Year: 1866




The Times, of Sunday, in an article
on "Wars and Their Lessons" says:


although the war through which
our country has passed differs from
others in many essential particulars,
the lesson which it and they are meant
to teach is common TO them all 1t is
that peace and good will are necessary
to humanity"


And yet, after this acknowledgment,
the Times approves the war which re-
established the Union by force, and
adds:


"Although war is terrible and those
who cause war criminal, the havoc and
sorrow of the nation may well be for
gotten in our thankfulness for preser-
walton from greater woes"
On the contrary, the Tribune says:


eve never believed that South Caro-
lima as South Carolina had any right of
secession-any more right than Long
Island has to secede from the State of
New York. Over and again we have
shown that the rebel pretence of a
right reserved by the Federal Constitu-
ton to secede from the Union at pleas
ure is utterly refuted by the text and
plain sense of that Constitution, as well
as by the proceedings and debates
which attended the formation and
adoption of our great charter.
"What we did believe and maintain
in the premises is the doctrine terseley
set forth by Jefferson in the Declara-
ton of American Independence-as
| follows:


ave hold these truths to be selfevi-
dent: That all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights; that
among these, are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. That to secure
| these rights governments are instituted
among men, deriving their Just powers
from the consent Of the governed;
that, whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the right of the people to alter or
abolish it, and to institute a new gov
ernment, laying its foundation on such
principles, and organizing its powers in
such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and happi-
ness"


We hold with Jefferson and the Con-
tinental Congress, and, if they were
right, and their fundamental assump-
ton justified the Declaration of Inde-
pendence which they based thereon,
we cannot see why larger number of
people inhabiting the Southern States
| Ia far larger area than that of the old
| thirteen) have not the natural, indie
feasible right to "alter or abolish"
form of government which they
deem preiudicisl to their rights
and safety, "and to institute new gov
ernment, laying its foundation on such
principles and organizing its powers in
such form as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and hsppi-
ness"


This faith has been grossly misrepre-
sented, and thousand times coaTsely
assailed but abuse is not refutstion.
Who has ever shown it to be unsound
or sophistical2


Now. we hold with the Times, "thst
peace and good will are necessary to
humanity" and we cannot see what
woes greater than its own evil conse-
quenees, the war has preserved us from.
And we hold with the Tribune, that the
Constitution in no way authorizes seces-
sion, for it provides peaceful remedies
for every difficulty that may arise
among the States comprised in the
Union. But like the Tribune, we do
not see how any republican can deny
the doctrine of the Declaration of In
dependence, tn it is the right of the
people to alter or to abolish the Gov
ernment, and to institute a new one,
whenever they deem this will con-
tribute to their safety and happiness.
If the happiness of government be the
well-being and happiness of the people,
the people alone, and not their gov
ernors, must be the judges of what
form of government will best con-
tribute TO this object And whenever
a norton of the Union desires to with
draw from il, we cannot see upon what
nIea they can be compelled by force to
remain in the Union. Republican in
stitutions are not, as is usually sup
nosed. based on the right Of the ma
ioritv 10 rule despoticslly over minori-
ties. but on the limitation which they
place on the exercise of power by those
who administer the Government, and
in a Republican form of Government;
almost every limitation to the exercise
of power should have for object the
protection of the inherent rights OF
minorities, for msjorities can easily
protect themselves.


The South was entirely wrong IN
every step taken to Withdraw from the
Union But the question is not wheth-
er the Southern States were right or
wrong in their desire 10 withdraw from
the Union; but, whether the loyal
States adopted that course of action
which WAS most beneficial TO them
selves. The only real argument that