Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-11-16
For the Nashville Patriot.
a Letter to the People of the Cotton
States.

For the Nashville Patriot.
a Letter to the People of the Cotton
states.
| We see by the telegraphic news that you
are preparing to secede from the Union. Your
| wrongs and those of the whole South have
been great. The personal liberty bills OF Sc
veral of the Northern States, the refusal of
| the Executives of some Of them to deliver fii-
| gitives who were charged with stealing
slaves, and lastly the election of Abraham
Lincoln by a sectional vote upon princi-
pie of hostility to slavery, are all of them in.
suit added 10 oppression upon the South. If
upon this you were to declare that the end
of all government-the preservation Of the
lives and property, the peace and quiet of
the citizens-had failed under the Federal
Government, and to revolutiOnize, no power
would. or could deny that you had acted ac-
cording to the law of nature. And in the
present state of public opinion throughout
Europe and America, no power would, in all
probability, interfere to restrain or check
your revolutionary action. Thus you have
granted you all any people could demand,
an unrestrained right, when the case arises,
TO alter, tear down and remodel your form
of government without question by any
power or people whatever.
But revolutions are always to be avoided
if possible. The remedy though perfect rs
against the power overthrown, is always ac-
RTsa1
to those who carry it out. The transition
state Is one of moral and physical confusion
loss of material prosperity, loss of moral
progress, and great individual as well as as
ISOLATED suffering. These results have not
followed in all revolutions. On the contra
~, in many of them there las been great
gain. both in civilization and physical pros
perity. But these have resulted only when
the change was from despOtism to more liber-
al institutions. But in your case the change
would be from one system of liberal institu-
tons, perfect in the liberty of the citizen. 10
another afToFding him no greater liberty.
This would be a change, but no gain. Bat
again, you have no cause OF complaint
against the Federal Government. Its sane
ton sits so lightly upon Us all we do not feel
it. 1t is not perceptible to the touch; it is
only real to the eye, and it works SO smooth
ly. and is in truth so sublime in its power,
that it is a pleasure to contemplate it,
We elect members of Congress, President
and Vice President. This is our only con-
tact with the government. For The rest. am
pie means ill the treasury we know not now,
and flow out we care not where; and yet
ships bearing the national armament sail
upon sea, well disciplined, well instruct, d;
orderly and brave national troops are at ev-
cry point of danger. and as n whole the Fed
eTal Government is confessed TO be one of the
first powers of the world. The causes then.
IF revolution, which have mentioned in the
beginning of this letter, are net cause of re-
violation against the G-neral Government,
but against the citizens alone-as citizens
of the Northern States. not against them as
part and parcel OF the Genera, Government.
for as such part and parcel they are utterly
powerless 10 do you wrong or injury, as
will show you presently-but against them as
paris of independent States, so entirely dis
connected from you as make it impossible
you could rebel against them.
The personal liberty bills. which in effect
modify the fugitive slave law, the refusal of
Executives of Northern States to surrender
fugitives charged with slave stealing. and the
organization of a political party on the basis
of hostility to slavery. are all of them actions
on the part of the Northern people as citizens
of sovereign States in a matter that reaches
alone, practically. no further than the jnris-
diction of the State They are not, and-eaa
not, by any manner of construction. or in
ductIOn, be referred to the Federal Govern
ment. need not here remind you that those
personal liberty bills, wherever they have
been brought before the Federal Courts, have
that Congress has not been asked for such
legislation as would act directly upon re-
fractory and fanatical Governors. And as
for the formation of political parties, they
carry with them the seeds of their own dis
solution. The elegant malice of Sumner. the
of Greeley-however they may
be sugared by the conservatism of Bates,
COrwin and Ewing, are only sufficient base
or the formation OF a party for the hour.
The ability and personal popularity of these
men, can give their party only temporary
existence, 1t is, then, popular and public
opinion in the North, which insult and in
US OF the slave States. will not
offend you by using the terms tyranny and
for We ar their equals, and ty-
ranny and oppression by them over us is
equally impossible aud absurd.
But against this public opinion so insult
ing to us, yea have remedy lar superior to
revolution. both in its speediness and GER
tainty. small portion of the means which
you viii raise TO arm and equip your States.
and for the formation of a separate govern.
ment, applied TO open and sustain direct
trade with Europe and other parts of the
world. would be speedy, efectuai, and. in
fact, q terrible cure to the fanaticism of the