Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-18

re but the entering points of the wedge, and as
veil might a tree admit the first entrance Of the
teel as the South could afford to admit .he first
liked unconstitutional law directed against her
lights If then the States lying to the South Of us
would consent to meet the other Southern States in
before taking separate action they would
nave these three guarantees that an equal bond
Of sympathy would actuate lis. First we have
the same attachment to Southern civilization as
themselves. with the difference that whereas, it has
been legally ascertaned that ninety hundredths
of our population favor negro slavery in the abb |
stract it has not been legally ascertained that an
equal portion of their population are thus in favor
of slavery Secold, we are threatened in COM
mon interest by a common danger, with the differ
ence that the first fatal blows from that dan
ger must fall on US and afterwards only on them
selves. Third we have greater interest in the
security of Southern rights than themselves
The two first of these propositions undsputed,
and therefore conne ourselves to the third, viz
that the State of Tennessee has greater interest IN
the protection Of slave property under the Federal
Constitution than any of the States lying to the
South of us. They can secede without US, but we
cannot secede without them separate secession BY
land-locked State being absurdity. Ours IS the
only slave State in the world surrounded by slave
States. In order to realize how completely we are
thus bound to the destiny of our neighbors we have
but to figure to ourselves the condition Of State
upon the formation of Southern Confederacy by
the eight Cotton States Certainly noIpaister could
be more soothing to wound than our border would
be to that Southern Confederacy, with its vast sea-
shore on the South and East receiving the trade OF
the world, and with kindred slave border TO the
North. But could we afford to occupy such posi-
ton?
The idea is simply preposterous In the recent
canvass one or two speakers were so illadvised as
to appeal to the non-slaveholders whether they
would suffer the Union to be dissolved upon ques-
ton in which they had no interest So far from any
sympathy, the jacobinical appeal was met, as we
believe by The just execration of all who heard it.
Should it ever succeed it is to be hoped that those
by whom it was first raised the owners ofland and
stocks, will speedily be called on to encounter sim
liar cry from those who own no land against the
land-holders, and from those who own no bonds
against the payment of taxes. To be hoped,
in other words, that they will have leisure,
in an impoverished old age to regret their
country's ruin. Fortunately, the people of
these States are not yet ready to lend their hand
to the work of bringing their ruin. 1t has
been well said by one of the greatest English phi
losophers that every country is either governed by
the people or by despot, because, if there be any
the slightest check on the monarchs power the gov
eminent is constitutional monarchy and the sover-
eign takes his place as the peoples highest servant
Ours is form of government in which the people
choose their own servants directly from themselves
They are babituated to statesmanlike views of all
questions affecting the State. And it may be depend
ed upon that in that spirit they will consider how
the interest of their States requires them to act in
the present troubled hour.
The report of the Comptroller of the Treasury to
the last Legislature shows that the taxable value OF
the land in this State is two hundred and twelve
million of dollars the taxable value of the slaves
is one hundred and ten millions while the taxable
value of all other property is only twenty-five mil
lions. Here then is the moneyed interest of this
State more than five times larger in slaves than IN
every other species of property combined land only
excepted No sane man, in the face of these figures
can doubt what would be the result of Southern
Confederacy to be composed of the Cotton States
alone With the friendly border of those States to
the south of US and with the hostile border of free
states at the north, each year would be marked by
fresh secession to the Southern Republic, until not
one slave State would remain in the Northern Con-
federacy Already it has become the jest OF the day
that. since the election the State Rights Democrats
are called on to moderate the violence of the Oppo-
stionists in the expression of their hostility to the
coming Black Republican Administrator The his
tory of the wealth of nations teaches that war
upon any species of property falls heaviest on the
masses. and with least severity upon the capitalist
An instance in point if were needed IS furnish
ed in the present attempted depreciation of Georgia
and South Carolina currency, by the money mar
ket of the South in obedience to the command
of its northern master. The sole effect OF
which is TO put into the brokers' pocket
five per cent shaved off the necessitiOus
note-hoIder; South Carolina money being in truth
"a good as it ever was and always the best IN the
Union. Thus it is that war upon any species of
property falls upon the community. The persistent
encroachment by the North upon Southern rights
has been so insidious and so much discussed, that
our people have not been shocked into the realiza-
ton of its injustice, but were the same war to be
commenced suddenly on any other species OF prop
erty III the community, no means Of redress would
be considered too prompt or too positive Perhaps
we cannot better illustrate these positions than by
suggestion which no one will controyert namely.
that the depreciation in the value of negroes to day
is hardly Commensurate with the depreciation OF
every other class of property
Let US now, however, for the sake of argument,
admit all that the most sangune lover OF the Union
under any circumstances hopes or expects from
BLACK Republican conservatism Let us admit that
upon the formation of Southern Contederacy by
the States to the South of Tennessee the other slave
States remaining in the Union would find their Con-
stitutiona rights respected by the LINCOLN admins
tration. which we are free to admit, would, in our
opinion be the case. 1t would be Il union OF seven
slave with eighteen free States, and IN that union,
the dominant party would be pledged to religious
war upon Southern civilization That dominant
party. Overwhelmingly dominant, is now flushed
by victory to an extent only to be checked by some
signal defeat Those who choose may believe 1t to
be principle of human nature, that victory IN re-
igious wars is productive of moderation. We
have read the book of history differently. We are
all the protection to our rights that
strong federal government could afford US, but
the best possible result to he hoped from such
union. would be gradual emancipation in these
States that we would be allowed time to sell our
negroes at some price to our Southern neghbors
We're Southern Confederacy to be formed OF all the
present slave States the free negroes OF the North
would keep far from its dreaded border, but under
he confederacy we are supposing, our Northern
border would be infested by the whole negro popu-
alton of the free States and Canada into the bargain
Those States which have already nullied the fugi-
i've slave law would never repeal their act
ind it is folly to suppose that federal officers could
Enforce it.
CwRoy describes certain Roman Emperor as
mo who outraged the laws and what was still more
Iif8cult and dangerous, the manners OF his people
opbern civilization has lasted since the first settle
nent of this continent and the statesmen who would
low lepislate its overthrow are as mad as was the
ncient emperor. Could slavery be abolished IN
,annessee. under the most favorable circumstances
onceivable. our people would then only awake to a
knowledge of their ruin. The State with its tervld
Innate would be the receptacle Of vast negro
orde. composed of the negroes of the North, refu-
ees from the South and large number OF our
,rmer slaves enfranchIsed. Would this black pop
lation work? If So they would be the rivals OF the
,bi+o mechanic and Of white labor. Would they
httrs w No |