Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-29

We are in the midst of confusion civil strife stares
in the face, ana financial distress and panic are
abroad in the land and every man should be inform
ed Of the passing events they transpire. Every
one should take newspaper, and Democratic one
at that Let all who desire to be correctly informed
take the UNION AND AMERICAN
he capacity &c sso0 tEerners Tc- Seis.sEE57sS..
eminent.
tpe election Of ABRAHAM LINCOLN to the first
Magistracy of the United States has applied the Sc
Ferest test to the capacity of the American ueople
Tor sefgovernment that eur country has ever expe-
rleneed. -Four years ago, when the success of sec
uonal candidate, occupying less obnoxious position
than Mr.. LINCOLN, was imminent. Ex-President FILL
MORE declared that the South would and should re-
siSt LNcoLSs election. though consumrated &C
eordng to the forms Of the Constitution is grossly
FloianNe OF Its entire spirit and if submitted to bv
H1ie 0outh' would inaugurate a domination of the
stronger over the weaker section of the Confederacv
" evident TO every man of common sense that
sucn result was never Contemplated by the found
ers u our Government GEORGE WAsHIEGToN not
only deprecated the success of geographical parties
Out oeeply depored the existence of such organizs
lions as mournfnl evidence of decay. sure pre-
cursor OF national downfall Whatever NAV be tbe
Inference Of sentiment with regard to the time of
action, 1t is certain that no spirited people who are
determined to be free can long submit 70 the rnlo
OF another and hostile people over them. The
Senator from Tennessee. who has recently SIGNAL
lzed himself in Black Republicsa-eFsg bv in
uicAung a willingness -ta--R1ake conquered
Pf0'inces..eeti seeding States Of the South.
vel spare his bayonets, if the Southern
Estates submit to the Black Republican domination,
sought to be fastened upon them, without using
every means with which God and nature have
armed them, to maintain intact their constitutional
and natural equality. If the Southern States sub
NIT, they will already be in the condition of con
quered provinces, " conquered by their servile
submission to the power whose rod is lifted to smie
them, conquered by their fear of change, conquered
by their vain and foolish adulation for a Onion
which only retains the empty name without any of
the ingredients Of a fraternal confederacy among
States. The South has already protested in
Congress and her protestations have been scorned.
She has proposed terms of settlement of the most
moderate character, whereby she might live in the
confederacy inpeace and safety and her terms have
been rejected with cold contempt. What remains
for her to do? Must she degrade herself by again
and again begging mercy from her INSCRIPTIONS
and fanatical adversary? Must she sullenly wait
for her enemy to complete his armament for her
subjugation! God forbid! What then must she
do! For ourselves we say, she must unitedIy with
draw her States from Union, in which the domi-
nant section derisivey mocks spts upon and deties
her. She must now act with decision and as one
man, or she is lost forever. Her enemy will con
tenn and despise her, the civilized world will pity
her imbeeility and timidity, if she now hest,
tates in the course she must pursue She
is now rocking on the very pivot of her destiny,
and it depends upon her own action, whether she
shall occupy the most glorious position that patriots
ever aspred to- or v-hethav sFs ;r,,o
nliny, with her the hewers OF wood and draw
ers Of water of her cold blooded prosecutors. We
do not anticipate that her road will be smooth and
easy should she choose the alternative of glorious
resistance. We would not sing syren songs to our
eountry1nen. The road to freedom and indepen
lence has many poin7s of difficulty, peril, and
of obloquy. History may gidlt with glory but the
reality only to demonstrate what iron patri-
otism it requires to plunge into Its difficulties But
then the capacity of the people for self government
and to maintain their rights must be indicated. 1t
is ole of the sugarcoated cqaais of the enemies of
our rights aud the friends Of despotsm of one sec
ton the other that the capacity Of the Ameri
can people for selfgovcrnment will have been dis
proved by the secession of the Southern States from
the Union. VIII abject submission Of one section
to another, which has proved itself hostile to their
institutions demonstrate the capacity of the people
for sefgovernment! On the other hand if the
people have she discernment to know their
rights and the courage TO maintain them,
even though they must absolve themselves from
allegiance to a Government to which they are
accustomed, is not this the highest and strongest
evidence that they govern themselves? But
we have more respect for this argument for
unconditional submission. than have for those
advocates for the toPratcn Of any and every kind
of evil and oppression, under the Federal Govern
ment who, eUdeavOr to arouse the fears and enlist
the preudiees of the people against resistance to its
encIoachments, by propagatng the vagrant opinions
of a few excited and misguided individuals in the
South who favor a constitutional monarchy. 1t is
one of the strangest anomalies of the times that
one who has arisen to his present elevated position,
by necessarily preaching confidence in the capacity
of the people, should now invajdate his own conf
ence by expressing apprehension that the States
of the South through their sovereign people, will
lNOpt ulOudEtulCdl AOIlu VI NuhCIuLlcuts ouduG
upon the Southern Senator who harbors an idea so
unjust to his intelligent and Democratic Section!
VIII the withdrawal of the Southern States from
the Union make them less Democratic in their doc
trines than under the agis Of the Federal Union!
1t is well known that the Federal, consolidating
ideas in our Government have emanated from the
New England States. The South has ever been the
stronghold Of popular rights, State rights, and
stitutiOna guarantees. 1t is true her States have
never blindly believed in the domination of absolute
numerical majorities. They have ever contended
for the rights Of minorites and he that would deny
aud refuse to maintain them. is a despot and a
traitor
From the South have sprung the greatest and
truest statesmen of our country. She has been the
nursery of great men, true patriots and enlightened
advocates of popular rights Her WASHINGTON
JEFrEIssoN. Madison. CALHOUN, JACKSON, CLAY, have
never known their peers in craftsmanship in the
Northern States. Her people have cherished no
discontinued spirit account of the character OF
her Constitution. Her statesmen and senator's have
been the advocates and defenders of the Constitu-
ton and it is for its great and enduring principles,
interpreted by the Supreme Court Of the United
States, that they contending and these they
will ever cherish and maintain. They propose no
innovations, no new ideas doctrines but simply
the maintenance of the Constitution This they viii
have Failing, they have, to get it in association
with the Northern States they will carry its endear-
ed spirit with them OF the Union. as the chill
dren Of JACOB carried the ark of the covenant
through the wilderness to the promised Canaan 1t
is not The Southern pcOple-the seceders-the men
who hold their rights dearer than an empty form.
that are the advocates Of monarchy 1t is the doc
rrine of coercion that must inevitably lead to the
most odious form of monarchy military des-
potsm I: is the doctrine of making conquered
provinces Of the free and sovereign seeding States
ofthe South and which denies that government
derives its just power from the consent Of the gov
erned, that will raise mp over us sn overshadowing
central power, stronger than the viii of a free
people and equally odous and tyrannical as here
ditary monarchy. Think you that civil liberty can
endure such n strain for year? Bow can he
SShe prefers consolidated government TO the dis
memberment OF the Union, reprove the idea OF a
Southern monarchy, when he thus openly prefers a
that the rat~iotS fy,or, hon,