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About The banner of the South. (Augusta, Ga.) 1868-1870 | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1869)
4 K 1 BEV. A. J. BY AN, Editor AUGUSTA, GA„ J6’LY 24, 1869. m™ ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BUSINESS LETTERS FOR THE “BAN NER OF THE SOUTH” SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE PUBLISHERS - L. T. BLOME & CO. IT STILL LIVES. It appears that there is soon to be published in book form, with a large amount of contemporary information, the journal of the Convention which ratified the Federal Constitution on be half of the State of New Hampshire. This ratification took place on the 21st of June, 1788, and is of special importance as being the one which breathed the breath of life, as it were, into the Consti tution of the United States. By the Vllth article of that sacred instrument it was provided that “ The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so rati fying the same,” and the ratification of the New Hampshire Convention, being the ninth, was the one that sufficed to es tablish the Federal Constitution, the several dates of ratification being as follows : 1. State of Delaware, 7th Dec., 1787. 2. State of Pennsylvania, 12th Dec., 1787. o. State of New Jersey, 18th Dec., 1787. 4. State of Georgia, 2d January, 1788. o. State of Connecticut, 9th January, 1788. 6. State of Massachusetts, 6th Feb., 17 A* 7. State of Maryland, 28th April, 1788. 8. State of South Carolina, 2Jd May, 1788. 0. State of New Hampshire, 21st June, 1788. 10. State of Virginia, 26th June, 1788. 11. State of New York, 26th July, 1788. 12. State of North Carolina, 21st No vember, 1789. 16. State of Rhode Island, 29th Mav 1790. Os these thirteen States, the Old Thir teen, we have the Convention proceed ings lull in Pennsylvania, Massachu setts, :?outh Carolina, Virginia, New Toik, and North Carolina. A few scat tered fragments of the debates in Con necticut, Maryland, and New Hampshire are in print, but of the others we have pothing. If their several procedures are extant, they are shelved away in dusty archives, and, in all these eighty-one years that the Federal Constitution has existed, have only been accessible to the eyes of the State Librarian or the curious student of our Constitutional lore. That the veil is at last to be lifted from even one of these ill recorded Conventions is a pleasing thought, and that the effort to lift that veil should come from a North ern State is a cheerful augury. It would seem to say that there are good men in Sodom; that a reverence for that sacred palladium of liberty, the Federal Consti- tution, yet exists in that section which, in the name of a servile loyalty, did so much to tear it down; and that it is not beyond hope to expect that Truth crushed to earth is at last rising and re-asserting her dominion over the hearts and minds oi men. So at least the announcement that the journal ol the New Hampshire Convention of 1/88 is to be published stiikes us. I hey are a shrewd people these, our brethren of the North—they go into no publications unadvised, and that this book we refer to is to be issued is evidence to us that the publishers be lieve in, and count upon, a sufficient number of readers in that section to make the enterprise profitable to them. For ourselves we shall wait with anxiety and impatience for the issual of the vol ume In the days that it records there was a sound public sentiment in the North. The true original and nature of this Republic was known and appreciated, and it may he at .this day, even, a recur rence to the old times may have a whole some effect on popular opinion in that country. Perhaps—at least let us so hope—this recital of the views of their fathers may have an effect on the people of the Granite State. To this day, de spite all the accursed devices of that wicked villainy which styles itself the Re publican party, there are in that State something like 32,000 Democratic voters to 35,000 Radicals. On even the ex treme pressure of the late Presidential election—-or swindle, rather, shall we not call it ?