Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-11-26

Il
mer sung, where Pericles spoke; it is in na-
ture the same Old Greece; but it is living
Greece no more. [Applause.l Descendants
D. the same people inbabit The country; yet
| what is the reason of this mighty difference?
In the midst of present degradation we see
| the glorious fragments rf ancient works of
art-temples With ornaments and inscrip-
| tons that excite wonder and adrnirationL
| ihe remains OF once high order OF cigiliza-
ton which have outiived the language they
spoke-upOn them all Ichabod is written
| their glory has departed. fhFFi
Why Is this so? / answer, their institu-
| tlons have been destroyed. These were but
the fruits Of their forms of government, the
lnatrix from which their grand development
| sprang, and when once the Institutions Of a
people have been destroyed, thereis no earth
| ly power that can bring back the Promethe-
| an spark to kindle them here again, any more
than in that ancient land of eloquence, poetry
and SOM. (Applause.l The same may be said
OF Italy. Where is Rome, once the mistress of
| the world? There are the same seven hills
! now, the same soil, the same natural resour-
| ces; nature is the same, but what a ruin OF
human greatness meets the eye of tie trave-
Ter throughout the length and breadth of that
most down trodden land! Why have not the
| people OF that Heaven-favored cline the
| spirit that animated their fathers? Why this
sad difference! 1t is the destruction of her
| institutions that ha> caused it; and, my
counlrymen, if we shall in an evil hour rash
| ly pull down and destroy those institutions
which the patriotic band of our fathers labor
ed so long and so hard 10 build up, and which
have done so much for us and the world, who
can venture the prediction that similar re
suits will not ensue? Let US avoid it if we
| can. trust the spirit is amongst us that
! will enable US 10 do it. Let us not rashy
try the experiment, for if it fails as it did in
Greece and Italy and in the South American
Republics, and in every other place, wher-
ever liberty is once destroyed, it may never
be restored to US again. Applause
When look around and see our prospect
ty IN everything. agriculture, commerce, art,
science and every department of education,
physical aud mental, as well as moral ad
Vancement, aud our colleges, think in the
face of such an exhibition if we can without
the loss of power, or any essential right or
interest, remain in the Union, it is our duty
to ourselves and to property to-let US not
too readily yield 10 this iemptation-do SO.
Our first parents,the great progenitOrs of the
human race were not without like tempta
ton when in the garden of Eden. They were
led TO believe that their condition would be
bettered-that their eyes would be opened
and that they would become as Gods. They
in an evil hour yielded-inst.ad Of becoming
Gods. they only saw their own nakedness.
look upon this country, with our institu-
ton. the Eden of the world, the paradise
Of the universe. 1t may be that out of il we
may become greater and more prosperous,
but / am candid and sincere in telling you
that / tear if we rashly evince passion and
without sufficient cause shall take that step.
that instead of becoming greater or more
peaceful, prosperous and happy-instead of
becoming Gods, We will become demons and
at ne distant day commence cutting one an
Let US. therefore, whatever we do, meet these
dlffiIlteS, great as they are. like wise and
sensible men, and consider them in the light
of all the consequences which may attend |
our action. Let us see first clearly where |
the path of duty leads and then We may not |
fear 10 tread therein.
Now upon another point, and that the most |
difficult and deserving your most serious |
consideration, 1 will speak. That is the |
course which this State should pursue to-
wards those Northern States which by their /
Legislative acts have attempted to nullify |
the Fugitive Slave Law. I know that in some
OF those States their acts pretended to be
based upon the principle set forth in the de-
cision of the Supreme Court of the United
States in the case of Prigg against Pennsyl-
yaniai that decision did proclaim the doc
trine that the State officers are not bound to
carry out the provisions of law of Congress
that the Federal Government cannot i'm
pose duties upon State oficials-that they
must execute their own laws by their own /
Ulcers. And this may be true. But still it
is the duty OF the States to deliver fugitive
slaves as we'll as the duty of the General
Government TO see that it is done.
Northern States, on entering into the Fed
eral Compact, pledged themselves to surren-
der such fugitives: and it is in disregard of
their constitutional Obligations that they have
passed laws which even tend to hinder or
inhibit the tulfillment of that obligation
They have violated their plighted faith;
what ought We to do 10 view of this? That
is the question. What is to be done? By the
the law of nations you would have a right
to demand the carrying out of this article of
agreement. and do not see that it should
be otherwise with respect to the States of
this Union, and In case 1t be not done we
would by these principles have the right to
commit acts of TepTisal on these faithiess
governments, aud seize upon their property,
or that of their citizens wherever found.
The States of this Union stand upon the
same footing with foreign nations in this res
pect. But blythe law of nations we are equally
bound. before proceeding to violent measures
to set forth our grievances before the offend
ing government to give them an opportunity
to redress the wrong. Has our State yet
done thisi l think not. sI
Suppose it were Great Britain that had vi
olated some compact of agreement with the
General Government; what would be first
done? In that case our Minister would be
directed in the first instance to bring the
matter to the attention of that government,
or commissioner be sent to that country to
open negotiations with her, ask for redress
and it would only be after argument aud rea-
son had been exhausted in vain that we
would take the last resort of nations. That
would be the course towards foreign govern
l- "a - 1
eracy would recommend the same course.
Let US therefore not act hastily in this mat
ter Let your Committee on the State of the
Republic make out bill of grievances; let
it be sent by the Governor to those faithless
States, and if reason and argument shall be
tried in vain-all shall fail to induce them
to return to their constitutional obligations,
[ wonld be for retaliatory measures, such as
the Goyernor has suggested to YOU This
mode of resistance in the Union is in our
power. 1t might be effectual, and if in the
last resort we would be justified in the eyes
OF nations, not only in separating from them,
but by using force.
(Some one said the argument was already
exha lsted.l
Mr.. Stephens continued Some friend says
that the argument is already exhausted No.
my friend. it is not. You have .never called
the attention of the Legislature of those
States TO This suhjrct that I am aware of.
has ever been done before this year.
The attention of our own people has been
called to the jet lately.
Now then my recommendation to you
would be this la view of all these questions
of difficulty, 1t a convention of the people
of Georgia be called. 10 which they may be
all referred. Let the sovereignty of the peo-
pie speak. Some think that the election OF
Mr Lincoln is Cause sufficient to dissolve the
Union. Some think those other grievances
are sufficient to dissolve the same. and that
the Legislature has the power thus 10 act
md onoht thus tn act have no hesifancy |