Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-26
FIR. Yaneeyss FrIendshfp for the
Union, as Declared by EaImseIf.


auditors may know something of the views |
and purposes heretofore held and expressed |
by him, we group below, for their informa- |
lion. some extracts from, what in current |
parlance we may call, his '.record." He has
made many speeches during the present can
vass, in which he seems to have inculcated
a very devoted attachment to the Union, as
he will again, doubtless, do tonight. We
shall make no comment on these former dec
larations. preferring to have Mfr. YANCEY to
speak for himself.
Mr.. YANCEY admitted in his speech at Mem
phis and elsewhere that he favored the seces-
sion of the Southern States from the Union
in IS50-5I !; and further proof of this fact is
therefore unnecessary. But to show that he
was active in that behalf, we give an extract
from an account OF meeting in Macon, Ga,
in 1850, published in The Columbia South
Carolina) Telegraph, and republished in the
Union OF this city, as follows. Mr.. RHETr
having spoken, the writer says:
The Hon. William l.. Yancey followed. in
a mastery exposition of Southern wrongs
and the remedy for them. He showed clear
IL, that the present struggle is not of recent
origiu-that it is as old as the Government
itself-that it is struggle on the part OF
the North to absorb the whole political pow
er Of the Government, and on the part of the
South TO preserve her constitutional rights ;
that the whole history of the controversy
demonstrated this, and that iuaSmuch as the
North had succeeded in her aim by violating
the fundamental principles of the Consiilu-
tion-had ruthlessly trodden down all our
rights under the foot of power exercised by a
majority, in defiance of all constitutional re-
straints, the time had come for reroLuiOn; that
in the language of the immortal George VI.
Troup. Tie Argument tcas exhausted, and ire
must stand 10 cur arms
when l heard this language" continues
the writer. ''my spirit leaped in gladneSs.
To hear Alabama thus speak, intoxicated me
with joy, and the gallant delegate. l felt. ioas
at once ebalnled IN the great heart Of the South.
In an address of welcome to the delegates
TO TIE Southern Convention at Montgomery,
Ala, on the 10th May, 1853, Mr.. YANCEY
said
i must be allowed at least on my own be
half, to welcome you, too, as but the fore
shadOWing of that far more important body,
important as you evidently will be, that if
Injustice and wrong shall continue TO rule
the hour and councils OF the dominant sec
tion OF this country, must. ere long, assemble
uDCn Southern soil for the purpose of devils
ing some measure by which not only your
industrial. but your social and political rela-
lions shall be placed upon the basis of an in
dependant sovereignty, which will have with
in itself unity Of climate, a unity OF soil. a
unity of production, and a unity of social
relations; that unity which alone can be the
basis of a successful and permanent govern
ment.r
The following is from debate which took
place in that Convention on resolution ap-
pertaining to the African slave trade:
Mr. YANcEY. VIII my friend from Yir-
ginia, (Mr. Pryor tell me what is the issue
upon which the South is prepared to assert
its rights?
Mr. PRYOR. of Virginia. As the gentle
man has addressed an interrogatory TO ME, l
will reply to it. In the first place. speak
only as an Individual say this: l am not
willing TO assert the rights Of the South on a
proposition to kidnap cannibals from Africa,
or TO buy savages from the King of Dahomy
But | say this that 1chen a Black Republican
President is installed in the Erec,iUe mansion in
Washington. and the po,ger Of the government IS
palpably an has hands a3sd ,rhen gentLaen can sat
iyy The intelligence Of The people Of the Southern
St4tes an sufficient numbers to jstjfy the Qction of
the god Of battle then 10iLiHg 10 make the is
sue. repeat TO the gentleman, that | pledge
to him that Virginia will not be behind Ala
bama.
Allow me at this moment to notice the
sheer, that when jackson dispatched his myr-
midOns to South Carolina, Virginia only
threw herself forward 10 arrest the march Of
aggression, it being intimated that Virginia
ought to have assumed the defensive. Where
was Alabama at that hour? | throw no as
persiOn upon that gallant State, but | repeI
all aspersiOn upon Virginia. And will say
this, and in behalf of Virginia, that scAen an
issue IS presented upon 1rhich the people of ALaba
ma, by he rOioe Of tie majority fully and fairly
oppressed isqUing eUeJythiag else OM Of considra-
tiOH. 5riLiiHg to LeqUs tie Union upon mature
constitution, lrs Of PTgiHla triA be ready to go
lrih them.
Mr.. Yancey.-I am most happy, Infinitely
happy, that l have drawn from the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Pryor this decla' alton.
even such as it is. That gage which he has
thrown to Alabama l take up with the high
est pleasure, place it in my cap, and trust
The time IS NOT FAR DISTANT ache4 shall met that
gentleman IN that contest. (Renewed applause.)
Success and high fortune until meet again, and
hen - tclat God pcils. This is a friendly
gage. foE | do not take it to be hostile. Ire
jCice that have met one whom at that hour
| shall be able TO find side by side with me |
doing battle in the cause of our common |
country. | find, as | trust, that have not |
spoken in vain. l find the spirit of my Vir- |
ginia friend rises with my own. (AppIause.) |
find that the sympathies of his own high |
aud chivalrOus nature are not TO be kept |
down by party influence. (Renewed ap- |
plause) When the banner IL flung to the |
breeze, his eye glistens and his heart beats
in unison with that of the Southern man who |
spoke frankly and fearlessly in Southern |
cause. | find that although this morning. |
when cautious aud prudent Virginia would |
only act with united South. now she will |
act with Alabama alone. CONTINUED APP
plause and cheers.) That is an advance in |
sentiment which gives me token that the pub
lie mind is not far behind The standard of |
what Is Southern duty towards Northern ag-
erosion. L have more hopes now. WIZ
should are ggifate this question: Cal bono. That
question is answered already in this hall.
Let US bare our arms, show how far are
our rights, and who have prospered by rob
bing US of them. Let us show what has be-
come of the prosperity of our country. Let |
us show that we have but little else to lose
now; the flesh being taken, the blood is fol-
lowing the knife that cut into US in the form
of law. Let us show that only the forms of
government are left while the spirit has de-
parted ; that though the temple is left. its
priests are slain; though the altar NAV be
there, the fire had died out upon it. Go to
our people, l cay, and laying aside every
fea:, laying aside every weight which may
retard US in trying to run this race for our
rights, discuss this question before the m.
But when we shall have been refused, that
will be one other evidence before the South
ern mind that injustice is the dominant spirit
Of the hour in our national Legislatures; there
will be one more link between Northern aud
men; there will be. it may be, one
link snapped which binds Southern men to
Northern men; another powerful link of par
ty domination, of ambition on the part of
selfish politicians will be torn away from the
creation of their idolatry and the pure ill.,
1uence of public opinion will be brought TO