Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-06
GInnmV PROSPECTS,.


We confess that the prospects for q satisfactory
and permanent settlement of the differences existing
between the people Of the South and the Black Re-
pubcans are Of the gloomiest character. Less than
year ago, in obedience to the Resolutions passed
by the General Assembly of South Carolina at the
last regular Session. expressing the opinion that the
saveholding States should Immediately meet togeth
e. to concert measures for united action, and in
s,ructing the Governor to appoint a Commissioners
t. Virginia. "to express to the authorities of that
STATE the cordial sympathy of the people of South
Carolina with the people Of Virginia, and their ear
Bes, desire TO unite with them in measures Of com
mon defence" and also to transmit to all the South
ern States an invitation to meet IN Convention, to
consult and mature measures for the safety and
security of the South and her institutions, Gov.
GlsT appointed to that office the Hon. C. G. MEM
E1NGER, the mover Of the Resolutions, gentleman,
% use Gov. GIsT's language not only Of high char
acter and literary attachments, but who was gene
rally regarded the exponent of the opinions of the
conservative portion of the people of that State.
Virginia declined the proposed conference. Missis.
sippi and Alabama alone acceded to it. The most
OF the other Southern States we believe paid no at
teutiOn to the proposition One Of the resolutions
adopted by Virginia expresses the opinion that
Virginia does not yet distrust the capacity of the
Southern States by wise aud firm exercise of their
reserved powers to protect the rights and liberties
Of the people, and TO preserve the Federal Union
and for this purpose she desires the concur et &C
tom of the Southern States; but she adds that efh-
Gent cooperation viii be more easily obtained by
such direct Legislative action of the several States as
may be necessary and proper, than through the
agency of an assemblage which can exercise no
legitimate power except to debate and advise"
The proposition of South Carolina regarded
by all the Southern States as premature apd unne-
cessary IN the then existing state of affairs Since
then, however, the alarming growth and power OF
Gack Repubicanism as eyidencedby the election OF
their candidates for President and Vice President
have determined the people of the South as to the
necessity Of having an explicit definition of our
constitutional rights and further constitutional guar
autees for the protection of those rights against the
aggressons ofIanatic majority. The simple repeal
of the obnoxious notification laws of several ofthe
Northern States will net be satisfactory One lie
gislature may repeal them and the next may
re-enaCt them. Ifthey were all now repealed in
less than two years they might all again be restored
Can we get such guarantees as are at once satisfaC
tory and permanent 1t is evident from the tone and
temper Of the people Of all the Southern States that
# we cannot obtain them the last days Of the Fed
eral Union are close upon US. Recent develop
ments have almost driven US to the conclusion
that there is no hope for such an adjustment
as will be satisfactory to the South The lower
house Of the Vermont legislature has, within the
last few. days by vote of one hundred and twenty
five to ifty-eight (33 Democrats and 25 Back Re
publicans) refused to repeal their obnoxious laws
Some Of the Black Republican journals have indi
Gated a Willingness to agree to a plan Of grad
uaI emancipation by requiring States or coun
ties TO pay for runaway negroes that they re
fuse to deliver up to their owners. But we
have no evidence yet that there Is anything
like a respectable proportion OF the Biaelo Sspub
Icans that would be willing to yield even that
much. The Cincinnati Gazette, one of the most con
servative of the Black Republican Journals assures
us that no such settlement as viii be acceptable t.
the South will be acceded TO by the dominant ma
jority in the North. In speaking Of the various
ways Of amending the Constitution, it says, on Mon
day last:
We have now thirty-tllree States, and it will re
uure Twenty-Five States to make an amendment. This
makes il certain = at partisan OF sectional amend
Dlent can be made to the Constitution. II guaran
tees all the needed securities OF the South; but 1t al
so makes it certain that no Constitutional amend
cnt 1rI Be made IN fdUOr 81 SldVe properly or IN G
other ,ody to impede The nil Of Tie majority Of the ma
ton.
certainty Hat Il 1CiR remain, as il IS
But there is another mode of making new guar
antees and arrangements, which we shall ProOabl.
soon hear Of This is a furious debate in Congress
ending with a compromise. THIS may be attempt
ed lint we think will not be done. COngressiona
COMPROMISES are historically finished. Henry Cia.
has gone TO his fathers. Daniel Webster lives on,
in immortal memory. The veteran Benton is shut
fled off the stage and we suspect there are no more
men Of their caliber, strength, temper or aDIty
ride on the winds and direct the storm BESIDE
this the nation is too large and ae nGOrTg hdS Dee
long deceived and imposed upon by dsciceS q uaS S0r
We have italicised two or three Of the sentence
of the Gazette for the purpose Of showing the seem
ing impoasibty of all hope Of either Congressiona
compromise or Constitutional adjustment. We be
Heye that the people of the South are as hearth.
sick of Congressional compromises as the people 0
the North. They have hitherto failed to remedy tn
disease which they have pretended to cure. Tn
times ahead of US are full of perils. 1t becomes u
to meet them with calnmess, with Judgment, an
with decision; at all events with determination
stard firmly for our rights at all hazards.