Smyrna Times

DID SECESSION SUCCEED?—The Daily South Carolinian, of December 7th, exhibits many signs that the old heresy of secession still controls its controllers. It agrees with some of our Northern politicians in opposing Mr. Johnson's doctrine that the Southern States did not effectuate secession, and after stating what they accomplished, asks triumphantly 'if this was only a pretended secession, what the deuce would a real secession be?' To this the answer is plain, that it would have been a real secession if it had not been a failure. The people of the States that went into the revolt claimed that they were out of the Union by virtue of their ordinances of secession. We, on the contrary, said they were not, and the matter being one that was placed by the act of the South beyond the reach of a peaceable settlement, appeal was made to the sword. The decision was against them in the tribunal they chose themselves, and therefore it must be adjudged that there was no real secession. If they had succeeded, it might have made all the difference in the world. The South Carolinian's point does not seem to be well taken.