—-the vote stood 30,000 Demo crats to 38,000 Radicals. These figures show that the Constitution yet lives; that there is still hope ; that a persistent and absolute devotion to the well-approved principles of the fathers may, for all that has come and gone, yet turn the scale and give victory once more to the side of justice, peace, general welfare, economy and right. Still another point strikes us in this matter. It may be that this publication of the New Hampshire Journal of 1788 will incite effort in other States to place before the public the debates of proceed ings of the ratification Conventions sev erally held therein. All the signs are of an awakening interest in the Federal Constitution, a consciousness that as long at we maintained it we were happy, and just so far as we have dropped away from it have waxed unprosperous, and, to encourage this interest and foster the spread of this most just and righteous opinion, a God-speed to any information that may throw light on the history of its origin and operations. It still lives ANOTHER PEACE JUBILEE, Boston had its great Peace Jubilee, and sung anthems to the grand recon structed Union, while thousands of musi. cal instruments mingled their voices with the ringing of bells, thej rattle of musketry, and the roar of artillery. It was a very grand affair. The echoes of its music will reverberate for months through the business houses and mer cantile palaces of that famous city, in the jingling of cash dropped into the money drawers by the gudgeons who bit at the tempting bait and swallowed the hook of this huge Yankee trick to secure trade. But there has been another Peace Jubi- lee. Long Branch witnessed it. Its music was the music of the human voice mingling with the sullen roSr of the ocean and the dashing of its breakers upon the sandy beach. The “Army and Navy of the Gulf” had a little re-union lihere. They assembled in that delight mi locality, fanned by gentle sea-born freezes, and laved by healthful waters, and then and there partook of a banquet, to which was added “a feast of reason and a flow of soul.” Mighty warriors were there, gallant seamen were there, and attacked the tempting viands, and the exhilarating liquors with a courage and a success before which their war triumphs “paled their ineffectual fires.” Gen. Blair happened to be there too— Gen. Frank Blair, whose name has be come familiar as the second candidate on the Democratic Presidential ticket which, it was said, elected Gen. Grant President. Gen. Blair made a speech; or rather the truth of history requires that we should say he attempted to make a speech, but the “mighty warriors and the gallant seamen” would not listen to him, and so he didn’t make his speech. But here is what he tried to say 7 : I feel greatly complimented by this call. It hardly becomes me to speak, but inasmuch as we are having a gener al jollification in which the small ones can enjoy themselves as much as those of larger merit, I will say a few words of the struggle which has just ended, and I BAlUffi ©I SSI s©®m, will speak one word of those who have no voice here to-night; I will speak for a people who were once our enemies, and 1 know that when I speak for them before soldiers, I speak before those who will heartily respond. Those against whom we contended, whom we aspersed as rebels, and whom I think we triumphed over as well for them as for ourselves. They were a great and generous people, they were worthy of the steel of our best. We hear of Sheridan and Farra gut here to night, but we shall yet hear of Lee and “Stonewall Jackson.” (His ses, cries of “Order!” and great confu sion.) Who dissents ? (Many voices, “We dissent!” “We all dissent!” “Think of Andersonville and Libby Prison!”) It would be little merit for us to have triumphed over a mean enemy. (Loud cries of “Order!” “Sit down!” “Dry up!”) I admit that they were misguided; 1 speak of them as our adversaries. (Cries of “Traitors!”) Gen. Blair paused for a moment, then looking all over the room said, Are there no voices to be raised for them ? (Cries of “Yes, yes!” “No, no!” and “They were trai tors!”) At this juncture Admiral Farragut said he thought the speaker should be allowed the right to go on. General Blair—l do not claim the right to speak ; I am here by courtesy. A voice—l call the gentleman to order. Admiral Farragut—l think the point well taken, inasmuch as we meet here for social enjoyment; anything which is clearly against the wishes of the majority and tends to disturb the general harmony is decidedly out of order. General Blair bowed respectfully and good humoredly and sat down. We do not know that this requires any comment at our hands. It is its best commentary. It shows that Gen. Blair is a just, a generous, and a magnanimous man—very rare qualities indeed, among his brethren of the Northern Army; it shows how unfortunate for the South it was that he was defeated in the late can vass; and it shows that the war is hardly ended yet. True, we of the South have laid down our arms ; have surrendered to the very just and honora ble Government which controls the des tiny of the American people; have given every evidence of submission and peace ful intent that has been required of us. Put not so, on tho other side. The “mighty warriors and gallant seamen” haven’t succumbed to events yet. Like the hounds in the chase, they have got the scent of blood, and aie eager for the fray. Poor fellows ! we pity