The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-09

MoSby came TO washington 10 i've =
made his acquaintance and had many
interesting talks with him. In one OF
these he said General Lee told him just
before he went South that while he
did not believe in any right OF secession
under the Constitution, or that there
existed any adequate reason for II, there
was a condition of revolution, and he
felt he must go with his State. Colonel
Mosby was an educated man ana n
member Of the bar. and belonged TO a
good Virginia family who owned slaves.
on one occasion he gave me the en-
closed statement of his views or the
civil war and its cause.
ARCHIBALD HOPKINS.
..V,AsMiScycN, u. Cr,.Juae H..
Tho pro.slavery propagandists contended
that without slavery rice and cotton could
not bs cultivated. ana that II II were
abolished the States with these Industries
would soon become African %Jungles. They
believed that civilization would depart with
the white people and that the cotton belt
would revert to the condition 1t was IN
when De Soto discovered the Mississippi.
Alexander Stephens. who advocated re-
opening the African slave trade, declared
that slavery was the cornerstone OF the
southern Confederacy. II Is remarkable
that the demands OF the slave power grew
IlhIr lOkhn MS . NV"
II the bred Scott decision was right, then
the Constitution made every state a slave
state. and equally prohibited emancipation
In the states and the Territories, which
would have astounded George washington
as he signed a bill prohibiting II In the
Northwest Territory.
In looking over the eituation to-day one
mus, be impressed by the fact Of how
little men know about the future. Free
! labor produces several times as much as
! slave labor. and free schools have taught
the white people that n majority OF them
we're as much benefited by the procIama-
ton OF emancipation as the negroes were.
All now thank Lincoln for breaking the
black Idol. Two year. before the war
General Robert r.. Leo wrote a private
letter In which he said that slavery was
a great evil and was more injurious TO the
white than to tho black people. II
so, Il was Just as legitimate to restrict
tn. evil as for Missouri 20 quarantine
against cattle to prevent the spread OF
TeNa. fever. ~ TIL. letter had been pub
iished AZ the time II was written It would
have very much Offended public sentiment
in Virginia. sss Breckinrldse was
nominated simply 10 defeat Douglas and
elect Lincoln. In order to give a plausible
excuse for secession Hts candidacy was
no; n mask for the Southern hotspurs.
In reviewing the past slavery now seems
81, repuls,vs that many ascribs secession
70 another cause; but nobody can tell what
the other cause was, The most polished
nations have n some time tole'Hted slaV-
cry. and n. a Justification of Il the pro-
slavery peon,e used to say that Jesus did
not condemn Roman slavery In Judea. As
IN, slaves under tho Roman Empire were
as white a. tho masters. this argument
would Justify enslay!ng both white men
and negroes.
belonged 10 a slave holding family
and had been reared a Henry clay Wig.
nut the remnant OF the old party which
nominated John Bel was merely a faction
and a eide show, l always thought when
the war was going on. and so Ola every
other Confederate soldier, that We were
nrhtIng about what the North and South
had been quarrei!Ing about. Some now
say chat Il was FOR our Constitutional rights
and not 'or slavery. But that IL reasoning
IN a circle. Granted that W. were. what
was the right" Il was the right 20 carry
our negroes into the Territories and hold
them as slave. The conaic. was not over
the mere ac-i.iui, question of an aostrac;
legal risht. Slavery was as much the sub
tect and cause % the war as ~ tho 'itle
to a negro had been the issue IN an action
At law. Courts do not tolerate fictitious
suits to decide abstract questions. there
must be a subject matter.
It seems TO be forgotten that the CON
fedcra,e Government was organized under
a Democratic Administration n month be
fore Lincoln was inauguratei. II either Of
tho other thr.. candidates had been
elected there would have been no secession.
50 4, cannot truthfu!ly be SAID. as the
cau-e ~ secession, that the rights ~ any
state had been violated. The Government
had been IN existence seventy-two years
when the war hogan. ~ this time tho
south had had the Presidency nearly ffty
years. when South Carolina passed her
ordinance. OF secession three southern men
were tn the cabinet AZ Washington and al
went with the ConfeierAcy. The Secre-
,ary % War was q Virginian, and so was
thu commanding General OF the army. We
were the frst people IN history who ever
attempted to overthrow n Government
which We had always controlled. South
Carolina accompanied her ordinance with =
declaration that 1, was done because say
cry wouli not he SAFE under q Black Re
publican President. Although the majority
OF the virginia pcople d.i not agree Win
Tho South Carolina policy ~ d!sunlon as n
remedy, yet in the slavery quarrel sh'
WINS IN sympathy with South Carolina, and
when tho conflict ~ arms came. ike other
Nirrinlnns. I took tn" pro slavery sid"
General l.. probably knew what the
war was about Ills father In politics be
lonred TO tn. .choo' Of Washington nnt
Alexander Hamilton. u. di not hc,ievs
either in IN. right or the policy OF scces
sion II. Is reported by MS b!ogra pher.
a. saying that he would have been willins
70 llheratc the four million OF slaves II
the South 70 prevent war and save thu
linton. Bu. l'h.rating tho slaves could no
have prevented the war unless they hat
been the cause ~ II The slave holdinl
class was a small, o'earchy that gov
erupI the South. but that dii not max,