Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-12

understood and approved by the ablest men
in Virginia, and that Ir. Pryor was also
then in the secret. Ia publishing this ex-
| tract on the 9th of September, 1858, in the
columns of the PATRIOT, we asked Mr.. PRYOR
the question, 6 WHO are these ablest men in
Virginia, who had digested, understood and
| approved" this well-considered Southern po-
Icy and though We exchanged with the
South and doubtless it was cegnizant Of the
question, he failed to answer. Undoubtedly
| Gov. WISE was one Of the men referred to,
as circumstance presently to be mentioned
will more fully show.
The foregoing completely demonstrates
that a preconccrted, deliberately planned
and organized scheme to break up the Union
| Of the States was concocted, taking its shape
| from secret consultations held by men from
various Southern States during the sitting
o. the Southern Convention at Montgomery,
Ala, in 1858. Il also shows that WILLIAM
L. TANCsY, the head and front of the Back
INRIDGE party az The South, was the leading
spirit in the wicked aad iraitorous proceed
| ins. 1t also proves, beyond question, that
tie entire design, plot and aim rested, IN its
| inception, on no ground other than cold
| blooied enmity to the Union, and the pre-
tense that disunion per Sc, of itself and with
out cause, would be of advantage to the
South. But no one ever suspected Mr.. YAM
CGY Of a lack of sense He we'll kew that
the whole conspiracy would fail. and that be
and his coadjutors would be overwhelmed
with disgrace, unless the people could be
brought up TO its support. The plan was
| all perfect except that it mad no immediate
pretext. He had introduced into the South
ern Convention at Montgomery, or procured
to be introduced, resolutions in favor OF re-
opening the African slave trade; but it was
suon found that such pretext alone would
not meet the popular acceptance and ap-
prevail, and that it could not be relied On to
answer the purpose. Another. more directly
affecting the people. was absolutely neces-
sary. Fortunately for Mr.. YANCEY aud his
f. lOw-cons3irators,o one, supposed to be suit
able in al respects, wasofound in the idea OF
OF Congressional protection to slavery in the
territories About the 10th of September,
1858, the n. 0. DsItc, well-known disunion
paper, cautiously put forward the doctrine of
Congressional protection.
Il was shortly taken up by other journals,
and in the first days Of January 1859. it was
formally promulgsd by the Richmond En-
ql,irer. Here the finger of Gov. Wise is plain
IL discernible. Bat 4 short time previous
he had approved the course of Nj. DOUGLAS
in bis split with the administration, and the
sudden change of front by his organ, shows
an undoubted understanding that the doc
trine of Congressional protection was to be
made, for the first time, an issue an party
politics.
The parties to this disunion intrigue per-
fectly we'll knew that the proposition was
there was no reasonable
hope Of bringing Congress, under existing
circumsl anccs, to grant the demand. They
knew, also, that it would inevitably create a
division OF the democratic party, whereby it
would he demoralized and denationaliZed. |
st that time they did not know, however,
that the present Union movement would be
50 successfully brought forward. The CAL |
party (as Mr.. YANcEY intimael in his
letter. to excite violent sectional
autagOnisms, 10 unite the North against the
South, and The South against the North, and
It's insure the election of the Republican
c ndidat,. Upon this event, thus designedly
effected. the programme was and is to resist
his Inauguration, and bring on the final
catastrophe. At This iuncture, JEFFERSON |
DAVIS appears upon the stage to play hi
Part in Tie infamous drama. In the autumn
OF 1853 on his return from a tour through !
the Northern aud Eastera States. he delivered |
al address at jackson, Mississippi. in which |
he preached the idea Of a disunion in the |
event Of the election of a Republican. This |
was the FIRST declaration Of this purpose by a |
l-ading maa. lie th0s stated it:
III an abclilionisl be Chosen President Of
the United States, you will have pTeseated to |
you. the question Of whether you will per- |
NIT the government to pass Into the hand |
u. vcur avCwed and implacahle enemies. |
Without pSusing for your answer, L Will |
state my own position TO be that such re-
suit would be y species Of revolution by |
which The purposes OF the government would /
h. DESTROYED and the observance OF lis mere
forms entitled ~ ITO respect. In that event,
in such manner rs should be most expedent.
1 should deem it your duty TO provide for
Your safety outside of Union with those
who have already shown the will, and would
have acquired the power, to deprive you oil
your birlhright and to reduce You to worse
than the colonial dependence Of your
fathers"
The next step vas to go actively into the
work of matchmaking the masses with the
idea of Congressional protection to slavery
in the territories, and to enforce the pro-
priety of resistance to the inauguration of a
R -publican President; aud TO this the year
1859 and Il portion OF this, were Industrious
IL devoted. In the carly part OF the year
1859, the newspapers began to prepare the
public mind for the issues eoncocted, in the
manner above recited, and to be enforced by
the leaders during the then approaching sum
ner campaign. We now group a few ex-
pressions from that source:
From the Mobile Mercury, April, 1881
s.The times are now ripe for the organiza-
ton o. Il political movement in the slave
holding States. irrespective of course, of all
old party designations; ard there are pecu-
liar reasons why such movement should be
now and here. Indeed, We are
credibly inform, that conferences have al
ready been held by leading patriotic grntle-
men in this city, of all parties, and tie plans
OF Southern organization have been set on
foot and almost matured preparatory to ac-
ton. We earnestly hope the good work may
go on, and speedily.
The country. we repeat, is ripe for the
and if judiciously inaugurated, it
will sweep over the land with force that no |
opposition will be able to check. We there |
fore. caution our friends in the country, ev- |
ervwhere, to be prepared for it, and to keep |