them. They haven’t got the spirit of men ; they haven’t got the honor of true soldiers ; they haven’t got the least spark of pa triotism in their selfish bosoms. When they treat one of their own gallant sol diers and best citizens as they did Gen. Blair, at Long Branch, what are we to expect of them ? Nothing. Therefore, let us recommend another Boston Peace, Jubilee to them, and if that fails, consign them to that infamy and shame which are their just deserts. NO MONUMENTS FOR MISGUIDED MEN. There was a celebration, or a commemo ration of some sort, at Gettysburg, Pa., the other day. A great concourse of people assembled there, and “ the slum berers in the dust,” who had fought and died to establish a tyranny over the ruins of a Republic, were lauded, and mourned, and wept over in the most elo quent and lachrymose style possible. Gen. Meade was there. Gen. Meade, the late Dictator of the Third Military Dis trict, was there. Gen. Meade was there and made a speech, in which he essayed to do justice to the “fallen braves” of the Lost Cause, whose bones lie mouldering b side those at whose hands they met death upon that bloody field of Gettys burg. But how did this gallant General essay to do them justice ? By insulting the living. His address may have been “full of the magnanimity of the true sol dier,” but it was full, too, of the vemou of fraternal hatred, and the spite of a false philanthropy- These men, whose “ neglected bones’’ ought to be collected and buried, were but Rebels—misguided Rebels—whose crime was an unsuccessful effort to secede from a Government whose highest honor is to boast of an ignorant President, an army of corrupt officials, and a galaxv of incendiary Generals, and to establish for themselves and their people a Government which should embody, sustain, and perpetuate the principles upon which the Republic of Washington was founded. Oh! this was a mighty crime ! Not the Rebellion itself—but its waut of success. If it had not been a failure, Giant, and Meade, and Sherman, and the host of petty tyrants now ruling and controlling this country, would be resting peacefully in oblivion, instead of sitting in the high places once honored by gentlemen, scholars, and patriots. It was, however, a failure, and, therefore, it became a crime in the eyes of these martinets of place and power, who now prate of loyalty and Union, as if they were things to glory in and to be proud of, instead of things to bring the blush of shame to the cheeks of honest men and true patriots. And being a failure, it gave Gen. Meade an opportu nity to display his magnanimity and his philanthropy". Why should not the Rebel bones be collected “in some suitable place?” He did not ask that a monu ment be erected over them. Oh no ! that would be asking too much. He did want “ in any way to endorse their cause, or their conduct, or entertain other than feelings of condemnation for their cause!” Os course not! The minions of power cannot be expected to endorse so good and so just a cause as was the cause of the South —the cause of Constitutional Liber ty. Dionysius would have cursed the cause of the South. Nero would have denounced it. Caligula would have hated it. Gesler would have despised it. The Tories of ’7O would have fought against it Why should the tyrants of later davs “ entertain other than feelings of condemnation” for it? Hence we are not surprised when we hear the enemies ot the Constitution denounce the South and her gallant sons who went dowui be fore the might and strength of Wrong and Oppression. We are not surprised at the fact that a Northern General should accompany a magnanimous proposal with insulting expressions; or that another, who should say a few kind words for his Southern brethren, should be hissed down, and forced to close bis lips by the clamor of popular indignation. It is nothing new. It is only the old, old story was told again,” and will be told as long as time shall last, and circumstauces shall give it life and opportunity. But the dead Southern Heroes of Get* tysburg and the other “ hundred crowded battle-fields,” of which Gen. Meade dis courses, need no “commemoratiug monu ments” at the hands of the Government. Their cause was the cause of Principle, of Honor, of Justice. They fought nobly, but, alas ! they failed. Their bones now lie mouldering at Gettysburg, at Rich mond, at Chickamauga, and all the other fields where Right so nobly but so futilely defended itself against Wrong. There they lie so peacefully, no longer dream ing of the bivouac and the bloody fray, the clash of arms, the toilsome march, the dear ones at home, and the return of Peace; but quietly awaiting that last grand reveille which shall summon the Nations and the Peoples and the haughty Rulers of Earth before the Judgment Throne