Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-17

South has ever been expressed by any one. Il as
Washington asserts, the prompting of sedlnterest
be more commanding motives on such occasions
than even patriotism, what may we apprehend when
in defiance and contempt of all opposition and re-
monstrance from the South, the united North shall
have spoken one man, thrown It's lrresistoe
weight in favor of that sectional party and invest 1t
with the supreme power? There can be but one an.
swer to this question Sooner later he sacred ties
which now link together" the North and the South
must be sundered. How closely the eneyitaole eff
feet will follow the may be matter OF sPecu-
latiOn, but it can only be question OF tlme When
those shall govern the confederacy who pronounce
Southern If. utter "barbarism," and denounce as
"the sum of all villainies practice on which that
whole section sustains ITSELF the South must secede
if secession by practicable. 1t is practicable IL IS
capable of accomplishment with the utmost facility
and it is the extreme of folly in Northern men, who
either from patriotism selfintersst are aTerse to
it, to deem it distant or improbable evil
Where no complete and Independent power Of To-
cal government exists in the discontinued sections
/ revolutions are fraught with extreme immediate
danger to the actors and demand much skill and
pacty as well as courage in conducting the prepar-
atory and intiatory steps. small band OF lndlVld-
uals obliged to conspire as It were with matters
around their necks, in some secret place, without
color of right in their first plottngs or subsequent
action. Their proceedings are, throughout in plain
violation of all law, and IN opposition TO all the eX
sting constituted authorities Men OF any prudence
will long endure great evils before involving them
selves in the peris ATTENDANT on such enterprises.
But the case is far different when, IN cOnedera'
ton like ours the desire TO secede animates eff
| fective majority a particular State. No secret
conspiracy is there needed. Treason-if treason it
may be cRlied-needs no mask to conceal its fea-
lures or secret hiding place in which perfect its
designs. These traitors-if traitors they be called
have regularly and lawfully constituted govern
ment already in their hands, and subject to their di
rection. They have an Executive, Legislative, a
Judiciary; they have an army, arsenal, and armsi
they have a complete corps of administrative Off
! GERS filling every department in due subordInation
to their accustomed chief, the Governor. He, too,
holds his Office under State authority alone. The
| seal of the United ConfederacY is not found upon
| his commission He wears no badge Of official sub
ordination TO any power His official responsibility
is onlv to the people Of his own State in their
! of impeachments. Internal order will exist pur-
suant TO the legislative WILL and external defense,
pursuant to the Executive command, may be ar
ranged at the very instant legislative act declares
the secession. The few officials OF the central or
federative government to be found within the State
must 90 with their fellow-citizens, 90 instantly
into a State prison The federative voice, which an
| hour before was "the supreme law of the land,'
can no longer command within the state the means
of issuing or serving a legal process. 1t Is only
| known as a foreign and hostile power, which may
possibly send assalling military force against the
State and which, in that event is to be treated and
resisted any other public enemy. Until that for
eign enemy shall assa her borders, peace, law and
/ ~
as if no change had occurred.
! 1t would seem to have been part of our divine
" wise scheme of Government that no State should
ever be treated unjustly by the central power in
| deed l think such action impossible. When the
terms of the federative compact violated, the
State has but to secede and the central Government
must recede from its course of oppression.
This is manifest No State, with the facilities for
self-protecton thus designedy afforded by our sys-
tenn will ever long submit absolute injustice. No
other States in the Union viii consent to hold
reluctant State in subsection by the constant en-
! ployment within its borders of a hostile military
force 4 Union held together by force Is utterly re-
pugnant 10 our conceptions of policy; it would vio-
late q cardinal rule in the great unwrltten code OF
political ethics from which existing federation
| sprang. A people cannot rightfully be governed
against their will 1t never was intended that one
portion of country should be foTclb!y held with
in the Union by the armed power of the rest The
sacred links" of union referred to by Washington
were not formed of vucanian metal. nor were they
designed to be held in their place by martial force
Mutual affection cemented by mutual interest is the
only power that can keep united.
do not pretend that State may remain III the
Union and disObey its authority; nor do i'm
agine that State secede without just
cause. In this respect look upon our admirable
federative Governments a theocracy. In the right
il is invincible to work injustice 1t has no function;
when wrong, it is absolutely powerless.
