Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-15
From the Nashville Patriot.
COMMUNICATION FROm GEN. PILLOW.
Dargers OF nIsrnntion..IsenndY Proposed.

US now"
This announcement of the ELECTION of any Executive
Chief Magistrate, by a vote exclusively sectional,
and by party resolved to strike down the institu-
ton Of slavery it exists in fifteen States of the
Union, under the guarantees Of the Constitution.
sounds to me like the death cneA Of the Union"
While agree that there is not, in the manner Of
Mr. Lincolns election, any violation of the letter of
the Constitution, yet in the accomplished fdct-the
Government it was designed by the obvious spirit
of the Constitution is upset. In other words, the
facts impaired by your mcmentous Editorial, is the
announcement of a ReUOlldi0R in the Government,
by which its forms are used to break down its spirit
and its powers for protection to be turned to the
destruction of the rights of one half the Union as
guaranteed by the Constitution. Under such cir
cumstances, it becomes a momentous question for
the consideration Of the Southern people. what can
be done preserve the Union Of the States, and at
the time avert the perils with which our rights
are threatened.
You suggest no remedy. "Your conservatism"
has carried Tennessee, but it has not averted the
danger from the country Can we trust TO the
present guarantees OF the Constitution under the Re
publican Party, when the very existence of any
such guarantees is denied by that Party? To do so,
is to let the Republicans coupe detat' be carried
out.
property to the demands of republican masters!
He who would not resist such tyranny, deserves
himself to be enslaved.
! If not prepared to surrender our rights shall we
WlIlQrdW
| ing danger! To do so, does not become Jree'HeH-
| the sons of the sires of the Revolutionary war.
But independently of this, would we thereby avert
! the danger which threatens our rights halher
would we not augment it and precipitate the crisis,
in advance of the public opinion of the Southland
in advance of the preparation called for, by so mo-
mentous step. What then shall we do? Can we
maintain our rights in the Union? and how? l ans
weP we can if we will, and by the t1rted and de-
! termined action Of the Southern people.
REMEDY.
Let the Governors OF all the Southern States con-
vene their Legislatures, to consider the emergency
| of the crisis. Let these Legislatures Immediately
appoint commissioners to confer with like commits
sioners to be appointed by the other States. Let
these commissioners agree and recommend back to
their respective Legislatures the passage OF laws as
! follows, VIZ
First. A REVENUE LAw-By the provisions of
which, all goods manufactured in the Northern
States and all goods imported through Northern
ports shall be taxed for state purposes, and TO The
| points qf prohibition
The Supreme Court of the United States in vol. 5
of Howard's Reports-page sos and unsettled
that the States, have 1iS pol1er Let these laws OF
the Southern States stand unrepeaed as long as any
Northern State retains upon its Statute Book-any
| law hostile TO the Federal Constitution, or to the
/ rights of the South.
| SecondlJ-Let each Southern State-raise-organ-
ize, arm and thoroughly drIll-ten, twenty or fifty
thousand volunteers, and provide an ample supply
| of arms and munitions of war Of every kind This
the States also have the Constitutional right to do
| zhirdly-Let the Southern States, all demand of
| the Northern-a National Convention for the re
consideration of the questions involved in the pre-
sent issue between the North and the South-et this
| demand embrace an amendment of the Federal Con-
| stitution, by which itahall be declared,
F0,uth-That no law shall ever be passed by Con-
gress-in any way affecting the rights of property
in slaves as exists in the Southern States OF
the United States except by the concurrent vote OF
the entire Senate.
| Secendly-That the common Territories of the
United States now held hereafter to be acquired
shall be open to settlement by the citizens of
all the States-that their property of every species
slaves included-sha be protected by the Fede-
raj GOvernment-that neither Congress or any Ter
ritOrial Legislature, shall have power TO pass any
law Except to protect such property affecting the
rights of property in slaves theren-so long as such
Territory shall remain under Territorial Organiza-
ton. But that when the people thereof shall form
and adopt Constitution, preparatory to their adms-
sion as a State into the Union, they may, IN such
convention settle the question of slavery for them
! selves as they please.
