Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-12-14

ponds on force, and should be exercised only
when all peaceful means of redress fail, and the
oppression is intolerable. The appeal in such
case is always direct to the God of battles.
And that is just what this movement viii be,
if made-a revolution with all its contingent
cies, hazards and horrors. 1t viii be disco
luton with a vengeance.
Did you ever think of the terrible meaning
of the term dissolution, when applied to your
government ? 1t means the death of your gov
ernment-the death of your country Hereto
fore we have been in the habit of viewing it in
connection with our fathers and friends who
have died, or In reference to ourselves, who are
to die, or be dissolved. There is something
peculiarly startling in the idea of the dissolution
or death of our government We had regarded
it as something immortal-that would live as
long as the stars Of heaven, and rival them in
brightness and glory.
But as an argument why we should be slow
and cautious in any step to be taken, in the
event of dissolution, l ask, where are we to go?
What sort of a government are we to have?
Are we sure it will be republic? Who knows?
Will it be like this in all its outline? We have
no security for tive will have abandoned
our old vessel, without knowing whether the
new one will be propelled by sails or by steam
We take all the risk, and begin the enterprise
penniless and poor If we are fortunate
enough to escape war, we viii still have need for
all our resources. We must have navy and
an army, and Notifications, and all the machin-
cry of government. / do not see how the
expenses can be less than our present govern
ment They are now, according to Mr. Bu-
chanan, ffty-fve millions. / hear much said
about doing away with tariffs under the new
government. One great object is to let in
foreign goods free of duty. If so, the revenue
must be raised by direct taxes, to be
levied on every mans property A few figures
will show such system to be intolerable in its
burdens. If the whole fifteen Southern States
go out Tennessee, for example will constitute
about one-thirteenth in population, being more
than an average State. That would make her
share of the taxes about four millions per an
mum. A pretty round price to pay for the
privilege of breaking up the best Government
the world ever saw, and getting into new one,
that has never been tried Such burden would
be almost intolerable. But still, this is no ar
gument against resistance to tyranny and OPP
preston, when established. l would lose all,
rather than submit to intolerable evils,-yet
before the certainty of tyranny and oppression,
it may not be amiss to look little ahead, and
at least, guard against the hazards of untried
experiments, by resorting to every peaceful
and honorable means to avoid the necessity of
that very experiment.
Finally, am for the Union as long as it can
be maintained consistently with the compro-
misses of the Constitution And l am for re-
dressing the wrongs of the South in the Union,
by peaceful remedies-and until such remedies
are exhausted by fair trial. and 1 will not yield,
unless I am overruled by the voice of Ten
nessee. Ny advice is, to stand by the Union,
and in the language of the diving Lawrence,
say: "Don't give up the Ship" When our
fathers stood behind the breast
work at New Orleans, amid the blazing fire of
that memorable day, the exhortation of their
gallant Chief to them was: ''My friends, re-
you are from Tennessee" And it
may be added, in this emergency, that Ten
nessee expects every son of hers to do his
duty" Let our war cry be: ''The Union, and
the rights of all under it, in undivided fortune
and gloryl" And if we are brave, and just,
and loyal, we can preserve both forever. Let
US initiate the devotion of the great orator of
antiquity, and swear by the land of our fathers
by all its proud monuments and gallant
to be true to our great covenant
in the impending struggle. 1t cost our pro-
genitors twenty-eight years of toll to build up
this government. 1t was done amid prayers,
and tears, and blood. Stone by stone, and
piece by piece, the great work was completed,
lofty dome was the signal of anew and bright
er era in the destinies of man. True, clouds
and darkness brood over US, and so they did
over the banner of Washington, when on that
cold night of winter, he crossed the Delaware
with his shivering batallions, but at dawn of
day woke up the dying echoes of liberty by
the thunder of his cannon on the plains of
Trenton. If we are worthy to be his children,
we will endure, and struggle, and be victori-
Gus. am ready to cooperate with every man,
every where, who is animated with these senti-
ments, through good report and through evil
report, in victory or defeat, now, henceforth,
and to the end. Yours truly,
NELL s. BROWN.
To Messrs A. Milan, A. G. Beech, E. Cum
n;n0ham w g Cheatham and others