Page:Confederate Cause and Conduct.djvu/77

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History Committee, Grand Camp, C. V.
55

"The Abolitionists of the North have constantly warred upon Southern institutions, by incessant abuse from the pulpit, from the press, on the stump, and in the halls of Congress denouncing them as a sin against God and man . . . By these denunciations and lawless acts on the part of Abolition fanatics such results have been produced as to drive the people of the Southern States to a sleepless vigilance for the protection of their property and the preservation of their rights."

The Albany Argus of November 10th, 1860, said:

"We sympathize with, and justify the South as far as this: their rights have been invaded to the extreme limit possible within the forms of the Constitution; and beyond this limit, their feelings have been insulted, and their interests and honor assailed by almost every possible form of denunciation and invective; and if we deemed it certain that the real animous of the Republican party could be carried into the administration of the Federal Government, and become the permanent policy of the nation, we should think that all the instincts of self-preservation and of manhood, rightly impelled them to resort to revolution and a separation from the Union, and we would applaud them, and wish them God-speed in the adoption of such a remedy."

The Rochester Union, two or three days later, said:

"Restricting our remarks to actual violations of the Constitution, the North has led the way, and for a long period has been the sole offender or aggressor." . . ."Owing to their peculiar circumstances, the Southern States cannot retaliate upon the North without taking ground for secession."


STARTED BY MR. SEWARD.


The New York Express said, on April 15th, 1861, (the day after the surrender of Sumter):

"The 'Irrepressible conflict' started by Mr. Seward, and endorsed by the Republican party, has at length attained to its logical foreseen result. That conflict undertaken 'for the sake of humanity ' culminates now in inhumanity itself." . . . "The people of the United States, it must be borne in mind, petitioned, begged and implored these men (Lincoln, Seward, et id), who are