Year: 1863

of the North, that they are waging war to


save the 'tlife of the natiop?" Is there no
life for them except in a Union with the
South?- The Confederate States and people


can support national existence very we'll
/ by themselves; why can not the North do


likewise? and how unworthy of any nation


is the plea, that it must die political death


if they lose their association with another


who desire to get rid of the fellowship
! Besides. even if the plea were ever so we'll
grounded, If the North were indeed mere
parasite, incapable of self-existence, does
that circum stance confer upon it any moral
right to yoke another people, alien and hos
tile, to an abhorrent association? The rule
| in the natural world is, that parasites may
I be destroy ed; not that the self-existent plant
or animal must perish to support the para
site. The South has a right to existence as
we'll as her enemy. The vindietive spirit
in which the North has waged war upon her
shows the long latent hatred which that sec
tion had felt toward her people, and leaves
no room to doubt that secession from the
Union was an act of self preservation. Is
she not entitled 10 'live' as we'll as her
enemy? What right bas any community
to independence and to recognition which
constantly proclaims that its national life
depends upon preserving or, enforcing a un-
ion with another?


But the abject meaLness and the moral
worthlessness Of the plea is only equaled by
its falsity. The national life' will not per-
ish by the loss Of tn Q Sonth. Thev can still
maintain a respectable nationality if they are
! only capable of pursuing a virtuous course
of conduct. They have splendid country, a
vast unoccupied domain, generous soil and
propitious climate; they have immense fixed
capital and heavy accumulation of pecun-
iary means; they have unlimited resources
of minerals and forest wealth; they have
skill in the arts aod great experience and
enterprise on the waters; they are the best
masters in the world of steam. What, in
deed, have they not in material resources?
In many of these depart ments they boast
great ascendency over the South. Why,
then, must they lose their national existence
bv separation from the South? There can
be but one reason, to-w:t: The moral rotten
ness of the social fabric-ths loss of sincere
pietv, the corruption Of morals, a general
depravity of moral nature, less of elevated
tone, the departure of honor-tbese may be
the causes of national decay and DOWNFALL;
but the Yankees do not acknowledge their
existence and their excuse for the war is
based on some other theory.


1t is. in fact, not probable that the North
can long maintain prosperous national ex





al and individual virtue; but that circum-
stanceConstitutes an imperativJ reason why
the South should flee from the modern
Sodom.. Her measures are not only defen-
sive In tho detail, but her primary object
was sself-preservarion. If the loss of alton
al life by the North is apprehe ended from
this cause. so far from th cir war being justi
fable on this ground, it is the reverse
The South is forced by the m ost imperative
reasons to make good her separation; and
the North has no right to infict her moral
corruption upon her neighbor. The victim
of sni all pox is bound 10 keep himself aloof
from other people; and he may be shot
down in bis tracks, it he persist in thrusting
this mortal contagion upon the pubic. In
very much the same spirit that healthy
man would fee from contact of this loath-
some coGtagion, did the South wish to Sc
cede from the Union; and the first and most
sacred instiL ctsof human nature compel her
to resist further association


There can be no loss of national life" to
the North. except from the very causes
which justi6es the South in persistiDg in her
purpose Of eterpal and com plete separation. 1
The loss of morals is so utter and universal
in that couEtry. as almost to shake faith In
modern civiliz alton, aud in the saving power
or modern Christianity. The moral disease
OF the North either de6es the efficacy of the


:salt of the tarth," or else the ''salt has lost
its SAVIOR"


But the moral aspect, though the most i'm
portant. is not the only one in which the
South is bound to view the condition of its
late associate. The South is justifiable in
preserving her freedom aud free institutions.
The war of the North upon her is itself
demonstration that the principles of Ameti-
can liberty are no longer respected by that
people. The right OF self-government, the
great principle OF free consent, have been
Fundamental in American politics since So
ciety was planted on these shores. 1t is the
principle Oh which of our people made aud
fought the first revelation. 1t is-the princi-
ple on which we took sides with the Spanish
Provinces, giving them in their struggle the
whole weight our moral Influence and
large share of material aid. 1t is the prin-
ciple on which we annexed Texas, aud
wased a sanguiuary war against Mexico IN
con sequence of that measure. 1t is prin-
ciple which Sawarl himself has avowed re-
psatedly in procaiming the Northern pur-
nose of aunexing Canada. Eve,v single one
of the men now engaged in the Federal Ad
niuistration is on record as an advocate Of
these principles in its most. latitudinous ex-
tent; and Lincoln himself has proclaimed
the doctrine in terms so Unlimited as to


border Oh licentiousuess. These things are
/ notorious; and this war upon the South, to


com pei her to a political alliance which


she aohors, on the spurious and disgusting


plea of preserving the ''rational E!e," dis
/ plays the most shameless apostacy to a sa-


cred principle that human annals can pre-


sent
| But it is not merely with an external ref


erence that respect for the principles of civil


liberty is lost at the North. The attempt to
exercise a foreign tyranny iu violation of
principle, has entailed the necessity OF in