Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-28
CONGRATULATIONS.


What will you do If LINCOLN is elected : will you
be for staying in the Unionf' This is a question
which Mr.. EDWIN EWING thinks should be put to ey-
cry Democrat during the present contest and cate
gorical answer demanded.
Without thinking it necessary at present, to give
the categorical answer called for we have given the
question very serious consideration since it was
propounded by Mr.. E. on Saturday night, AID per
haps il may not be Improbable to set down in these
columns some of the thoughts which have present
ed themselves in relation to it,
The first thought which occurs is, that it is not
question which we should have anticipated from
gentleman who makes devotion to the Union and the
encouragement Of sectional luminosity the most pro-
minent Of his political professions, for assuredly
putting questions of this sort is not the most pr0mis
ing way Of establishing amicabIe relations between
North and South. What will you do if such or
such outrage is perpetrated against you?' is a
question moro apt to be asked by who is intent
upon getting up fight than by one of peaeeable in
tentions Many pretty exhibition of shilleah play
has been got up by such dialogues as the following
" What would you do PAT, if JIM RYAN should stamp
your coat tail ?" PAT, not at first disposed for
quarrel, might reply I'd kape me tails off the
ground = And what would you do if he should
knock your hat over your eyes?" Faith and I'd
not be after seein' who did it" All sure its a
peaceful boy that We are, ard ye wouldn't hurt him
at all at all, not if he knocked the pipe out of your
mouth ~ We can well understand that the answer
would be more warlike, and that in all probability
the pipe would be knocked out of his mouth and
that the inevitable scrimmage would ensue
The above is a case where fight is looked upon
as consummaiion devoutly to be wished by all par
ties but what are We to think of the tendency of
similar questions where actual outbreak of hos
tities is the fatal calamity, which 10 true pa
triot of any party can anticipate without horror
and dismay? What categorical answer could be
given to such question, the tendency of which
would be salutary? Say that it was hostile, nina
tory in its character are threats and invectives
likely to the existing evaporation we all so
much deplore! Say that it was amicable, submis
sive, might not this be taken by Inscriptions Re-
publicans as encouragement to extend aggression
further than at first contemplated! In word, is it
ever wise, where peace is desired, to inquire how
an outrage is to be met which may never be offered?
Since however. the question has been put let us
consider the difficulties presents to an honest South
ern man. whatever his politics. and we will take it for
granted that every Southerner, of every shade of
political opinion, whether the iercest Of treeaters
or the meekest of compromisers, will accept both
of the two following propositions:
l. That, whatever the aggression or provocetion
the necessity of resisting the Federal powers by
force or of escaping oppression by secession from
the Union, must be looked upon most disastrous
position to be reduced to. And that, nevertheless
2. There must be some point, some supposable
degree of usurpaton and tyranny the part of the
Federal Government, which would necessitate such
a step.
He who denies the former proposition, is TN
worthy ofhis birthright a citizen of this glorious
Union and he who dmurs to the second, denies the
very cardinal principle of that Revolution which
issued in establishing the Union itself.
Whenever, therefore, the possibility is contem-
plated of such an aggression on the federal COM
pact being made as renders forcible resistance
necessity, we can well imagine that the question,
where and when, exactly, submission shall cease to
be virtue and resistance be the dictate of patriot
ISM will be attended with grave forebodings and diff
iculty of decision and, whatever th-ir party ailia
TONS two really honest men will not be very likely
to agree in saying exactly where the duty of ress
lance commences. Not only in the Democratic par
ty have opinions the subject widely differed, but
even in the Opposition we should scarcely expect
the same answer from the chivalrous ZOILICoFFER
and the time-seeking ETHERIDGE. ....
Mr. EwNG's question is, whether the election of
LINCOLN would determine such necessity! Speak
ing for our own party we think it not at all improb
able that were Unnecessary to give adefnte answer,
H. - 6o+h 81 of
the question The position is certainly sufficiently
serious to render decision far from easy; for it
sumes that party is to be entrusted with the adj
of the Federal power which is pledged
to administer itin spirit avowedy hostile to that
portion of the Union which is our home pledged to
the encouragement in every possible way, of that
institution upon which its prosperity depends, and
to the virtual exclusion of that institution from all
territory in possession, that may be in future
acquired. Above all, a political faction would be
intrusted with the administration of fugitive slave
law which looks upon that law as legislative crime
and has recommended resistance to it even while
yet upon the statute book. In Short with a Black
Republican Administration if they carried out their
avowed principles, the South would be treated as
country and would be to the rest of the
Union as ireland has been to Great Britain as Italy
to Austria Slavery would not be directly abolish
ed but gradually choked out starved out; and the
now fertile and productive South would become a
desoate waste like Jamaica. or a moral pestience
like Hayti.
Is it a wonder that men in contemplating such
result as this, should have paused and asked them
selves where, when and how resistance should be re-
sorted to? Would they be worthy of the name of
Americans if they did otherwise? Will Mr.. EWING
himself say that at no stage of such proceedings
would forcibe resistance be called for? The error
has been in attempting to describe beforehand ex-
lctly what are the circumstances which might ne
,essitate so deplcrabe an alternative-for example,
he election of LINCOLN. We can conceive that such
IN event might be surrounded by circumstances
which would give good hope of successful conStitu-
ioud resistance-the existence, for instance, of a
conservative Senate, the conscientious scruples
wen of many of these who had contributed to his
election and who. though strongly prejudiced
against slavery, would, when the worst came to the
worst themselves aid in restraining their protegee
rom such acts as would inevitably terminate in dis
upton. This premature statement of the circum-
tances which would make disuniOn necessary, has
been the error conceive, of Southern extremists,
IN error which they beginning to see; being of
he impetuous Southern temperament, and seeing
he end towards which the prevalence of Republi-
AN principles evidently tended, they were for act
ng on the principle "obStd principals" the principle
# resistance from the first, without waiting to see
What means of resistance within the Union and Con-
titution might present themselves.
But this precipitancy Mr.. EWING wants to force
Ipon all Democrats. He, the Union lover par excel
sace, wants to commit as many as possible to the
sunon policy, in case of previously defined con-
urgency, to commit them in such a manner as to |
ender it impossible for them to recede, let the mod
fyng circumstances which surround that contingent
y be what they may. Surely an extraordinary de-
ender of the Union.
We decline, therefore, to answer the question: we |
ecine to state precisely under what circumstances
We should be for resistance, for disruption, both be-
auSe the circumstances, when they do occur, are |
ever exactly such have been pre- viously defined,
nd because premature statement Of this kind has
DO much the effect of challenge to be conducive
D the possible settlement of our difficulties.
We will ather adopt the Quaker policy of answer
lg Mr.. EwING'S question by another. Unless we un-
errate his patriotism, there must be conceivable