Year: 1873

In these few brief words 7 hav
feebly presented the question of ii
: questions for all the people Of tn
United States, and the one on the So


luton of which hangs all possible hop
! IN the future for the Southern State
and people. twill settle whether yol
shall be paupers and slaves, or indie


pendent freemenl


And this question will be settled b,


the courts and in accord with the In


depreciation to be given to that amend


ment by the debates in Congress. Thl


discussion is now opening, and can no


be delayed or postponed. Mark you


it will not be settled by the number o.


votes in Congress, but by the power Of


the debates in that body. If the min


ority in that body shall have the true


Interpretation, and shall be able to


present it with proper power and clear


ness, the final appeal will be to the peo.


pie, and those in power will wait then


verdict, and thus 1876 will determine


whether the States born in l776 shall
| live or die-shall remain States or


become mere provinces. IF it be set


tied that the States shall remain as


States, then each State can regulate


It's own affairs; then you can get con-


troll of your labor; then you can raise


your own supplies then you will make


cotton your surplus crop; and then


you will grow rich, prosperous and


powerful. But if it be settled that


the States have become the dependen-


cies of the General Government, and


can legislate only subject to the super


vision of that government, then you


can have no home government for


home affairs then you will never get


control of your labor then the South


ern States have become only the plan


tations of the commercial manufactur-


ing world, and all of US, black and


white, but the hireling slaves for their


cultivation, with the right of idleness


and theft secured to the colOred race


Are we of the South ready for the


great contest on these issues? The


work of making the amendments was


work of force. During its progress


Southern intellect was excluded from


the national councils because its pow


er was dreaded. The work of con-


structing the amendments is, and must


be, a work of argument. The pressure


of the Greeley movement compelled


our enemies to remove chiefly the dis.
abilities imposed upon the intellect of
the South, and just at the time for ar
gument on the meaning of the amend
ments to begin the opportunity for the
South to join in the discussion is Sc
cure. For the first time since the war
ended, on the assembling of the next
Congress, the freely-chosen champi-
ons of the Southern States will re-en-
ter the arena for the intellectual wres-
tie in the halls of Congress. The
werld will look anxiously on. They
will expect much from us. They have
a right to expect much. The history
of the nation is history of Southern
intellectual triumph in and out of the
national councils. 1t was our own
Henry that walked the colonies to re-
sist tyranny. Itwas the genius of our
Jefferson that gave expression to the
grievances of our fathers, and phrased
in imperishable sentences the reasons
that justified independence. 1t was
our own Washington who led our ar
mics to success, and presided over the
deliberations that resulted in our COM
mon Constitution. And for seventy
years it was Southern intellect that
chiefly made the laws, and gave their
Interpretation, and controlled the ad
ministration of the government. And
yet we have more at stake in the great
question now to be discussed and re-
ceive Interpretation, than had our fore
fathers in the days of Henry, Jeffer-
son and Washington, and in all their
issues from their day to 1860. Oh,
what an opportunity the South now
has to save the Constitution, recover
her own power, and rebuke her enc
mics who have been so busily destroy
ing that Constitution while insulting
and depressing her people.


An able, thorough and well con-
Quoted debate in the next Congress ON
the true meaning and effect of the con-
titutional amendments, and bringing
into review from national, not Sec
tional standpoint, the whole theory,
philosophy and character of recon
struction, and between the chosen
champions of the two interpretations,
would excite more interest than any
debate which ever occurred in our his
tory; would be read by all the think
ing, intelligent world, and would do !
more to arrest the revolution and re-
store the Constitution and reunite the |
sections than all other agencies COM
bined. And how the result would |
give value to the property, security |
through all the bounds and hope once |
more to all the people of the South
ern States, is actually beyond the pow
er of language to express.


But, if our champions are unequal
to this occasion, and cover or fall in
this grand battle Of ideas for truth
and right, then constitutional self-gov-
ernment will be at an end, the South
ern States will be but tributaries to
Northern power and we shall pass in
to contempt as a people. This is no
time, my friends, for silly newspaper
puffs; for vain personal ambitions;
for empty nominal honors, nor for
thoughtless personal seeking. No Sem
ators and Representatives ever had such
weighty responsibilities as do those
who are now to represent the South
in the Congress of the United States,
and none ever had such an opportunity
to do good and win glory. And they
can have no strength for the work save
in profound. knowledge of constitu-
tional law; in similar acquaintance
with at least Angla-Saxap historyi in
analytical plWer to strip both truth
and falsehood naked to the gaze of
men and in thorough devotion to. and
fearless defense of, the true character
Of our Union as government OF con-
sent and not Of force, If they prove
equal to the great task, they will de
serve and they will receive that which
is richer than crowns and more to be
desired than diadems-the glory of q
restored Constitutional Union, and the
gratitude of q redeemed people.


If they prove unequal to the task,
and have rushed upon duties they are
unable to discharge, they will sink,
and deserve to sink, to unprecedented
Infamy for they will have become the
murderers of the last hope of recov-
sry for the Southern States, and the
of all the future manhood,
and prosperity of the
people,


In conclusion, | will not disguise
from you that | never felt less hope for
the future of the Union and the South
han have felt during the last twelve
The Southern States and
people especially were never in as much
langer as now. We have no represen-
tatiye in the executive department of