of God. They need no “ com memorating monument,” no simple indi cation “that below sleep the misguided men who fell in battle for a cause over which” Oppression and Wrong triumphed. No ! their monuments are Cenotaphs of Hearts, on which are inscribed the names and deeds of these sleepers in grey. There they shall live with an evergreen remem brance which nor time, nor place, nor circumstance can efface. There they shall live and their monuments shall last till time shall cease to be. GEN. MEADE AT GETTYSBURG. e have commented in another arti cle on Gen. Meade’s Address at the Gettysburg Celebration. That our read ers may see and read for themselves what he *aid about our Southern heroes who lie buried there, we append here the fol lowing extract from that Address: “ ™ erc .,. ,s one ’•»>*« my friX which I will mention now, and 0B l ' spot where my attention has been call * to it, and m which I trust my f (V n‘ voice will have some influence’ \yjx* I contemplate this field, I see here there, masked with hastily dug trench, the graves in which the we fought are gathered. They are work of my brothers in arms the rX after the battle. Above them a bit A plank indicates simply that these reins’ °! of the fallen foe were hurriedly there by the men who met them in h tie. Why should we not collect the ' in some suitable place! Ido not as!- that a monument be erected over therm I do not ask that we should in . ' - way indorse tneir cause or their coil duct, or entertain other than f ee ]j n of condemnation for their course. Rm they are dead—they have gone before their Maker to be judged. l n a )i c j v ilized countries it is customary to bun the dead with decency and respect and even to fallen enemies respectful burn! is accorded in death. [Applause] I earnestly hope this suggestion may have some influence throughout thn broad land, for this is only one anion' a hundred crowded battle-fields. Sonic persons may be designated by the Gov ernment, if necessary, to collect these neglected bones, and bury them without commemorating monuments; but simply indicate that below sleep the misguided men who fell in battle for a cause over which we triumphed.” CHINESE IMMIGRATION. The importation of Coolies is a ques tion of serious import to the people of this country. Whether it will redound to our benefit, or add to our injury, are points which are worthy of discussion at the present time. The influx of thou sands of ignorant idolaters can. it seems to us, be productive of no good to the country, though its present demoraliza tion and degraded condition eminently fit it for such a population. These peo pie are to become citizens, voters, office holders, just as the Negroes are now They will have equal rights, and, com bining* with the latter, will hold a bal ance of power which may upset all our time-honored institutions, and erect : n its place a Government of Chinese Idolatry and Fa-tisffi sacrifice. Who knows? On the other hand, we may be enabled to control and enlighten these people make good Christians and intelligent citi zens of them, show them the follies of Radical rule, and upset the tyrants who now usurp the reins of free Govern ment. Who knows ? But they are coming, and Forney says let them come; “If the Chinese are better workers than the Negroes, then let the latter go down! And Forney, you know, colored reader, is a Radical, a sworn friend of the Negro, and an unyielding advocate ot Negr* equality. He says let you go down I So this Chinese emigration is going to put the Negro down; going to starve him m death, and get him out of the way— ano so settle the great problem of hat shall we do with the Negro ■ But aUr that is settled then comes the Chinese Puzzle : “What are we to do with tiw Coolies ?” The Radicals are going to solve the first. Maybe, when the prop time comes, it will he in the power o. the South to solve the latter. - 1 knows ? [For the Banner of the South., SISTER OF CHARITY. Editor Banner of the South: How much of sentiment that u tiful, how much of love that, on principle of earthly feeling, isinexpa' ble, how much of devotion that >•' u ” , ing, are embraced in the meaner that one short phrase! H° w unwearied patience, quiet, imperiJ.* gentleness and unremitting attent.o associated with it! Who is it eTer experienced the gentle care i of those good sisters, that at mention of the name docs no. c mind the almost noise Jess the sympathizing voice tha i fevere( j ingly on the sensitive ear o patient? Who that has ever hud bed of sickness, lias suilcre or a tering wound, an aching J ot hbg scorching fever, and has it efjt ; v effects of the fresh m jhe !o laid on, the wondrous renti j c |- lCitu tion so skilfully applied, , r f . a , uU a:.: sensation that follow the eoo‘.‘-n.- y that refreshes the paiviiWc, .
