Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-12-14

iici, that II VIII De Tue means OF adjusting our
difficulties and preserving the Union Such
conference, it seems 10 me, can easily agree up
on the wrongs we have suffered at the hands of
the government, or of the people of the North,
and can respectfully and firmly demand their
redress. fredress cannot be had by ordinary
Legislative or executive action, the occasion is
not unfit to ask for amendments to the consti-
tuition, by which all disputed points upon the
subject of slavery can be settled forever and
beyond all further question. That might be,
by establishing the Missouri line in the consti-
tuition, and extending it to the Pacific Ocean,
and erecting barrier against the interference
by Congress with slavery either among the
States or in The District of Columbia; or by
express admission of the principle of non-inter-
vention with slavery IN the territories. If the
people of the United States have SO far lost
!. their love of country that they could not, in a
spirit of Cancellation, adopt such amendments,
or any amendments necessary to head the pres
ent breach and restore harmony, then indeed
may it be truly said that the Union cannot be
preserved, AMI IS not worth preserving. 1t
would then be demonstrated that what we
fondly call the Union, is but a dead body, after
the spirit has fed, and all the power of galvan-
ism will never be able to do more than impart
spasmodic vigor to it.
After making such an effort and such an ap-
peal-after afSording reasonable time for the
sober second thought-if we failed, we could
retire at least with the sad consolation that we
had done our duty; we could then see the fall
of the venerable temple in which we had wor-
shipped, and hear its loud crash with the same
emotions with which We would witness the
| overthrow of the paternal mansion in which
we were reared we could say the fault was
not ours, but it was the force of age and of de-
cay-the doom of fate
But l have the most abiding faith in the sue
cess of such conference, and the calm, firm
/ and respectful presentation of its demands
The people of the North have not lost their
patriotism. They are not yet wholly alienated
from US. The bitterness of the present hour
will bring back fresh to them, as to us, the glo-
riOus memories common alike to both. We
are brethren at last, in spite of our quarrels.
There is personal kinship between US, which
cannot be obliterated There is a mutual de-
pendence between us and our interests which
will tell in such crisis. We may say, in our
moments of ill-temper, that we can do without
each other, but the nearer we approach the ex-
pertinent, the less will be our confidence. Not
to be able to agree in the spirit in which
our fathers agreed, would prove our own de-
would cry up from the ground against such
shameless and criminal folly Let US remem-
Der, too, that there is large body of men in
the North, more or less numerous in every
State, who were true to US in the late contest.
They have stood by our rights in all our con-
hicts and have, always been successful until
now. l have never seen a more conservative,
lion-hearted band of men than those with
whom l mingled in the great State of New
York, in the recent canvass. was witness
to the herculean efforts they made, day and
night, to carry the State. Alarmed for their
country, they had abandoned their party ban
ners, and stood in serried ranks, hilt to hilt
and shoulder to shoulder, and heart to heart,
under the stars and stripes. l remember them
with pride and satisfaction, and l would be will
ling to trust to them the honor of the country
and the rights of the South. How often was it
said to me. ''We may fail, but tell our friends
in the South to stand by the Union, and we
will sustain them to the death" Is it nothing
to part with such men? They are our true al
lies, and are looking now with deep anxiety
i 1,oll
them to their fate ? And worse than all, shall
we, by rash and precipitate action, make them
our enemies? I say, mol no! Let US
cherish better and wiser sentiments. If
we are true to ourselves and our cause,
those outnumbered but unconquered le-
gions of the Constitution and the Union
CT the North, will rally again to our relief with
new recruits, and share with US certain victory,
with the sameloyal spirit that they now share
our defeat. repeat again, let us wait and re-
feet. 1t is a matter of the very highest con-
sequence to us and our children. The world
is to be affected by the movement, and the des
TIMES of civil liberty everywhere. 1 have the
most abiding confidence in peaceful remedy
by a united South. We can obtain all we de-
sire and remain in the Union. We can redress
all our wrongs, without shedding a drop of
blood, without inficting pang upon single
bosom that is now heaying with anxiety. We
can accomplish it without the loud wall that
would go up from a million of brave hearts
throughout the South-without displacing
stone or moving an ornament in the glorious
temple of the Union, or quenching for mo-
ment the vestal fire that still flames up from
its altar.
But under the supposition that any portion of
our Southern brethren shall refuse to go into
conference with us-shall refuse to wait, but
push on their scheme towards dissolution-let us
look for a moment at their plan of operations.
They claim what they call the right of peace
able secession-that is, that any State has
right, under the Constitution, to go out of
the Union whenever it suits her pleasure TO do
other States have right to object I deny
the whole doctrine. 1t has no place in the |
Constitution or out of it. If it exists, it is the
first instance in the history of governments,
where Constitution provided for its own de-
struction-and such would be the effect of it.
For if one State Gas the right, all have it, and |
our whole government is farce and a delusion. |
Texas on the day after her admission, after nav
ing cost so much blood and treasure, and after |
receiving from the Government ten million of |
dollars, might on the same principle have re-
tired from the Union, as a matter of right. |
So might Tennessee to-day, and erect herself |
here in the heart of the Union, into foreign |
government, to the annoyance of all her neigh |
bors. The Constitution itself, in the first SEN