Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-11-14

ment viii have parsed into the bands of the
Republican party, and that its power may be
turned against US, reply that that can never
be done, until the Executive, Legislative and
Judicial departments of the Government are
all under the control of that party. That
neither Mr. Lincoln nor his party can do no
act which can affect the rights of one of the
| slave States, without equally affecting those
! of all-that they can affect neither without
| violating the Constitution as it exists-that
| if they dared to lay violent hands upon that
instrument, it would be an act of usurpdtiOn,
which would rouse the whole South to imme-
date action and resistance,--that in resisting
revolution, thus forced upon us, the South
would be united--and EARNED with the
right" and being prepared 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 States of the North, in the
repeated efforts of the latter to turn the pow
er of the common Government from its
rightful duty of protection-tO aggressions
upon our rights--and in their refusal to car
| ~ into effect the provision of the Constitu-
| ton requiring the rendition Of fugitives from
labor, cannot be questioned. But should
be remembered that these wrongs have been
perpetrated by the States Of the North-nOt by
the Federal Government-and ut a time
when that Government was in the bands of
| the friends of the Constitution and of the
| Union. 1t is true that it was the duty of the
I'll OH
| and to protect the South. If it was power
less for protection in the hands of the friends
of the Union, l agree that there is no hope
of protection when it has passed 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 would be
a6soiUed from the obligations of allegiance TO
that Government whenever it shall become
manifest it cannot or would not protect
them so. likewise would it be, if the Gov
nent was about to pass into the hands of
a party which the South bad good reason to
believe would use it as an engine OF oppres-
sion--an instrumentality for the destruction
of their rights. Bat yet l would make one
more effort 10 turn from my country the bit-
ter cup. Though the South may, in moral
right. resume her sovereignty as the means
of her safety. yet her honor does not require |
her to do so yet. If the Southern States will |
only arm and prepare for maintaining their |
rights, in the Union, there is no necessity for |
her precipitate withdrawal from it. Far |
otherwise would it be, if under the influence |
of the Republican party, the powers OF the |
Federal Government had already been turn |
ed against rs. Then, honor. duty and inter |
est would alike demand action Of different |
character from that now proposed.
War may come of these aggressions of the
Republican party. Let us not provoke it;
but if come it must, let US be united and ready,
and whether in or out of the Union, we have
nothing to fear. So r lza-5
Arrest this mad crusade of the Republican
Party against the South, and the South
would remain loyal to the Government of
the Union; but l submit to the judgment of !
all intelligent men, whether bitter denunci-
atoms of the Southern people as traitors, is
calculated to affect this result.
While the border slave States may not be
of their Confederate rights.-upon the first
successful assault of the enemy, yet let it
not be hence inferred, that they do not know
and do not mean to maintain their rights.
If nothing short of a surrender OF those
rights, will appease the demoniac spirit of
The Republican party, when that fact is
made manifest, Tennessee will join her
Southern sisters, and maintain them if need
be, at the lannon's mouth, and at the door
Of The National Capitol.
I do not propose action in the present EN-
srgeney, by any party. The time is past for
ndalging partizan feeling. The Patriot
should love his country more than party
md when she is "sore pressed : whether by
oreign or domestic enemy-he should stihe
he voice of party, and rise to the duty of
her rights and honor, no matter
It what personal sacrifice. Our Southern
listers may propose to act too hastily, and
nay, in redress of present grievances. and to (
vert threatened danger-gO farther than we
hink, now necess airy; but that they are
light in their determination to resist the ag-
;resslons of the Republican party, cannot ;
'e questioned.
We may differ with them as to the action
ow called for; but if the border slave States i
old their arms as indignant spectators of
he struggle, and leave the impression on
be minds of our Southern sisters, that we !
re not free from Abolition sympathies, and
re content to see the rupture Of the ties that
mite our fate and theirs, and that we volun- {
arily choose to be the "taiL endr of an aboli- I
ion Confederacy and to hold our rights at |.
be will and mercy ofour enemies--if we al
DIV ourselves TO occupy position so false to +
hem aid our own honor and interest,-the t
istory Of the Union of these States, will be
Tritten in the blood of the bravest and best Z
len of the South. But if we unite our 1
outhern sister States, (who are determined
n present action,) to the cooperation pro-
osed for our own common safety and de- 7
ense and as means of saving the Govern I
nent from Championship will not, surely, t
ashly fly from the Union.
Having thus, Messrs. Editors, feebly at i
empted to perfor m my duty as private cit t
zen of this Government-so greatly blesse c
# God in its past history--all 1 can do is TO s
invoke the cooperation of all good men. be- ii
ieving that we may save the Government n
rom disruption, and avert the horrors of civil
hen, by prompt action, in the right direc- c
ION. Though the measures proposed may r
eem severe, yet they are less to be depreca- s
ed than Disruption, and are all consistent :
18th the provisions of the compact of union. c
nd fully justified as peace measures-by the o
pnandin0 6anoarS n =t,o. q