! TEirdll-That no amendment of the Federal Con-
stituton shall be adopted, by which any Of the
rights therein secured to the stakeholder shall be
| affected in any way-and that if any such amend
ment shall ever be adopted, it shall be pSO fdctO-a
dissolution of the union of States, thereby remand
ing each State to its original sovereignty, as an III
! dependent nation
this attitude Of the southern people will afford
them-shall determine by popular vote, TO meet us
| in Convention. and adopt the amendment proposed
it will be all that the South can desire. and we
will, in such case, have saved the government from
disruption
If they shall refuse to meet US in convention and
allow so reasonable an adjUstment-the bare propo-
ston for settlement, upon terms so fair, will unite
the Southern people, and turn the moral sense OF
mankind in our favor In the meantime. while this
hair1r cd
them. the political battle ground will have been
transferred to the North, and the South viii have
time (by this dUaSiOR) TO consolidate her strength
and prepare for whatever may come. Ii thus united
armed and ready, we should be unable TO agree
with the NOrth.-we Will separate without blood
shed. If not however, we would present front of
nine millions of freemen, united and armed, with
four millions of slaves-tO feed and ciothe them,
and if need be to fight also. Such a people never
were. and never will be subjugated.
1t is believed by many Southern men, that the
reat body of the Northern people patriotic and
right-minded towards their Government but that
they have been deceived and niSJed by corrupt and
designing demagogUes. That when they see the
South lulited-GT7ned and deterHned,-with all COM
mercial intercourse cut Otf-that they viii be un-
deceived-that they will rise in their strength and
at the ballOt-bOX, crush the Republican party"
meet US in convention, agree TO the protectlon de-
manded. and thus end the national quarrel,-and
that we may remain united people until we at
tain national greatness never before known IN the
history of our race.
If ii should be objected that while this effort at
adjustment is being made, the Government will have
passed into the hands Of the Republican party, and
that It's power may be turned against US, reply
that that can never be done, until the Executive,
Legislative and Judicial departments of the Govern
meut are all under the control of that party. That
neither Mr.. Lincoln nor his party can do an act
which can affect the rights Of one Of the slave
States without equally affecting those OF ali-that
they can affect neither without violating the Constr
tuition it cxists-that if they dared TO lay violent
hands upon that instrument, 1t would be an act OF
lSlupUiOD, which would rouse the whole south to
immediate action and reSistance-that IN resisting
revolution thus forced upon us, the South would be
uuited-and armed with the right. and being pre-
pared for whatever may come, we could safely trust
our cause to the great Arbiter OF battles.
That the States of the South have just cause for
war against the SoteS of the North in the repeated
efforts of the latter turn the power of the COM
mon Government from its rightful duty of prOtec-
tonic aggressiOns upon our rlghts-and IN their
refusal TO carry into effect the provision OF the Con-
stitution requiring the rendition of fugitves from
labor, cannot be questioned. But It should be re
memberCd that these wrongs have been perpetrated
by the states Of Tie NOrit-nOf by the Federal Gov
ernment-and at a time when that Government was
m the hands Of the friends OF the Constitution and
OF the Union 1t is true that it was the duty of the
Federal Government % correct these abuses and to
protect the South. If it was pOwerless for prOtec
ton IN the hands of the friends Of the Union, agree
that there Is no hope OF protection when has pass
ed into the hands of the enemies of the Union and of
the South and am free TO say, that in my opinion
the States of the South should be dbSOuei from the
obligations of allegiance to that Government when
ever il shall become manifest it cannot or would
not protect them. SO, likewise would il be- if the
Government was about to pass into the hands of
party which the South had good reason to believe
would use it engine Of oppression an nstru-
mentality for the destruction of their rights. But
yet would make one more effort to turn from my
country the bitter cup. Though the South may, in
moral right resume her sovereignty the means
of her safety yet her honor does not require her to
do so yet. L the Southern States viii only and
prepare for maintaining their rights IN the Union,
there Is no necessity for her precpItate withdrawal
from 1t. Far otherwise would it be- if under the
influence Of the Republican party, the powers of
the Federal Government had already been turned
against US. Then, honor, duty and interest would
alike demand action Of a different character from
that now proposed.
War may come OF these aggressions of the Repub-
csn party. Let Us not provoke 1t but if come if
must. let us be united and reglg and whether in or
out Of She Union, we have nothing to fear.
Arrest this mad crusade of the Republican Party
against the South, and the South would remain lovaI
10 the Government of the Union. h,,+ srbr,;+' .