The South has sent forth its warning that 1t VIII
treat LincOlns election conclusive evidence that
there exists at the North a fixed and unalterable
popuar hostility to Southern interests that it will
not await the preparation of overt act This Is
| called 4 threat and is treated with derisiOn. Here
in is q misconception, Of which would disabuse
| the Northern mind.
believe that the Republican party is composed
! Of two classes. First, the ambitious leaders, who.
without faith in their doctrines, have counted
upon attaining power through disturbing appeas to
| mIsed public conscience Secondly, the honest and
conscientious opponents of negro slavery. The
former have melted q moral war against our
| brethren of the South, intending that Its lame
shall be quenched the instant the incendiaries shall
have obtained power. They intend to deceive their
honest followers, and no doubt would seek to enjoy
their power and pelf in peace and security by a
course of policy which, under the circumstances,
! might well be pronounced treacherous believe
that within six months after his election, LINCOLN
! would be more hated by every honest Abolitionst
than any other President ever was hated, CT than
any of his present competitors would be II elected.
But the South does not entertain this opinion the
South would recognize, IN preference Tor Lincoln,
that Northern sentiment Is hostile to Souhern IN
terests and determined sooner or later to sacrifice
these interests to a remOrseess and destructive
propagandlsm.
unwisey treated as insignificant and inconsequen-
tiaI 1t is said that physical force Is vastly
greater than theirs, that courage and resolution
are equal to theirs, and that an armed collision
| would be brief-wOud be fatal to the South. For
|
! what will be the result? Who will depict 1t!
! Would our Northern warriors, after bathing their
| swords in fraternal blood, turn them into nipple
ments of husbandry-set in their newly acquired
territory, and employ themselves IN agriculture on
cotton and rice plantations! Would they be willing,
IN their new condition. TO support by poor rates
4OOOOOO of their newly emancipated and inylnclbly
indoient negro fellow-citizens! If not, what else
would they DO with the desolated homes of the sub
jugated South?
will NOT ONT A.,
with the fearful topic. The man who believes that
an armed collision Of this sort can ever arise be-
tween the military force of the Union and the Sc
ccGlng South docs not understand the fundamental
principles Of our Union, and fails TO appreciate the
virtue of our people. The American citizen who
would willingly witness its occurrence even to pre-
vent secession, Is traitor to those fundamental
principles.
have said that in its political aspect and in its
immediate practical bearings it relates govern
mental action, secession is a measure easily execu
ted. Let US look for a moment to its Interior re.
suits. If inveterate hostility TO its social arrange
ments pervaies the North, why should the South
| secede2 No very controlling reasons be found
IN support of negative conclusion this question
Next, think it plain that we can never make war
upon the South to force that section back into the
Union. Let us see what is the next chapter in the
natural course of events
l As an independent republic. perfectly armed and
equipped with all the formal and substantial ele
ments Of order and good government in full action
what shall prevent the United States of Southern
8 America from being Immediately admitted into the
great family of civilized nations and afforded every
facility for direct trade with Europe?
All monarchical Christendom would hail the birth
, OF this new empire with delight and would hasteT
10 afford 1t every needful commercial privilege
The manufacturers of Europe would be adm tilted
into It's ports without duties, or at low rates. The
7 manufacturers of hated New England and the hated
N9rth would, of course, be excluded. The inancia
and commercial intercourse now existing between
New York and the transatlantic nations, in connec
ton with Southern products and Southern cOnsump
' ton would be transferred to direct correspo
. ance between New Orleans and Charleston, and th'
ery saIre foreign houses that now conduct the bu
I siness. fThgs severance Of the happy commercle
: and industrial iIterrhanges now existing between
the North and the South would promptly follow tn
severance of our political ties The villages piante,
+ along our New England rivers, and now hIeq VIII
operatives in the manufacture OF cotton, would sOo