The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-14
NEWSPAPERS OPINION
COAL OF SECESSION

The observance 'of the birthday Of Jefferson
Davis this year was marked by the usual remihu-
ers that the soldiers of the South did not fight in
defense of slavery, but rather in defense OF the
right of their States to secede This is true, but IL
occurs to us that the question might easily arise
in the mind of an unbiased listener to why the
Southern States seeded. One may grant the right
of secession and yet not approve the act of seces-
sion itself, One can imagine such listener asking
if they did not secede in order to preserve slavery
And unless one is familiar with more American
history than is usually taught in the schools, one
might find that question difficult.
What was the goal of secession? Abolition Of
slavery within the United States would have re-
quired an amendment to the Constitution, which
involved the assent of threefourths of the States,
Barely half the States voted for Lincoln, and much
less than half of the voters, There was no imme
date dapgero of abolition On the other hand, such
Questions as that Of the return of fugitive slaves
from, Northern States and that Of the right OF
slave owners to take their slaves into the morgan
lied territories would be settled against the South
By secession. Secession would bring Canada to the
Ohio and the Potomac so to speak, and citizens o.
the Southern States, would lose all their rights in
the unorganized territories Of the United States
SECESSION, therefore, would not help slavery. On
the contrary it would prescribe, it.. Why then did
the people of the Southern States decide by such
overwhelming majOrities to sseeede from, the
Union? scsnIny o,g ,oylti., 20 seeds f,a,,
A clue to the answer may be found by examin-
ing the; Constitution of the Confederate States OF
America In what particulars did it differ from
the Consultation of the United States? The South
ern States were free to write any kind of Con-
stitution they wanted, What kind did they write
The answer to that question ought to give clue
to the goal of secession As, a general statement
It. may, be said that the goal of secession was IN
dependence from the North. But independence for
what purpose? roW What kind of "a Constitution was
provided for the government over which Jefferson
Davis presided ..-...... ,..r.... ..,.r.. .3ss
Well, aside from immateral changes, like the
new preamble and the provision of a single SIX
year term for the President the Confederate Con-
stitution contained only three provisions that were
not in the Constitution of the United States. It
prohibited ~ the levying of tariff duties to pro-
mote any one form of industry--the protective
tariff, (2) the payment Of bounties, and (3) Fed
sral appropriations for, internal improvements
within the States .., i
This is the iniquitous trinity from which the
cotton and tobacco states had suffered during 30
years prior to secession. South Carolina was ready
to secede account of them in 1882. The tr-
umph of narrowly sectional party like that which
elected Lincoln, meant that henceforth the oppos-
ton of the South to these, things would be hope
less and futile. And the aftermath of the Civil
war proved this appraisal to be correct Secession
would have freed the South from these handicaps
to its prosperity-heavy government expenditures
for bounties and internal improvements, and a
high tariff system to raise the revenue for such
expenditures. Secession failed, and so the fight
still remains.-Texas Weekly.