Year: 1863

1t is well never to lose sight of the real
source of the shareholders conspiracy
more frequently termed the rebellion
for then we shall always be aware of its
terrible nature and scope, and shall not
be so likely to fail in its proper treat
ment The outbreak was not an acci-
dent, or sudden freak of passion, but
the development of fell purpose, of a
pre-arranged conspiracy. Its root was
the increasing conviction that slavery
could..not stand a popular government in
this age of the world. Hence arose the
determination on the part of the slave
holders to break away from this govern
ment established by our fathers, and to
set up another with--as Alexander H.
Stephens of Georgia acknowledged
slavery for its chief corner stone"


Abundant proofs of this position are to
be found in the confessions of the lead
ing minds of the South. Mr.. Garnett of
Virginia says, in a letter recently cap
tured in South Carolina, Democracy,
in its original philosophical sense, is in
compatible with slavery and the whole
system of Southern society" De Bo,c'S
Rerieto declares that those rnetilant
and perniclous dogmas-'t the greatest
good of the greatest number - the ma
iority shall rule are, in their practical
application, the frightful source of disor-
ders never to be quieted." The same
writer concludes that the institution of
an hereditary Senate and Executive is
the political form "best suited to the
genius and most expressive of the ideas
of the South Col Hamilton of Texas
testihes that these doctrines have spread
throughout the South to such an extent
within twenty-five years, that freedom of
opinion was entirely extinguished Mr.
Sherwood, long a resident of Texas, in a
recent pamphlet, thus quotes Mr.. Spratt,
the noted South Carolina secessionist:


" He assumed that there was no man
in the South who deserved the name of
statesman who would pretend that seces-
sion was caused by any aggression of the
North upon the rights of the South -
that it was still less the result Of any
actof oppression on the part of the United
States government that the reason
was because of the difference in the Or
ganization of society North and South =
it was because, in the non-slave-holding
States, from the very fact that every man
was freeman, the North was naturally
democratic - every man being free
man, the result Was that the laboring
class in the non-slaveholding States had
the power of government, and it requir-
ed but little argument to prove, when
that was the case, government, instead
of being in the head, was i'll the heels of
society Mr.. Spratt further assumed
that mo greater truth was ever uttered
than that uttered by Mr.. Seward when
he said, there was an irrepressible COL


flict between the two systems of society"


1t would be useless to multiply the ev-
licences of this fixed conviction of the
leading slaEshAlaess, bat -'rree rhtstfru-
tions. were essentially hostile to their in
terests, and must, therefore, be thrown
off And vet there are men at the North
who piU close their eyes to this great
fact-men who affect to believe that were
they and their political associates only
in power, the rebels would gladly make
neace and return to the Union. They
might If the freemen of the North would
onIv consent to forswear the great rights
of free speech, free press and the rule
of the majority, and all those other pre-
cious immunities secured to them by the
Constitution. Otherwise, the reckless
managers of the shareholders rebellion
want nothing more to do with us. And
the only effect of giving full sway to the
Seymour and Vallandigham party would
be to enable their honest followers to
discover at length, what is now PLAIN tc
the rest of the loyal country, that the reb


ell leaders are irreclaimable, and the re


bellion must be conquered or it will con


ouer us-thus merely protracting th'


struggle during the time these men were


gaining the light which, were their eye


open, is now beaming full upon them
| We cannot wait for these slow learners


The government must act up to its con


victions promptly. Seeing the root Q


this rebellion, it must lay the ak ther


boldly and vigorously, and fear not TO