Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-28
Coercion and the Dufy of the Tenaersee
EerfsIarure.

keEtslatures
The Cincinnati Gasstts Of Wednesday, speaking of
the dissatisfied state Of the public mind at the South
says:
The disease is nothing more nor less than irsas0s
and It Is not worth while 20 medicate il for any
other disease. Treason can only be treated in one
of two ways: either give everything up to the
traitors force them to submit to the laws Of the
land -
Come what may, however, we have the alterna-
tive before of allowing the secessionsts 70 break
up the Union in their own way, or 70 make them
submit to the laws Of their country. The people
have determined upon the latter, and we are
looking to the Government to carry out their pur-
pose.
For awhile after the election there were but few
of the Black Republicans who advocated coercion
in the event of dissolution of the Union by the.
action of convention of the people in the Southern
States. Several weeks since the Washington cor
respondent of the New York Tribune said:
a losE defined diUisiOR is already sbOloing aSef
among Southern men in regard TO the position the
South should assume in the present crisis. II The
Solh Is lt alone. as disGgreeneats IcM soon block
The operations Of the tire-edters
This division among Southern men, the disagree
ment in the South have wonderfully embroidered
Black RepubicanisI4 and to-day they are almost
unanimous for coercion. In their estimation seces-
sion is treason, and treason must be punished with
DEATH The executioner's block or the hangman's
gallows is to be- according to our Black Republican
brothers, the doom Of all who will not quietly sub
nit to the enforcement Of the principles Of the
Chicago platform. If we mistake not history tells
us that our British forefathers from whose rule
WASHINGTON, HAECOcK, and the rest seeded, de-
nounced the seceders as rebels and determined &c
treat them prisoners of war but traitors &c
their country and subject them to traitors doom.
But they concluded to change therpolicy, and con-
scented to consider captives not rebelous subjects
of the mother country, but eapture1 citizens Of
hostile government Wepresume, that when State in
its sovereign capacity releases its citizens from their
obligations to the Federal government and requires
their allegiance to her own behests, the Black Re
publicans and Federalists. who pirate so loudly
about treason traitors and their doom, will readily
consent to treat those they may capture the battle
ield as entitled to al the privileges and immuniIes
granted by the law Of nations to the most favored
prisoners Of war II they should not, woe be to
those of the army of Sugugat0rS who fall into the
hands of the army Of the South. Fighting for our
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor, fighting
for our rights our hearthstones, fOrthe fame Of our
men and the virtue of our women we shall not I'M
jugated. No people engaged in such struggle ever
were. Our Legislature meets in extra session
in a few days; the lash is held up; felon's doom
is threatened if a Sovereign State should dare to
remain longer in Union with those who do not
hesitate to declare that we do not deserve freedom
and under a Just God cannot long retain it. Under
the existing circumstances it becomes of the highest
Importance that our Legislators should at the
earliest practicable moment put the State of Ten
nessee upon a complete war footing. Let our mill
tia be thoroughly organized. Our people already
know something of he of arms. Let their reeol-
lections be refreshed. There are yet living
bers Of those who in the Tennessee regiments bore
the bront of battle at Monterey and Cerro GOrdo.
They are to-day officers and priyaees, as ready to
fight for their Southern homes as they were to carry
the stars and stripes in a foreign land. If subuga
ton is to be attempted let not only be willing,
but ready to meet it, and carry the war into the
enemy's land. Let it be understood that Black Re
publican soil is to drink its full proportion of the
blood that is shed, and that Black Republican homes
to share their full proportion of desolatiOn. In
short let us be prepared, when the work of subJu-
cation commences, to carry the war into Africa.