The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-05-17

conscience Of New England seemed to-
be In state of profound torpor as
to the iniquity of the slave trade and
slavery until it was ascertained that
slaves could not be profitably worked
in New England, and while it was en-
gagged in the slave trade the legislature
of Virginia was busy passing resolu-
tions against it.
In a very able paper on the Mis-
understanding Between the Sections,
Col. Robert Bingham uses this Ian
suage: I'VE are told by John Fiske
in his "Critical Period of American
History" that further Importation of
slaves into Virginia was prohibited by,
law as early as 1869. and that New
England voted with South Carolina
and Georgia in the federal convention
of 1887 for an extension of the slave
trade for 20 years; that in 1927, out
of 1877 anti-slavery societies with
membership of 6,625-1O6, with
membership Of $3.50, were in
the South. and while the South
was working out it's race
problem of gradual emanci-
patton William Lloyd Garrison inau-
gurated his abolition movement, and
this, with the murders of Nat Turner
in Virginia, caused the disappearance
of every anti-slavery society in the
South by 1882"
The statesmen of the South at
that period of our country's history.
in point Of loftiness Of character and
ability. compared favorably with the
greatest statesmen. of the world, and
1T is impossible not to believe that If
the South, had been allowed to work
out it's own race problem, free from.
interference from the North, that it
would eventually have abolished
slavery with due regard to the in,
terest of the slave and Of his master.
without the horrors of war and re-
CONSTRUCTION. -.
"Uncle Toms. Cabin" written by q.
brilliant but ill-informed and faction.
al woman, set the North crazy, In.
famed its passions and dethroned it's
Judgment and, its reason. The condi,
tions set out in this book were. for
the most part, false from cover to
cover.
The truth is that the interests of
the North and South were in sharp
conflict. The diversity of. interest ex,
listing between the sections grew un-
til a settlement Of the issues other
than by force was impossible.
The generally accepted statement
that the South was hurried into the
conflict by rash leaders is wholly
without foundation. The question of
secession was debated in every nook
and corner of the South; the plain
people as well as the rich and cultur-
ed were thoroughly informed upon
the issues, and many of the most in
huential men in the South strongly
opposed the dissolution of the Union,
but the overwhelming sentiment of
the entire population of the South
was that there was no other honorable
course left except to withdraw from
the Union, which was only a Union
in name.
| The guaranteed rights Of the South
under the constitution had been OPEN
iy nullified and the fundamental law
of the land had been denounced as "a
league with death and covenant with
hell" No one can read the debates
OF our Southern statesmen during that
period without reaching the conclu-
sion that every effort at conciliation
and compromise had been exhausted.
and the sole question left was wheth-
er the South would remain in the
Union and have her rights under the
constitution denied her, her Just de-
mandS refused, and for an indefinite
time submit to indignity and insult.
She demanded equality in the sister,
hood of States This was denied her.
She then asked to be allowed to de-
part In peace, and this was refused.
The result of her action proved dis
astrous. but. for my own part, 1 be-
'ieve 1t is the duty of a nation, as of
an individual. to act according to the
dictates of it's conscience; that it is
better, thousand times better, to suf-
Ter defeat than dishonor, and for this
reason the South was justified in law
In morals and In conscience in with
drawing from the Union and calling
upon her sons to defend their homes
and fircsldes.
Iroc. GilCerslcyc tells us in b;S