Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-12-07

catholic feelings of tho other. Mutually exaspera-
ted by the incendiary and disorgapizpg represen-
tations of this hungry oficcseekng crowd, the two
sections find themselves in fierce contrQvcrBy
which they had no hand ia bringing on. In the
meantime those whe originated the STRIFE are busy
on both sides in fastening it to open rupture and
dsunion; in order that the Offices may be doubled
and their share of the spois increased 0ur polit-
clans would settle their differences f they could
and could not If they would It is at least clear
that they have not done it, and that they never
will. II we ever have peaceful termination Of
our troubles 1t viii be brought about by the people,
Hitherto, the people have taken no action. II then
we dissolve NOW, we shall have destroyed the fair
fabric OF this Uaon, which cur fathers reared at
such expense Of treasure ard blood ,rithoRt hdc,,g
made Que solitary sort TO preserve IL To desecrate
the altar which ancestors pledged their lives
their fortunes and their sacred honor to overthrow
the majestic monument Of their wisdom, genius,
and patriotism; TO transmit 10 posterity only the
fragments Of the inheritance received from our
fathers, without ever having moved a fRger to
avert the ruin would be barbarous and monstrous,
not worthy of christian men, but only of Goths and
Vandals.
| llth. We owe duty to mankind as we'll AS to
ourselves. The mouarches of Europe have ever
looked with jealous eve on the republican institu-
tions ct America and are even now predicting their
downfall. The dissolution of this Union would
seem to be in verifcaten Of their predictions, as 1t
would certainly be in accordance with the wishes
Of the more despotic of them. The effect on Euro
pean lovers OF liberty would be dsheartening; and
we know not how great the shock might be to the
progress OF free principles all over the werld There
might indeed be circumstances which would make
it necessary for to relieve ourselves from the diff
hcultes into which politicians have brought us,
by destroying our own Republic; but to take this
last and awful step-to bring about this tremen-
dous catastrophe, pronounced even by Lord Brough-
am, to be 'he greatest calamity that could bcfall
the WORLD and that without even movement to-
wards preventing II, would be recreant to every
trust that we owe to ourselves, TO God, or to our
fellow men.
l2th Admitting the necessity of dsunion, and
admitting that it could take place without boodshed
and under the most favorable circumstances II must
he obvious to every that the financial difficult
ties in which 1t would involve u.s. would be over
whelmingly great. There would be an utter loss
of confidence holders of Federal and State securi-
ties would be ruined; Stocks of all descriptions
would be greatly deprecated or worthless; the
Banks would be forced to their loans, and pro-
bably to suspend specie payments; myrads Of in
cendiaries among us would diminish the value of
our lands and negro property; men in debt null
titudes Of our citizens are would be unable to pay
and if sold out their property would be sacrificed
and themselves ruined; business Of every kind
would stagnae, and hence vast numbers of our fell
ow-citizens, new in easy circumstances, would be
Ipecuniary pressure, The demands of the new gov
ernment for money wond be enormous Our taxes
would be doubled aud redoubled, and increased to
a degree which we have no means Of estmating-
To raise money by loans would be, in case of peace
difficult If not impossible and in case Of war il
would be absolutely impossible. The money could
come only from the pockets of the people and the
share of Georgia would be millions upon millions.
The sum of one million, which His Exoellency the
Governor proposes now to raise, amounts to nearly
ten dollars per head for every voter in the State
Yet this is nothing to what the future may develop.
Add to this, that our paper money would be worth
ess and that there would be no buyers for our pro-
perty, and is hard TO how should raise the
immense sums which our necessities would require.
We should have a mail service to establish public
buildings to erect, our coast to fortify, navy to
build, an army TO support, afost and ashore, and
last but not least our legion of Office holders TO fat
ten; and all this, too at the very time when after
a ummer of universal drought, our cotton crop is
unusually short and our supply Of provisicEs wholly
insufficient without importations frohn the Northern
States, to keep us from autual want. The most
careless thinker must pesceive that the pecuniary
Embarrassment and domestic dist. ess which must
result from sudden and unexpected upheaval of
the whole social fabric would be such as is seldom
paraeled in the history of man. With this ap-
palling prospect, immediate and unprecedented de-
struction Of this Government on the mere ground
of Mr. Lincolns election or indeed on any ground
would argue peurile indiscretion and headlong
rashness on the part of the actors, which would
indicate anything but their fitness for their position
and prognostcate anything but the Of their
Operations.
18th. Admitting what has never been denied
that under certain circumstances the Union ought
to be dissolved, the sober sense of all man
kind would decide that it ought not TO be done in
panic or excitement nor under circumstances which
even give il the appearance Of being done. There
should be the appearance and the reality of deibe-
ration and dignity in giving the dcath-blow to 30
great Republic. Our fathers were in position
almost exactly similar To our own when they dis
solved the tie that bound them to Great Britain
For us to take step of like character without re-
ference to their experience and example, would be
as unwise as irreverent and prove that are ua-
, worthy descendants of noble sres The course of
these sages of the Revolution was one of great wis
dom. alt received the applause Of the ablest
, statesmen Of Europe. The leaders Of the colonies
were resoluteb but calm and deliberate. They appre-
ciated fully tee difficulty and decacy Of the task
/, imposed upon them, They laid their plans slowly,
! cautiously, and with deep sagacty Il Is worth our
while to trace their cause. They began by uniting
, their counsels. No colony seeded alone. They
formed Congress for joint declaration and action.
The Congress so fomed assembled in Sept lT74-
They did not begin by dissslving the Union they
: adopted declaration Of rights; they issued ad-
dresses to the people of the United Colonies, to
those OF canada and OF Great Britain they petit
toned the King; they adopted resolutions to import
no goods from Great Britain and Ireland, and to
export none to those countries; they prepared arms
they still delayed they knew that ia reforming
abuses the last sepwas to dissolve the Government
i they were firm but patient. Boston was occupied
) by British army. The battle OF Bunker Hill was
fought. The victory of Fort Moultre was achieved
Still the moderate patriots of Congress kept open
the door Of reconciliation. From September l774,
to July l776 they made every effort that was hon
orable to preserve the Union They still hesitated
to abolish it. even in the midst Of battles sieges
aRd frequent bloodshed. Il was at the end only OF
e nearly two years when every appeal TO the justice
friendship aud interests Of England had been made
in vau that Congress severed the bonds that united
a the colonies TO the mother country. There nc
boyish petulance no indecent haste, blind rash
= ing into the mire Of revolution, with a vague de-
pendenee some contingent Jupiter TO assist them
! in getting out of L. The Leaders of America Mers