufhced to work the dts
bandment OF the Southern army and
the collapse of the Southern cause!
Surely the negroes knew it. But, no!
Theodore Parker might say. II should
like above all thirgs to see an insur-
rection of slaves; Garrison might ex-
claim, Success TO every slave insur-
rection in the South" But Southern
pable OF such atrocities.
mot one deed of horror stained their
splendid record of devotion during
those years. Had some lechcrous
scoundrel. emboldened by seemingly
Aefenseless cor ditions, dared 10 assault
the snow white citadel of one south
ern woman's virtue. he would have
been torn limb from limb by infuri-
ated defenders who formed a dark but
impene .rabie Gordon about the honor
Of the Southern home! That not one
such attack wac made writes lie on the
imputa alton of universal. or even fro
qnent, cruelty In letters so large and
distinct, that a wayfaring mar, though
a fool. may read. ~. ,...,. 4
Report OF special committee tomor-
row will doubtless edvocate the erec-9
ton OF a monument Ito the sublime
fortitude and patriotism of the South
ern woman.
II would have that monument to be
the most beautiful In all the hand. In
honor of the fairest type of woman-
hood the world has over seen. I.wouid
have IL proclaim 10 the passing gea-
erations that the Southern soldie.
could not nave been what he was mad
- IL