Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/142

 134 Southern Historical Society Papers,

THE UNITIES OF THE ANGLO-SAXON RACE.

What are the unities of our race? They are — first, aversion to human bondage ; second, race integrity ; third, thirst for power and broad empire ; fourth, love of confederated union ; fifth, assertion of local liberty, if possible, within the bounds of geographical and governmental union ; sixth, but assertion of local liberty and indi- vidual right under all circumstances, at all times and at any cost. These traits are so strong as to be the natural laws of the race. One or another of them has lost its balance in the conflict between interest and instinct, but only to reappear with renewed vigor when the sup- pressing circumstances were removed, and he who follows their operation will hold the key to the ascendency of Anglo-Saxon char- acter and to its wonderful success in grasping imperial domains and crowning freedom as their sovereign.

It will not do to dispute the existence of these natural laws of race because they have been time and again overruled by greed, by ambi- tion, or by the overwhelming influence of alien or hostile forces. As well dispute the courage of the race because now and then a divi- sion of its troops have become demoralized and broken in battle. Through the force of these laws this race has gone around the globe with bugles and swords, and banners and hymn-books, and school- books and constitutions, and codes and courts, striking down old- time dynasties to ordain free principles ; sweeping away barbaric and savage races that their own seed might be planted in fruitful lands ; disdaining miscegenation with inferior races, which corrupts the blood and degenerates the physical, mental and moral nature ; widen- ing the boundaries of their landed possessions, parcelling them out in municipal subdivisions, and then establishing the maximum of local and individual privilege consistent with the common defense and general warfare of their grand aggregations ; and then again, rising in the supreme sovereignty of unfearing manhood against the oppres- sions of the tax-gatherer and the sword, recasting their institutions, flinging rulers from their high places, wrenching government by the mailed hand into consistency with their happiness and safety, and proclaiming above all the faith of Jefferson — that *' Liberty is the gift of God.''

JEFFERSON DAVIS ENTITLED TO STAND IN THE PANTHEON OF THE world's great MEN.

I shall maintain that the Southern people have been as true to these instincts as any portion of their race, and have made for them