The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1861-04-12


sioEaL District Of Tennessee:
am daily solicited by many partial
friends from different portions of the dis
trict. again to be a candidate for Congress.
As | had some time since determined,
under no sort of circumstances to be a
candidate for reelection, l deem 1t my
duty to make some public expression of
this fixed purpose, in order that you may
seek another servant.
Keenly alive as | am and will ever be
to the honor and interests of my native
State, and especially that portion OF it in
which my lite has been spent and my fox
tunes cast, I trust / will be pardoned for
addressing to you n few words. Since
left You, but little more than three
months ago, TO take my seat as your rep
resentative in the Congress of the then
United States of America, events have
transpired moro momentous than any
which have ever happened in our history
since the foundation of our Government.
Seven of the Sovereign States of this
Union have seen fit to sever their connec-
tion from the Federal Government, and
to set up for themselves a separate, dis
tinct, and in my opinion, permanent
nationality. As to the causes which iIn-
PEELED them to this separation it is not
necessary now to speak. 1t Is enough 70
know that this Union is absolutely and
Internationally dissolved, and that there
are now in actual existence, with full
functions and powers as such, two com
plete Confederacies-a Northern and 3
Southern. The history of the world, from
its foundation to the present time, fur
nishes to it no parallel-without the she'd
ding of one drop of blood, by the voice
alone of a free and independent people,
another and powerful Republic as il by
magic, has been peacefully spoken into
| being, soon to take its place fuA fsaEetslieo
among the nationalities of the earth.
Superior statesmanship has stamped lis
| empress upon every act of the Congress oi
! the Confederate States. Their Constitu-
| ton stands out to all the civilized world
! the acknowledged work of consummate
wisdom. Had the provisions it contains
been implanted in the old one, this Gov
! ernment might, and doubtless would have
been perpetual. That these States intend
to maintain their position, st all peril
amongst the principalities and powers oi
the world. no sane man can now for a
moment doubt. The thirteen Colonies
when they parted from Britain and sealed
their solemn separation with the blood OF
seven years war, meditated as much
the idea Of reconstruction" as do these
seeded States. These are no longer mat
ters Of speculation and cavil for the timid
and doubling, but great existing start
ling facts, and as such it is our duty to
deal with them.
In a letter to my constituents, written
from Washington, some two months or
more ago, before these occurrences, so
rapidly transpiring, had so fully developed
themselves-whilst they were yet in pro
spective-I ventured an opinion as to the
position Tennessee should take, with some
reasons therefor. / shall not now reca-
pitulate them.
The events of each succeeding day
only serve to confirm me in that most sin
cere and solemn judgment. Her true po-
sition Is immediate and unqualified union
with the Southern States. 1t is her right
ful and proper place. Her every interest,
agricultural, commercial and mechanical,
demand it. Agricultural, because the
surplus products of every farm find a
market in the South. In the South alone
do the farmers and stock-raisers of Ten
nessee sell their corn, wheat, oats, hay,
horses, mules. cattle and hogs. CONNER
cial because the chief trade of her heavy
merchants is to the South. Mechanical,
because every mechanic and manufactur-
er, by being a member Of the Southern
Confederacy. makes himself there by a
nqOnopohst in his branch ofindustry where
as, by remaining in the old Union, he Is
forced to be a competitor Of the cheaper
labor of the North in all the avenues Of
art The mechanics and manufacturer,
Of all people, are most Immediately and
directly Interested in uniting with the
Southern Confederacy. If we of the
SOUTH mean the remaining border
States-could get every guaranty that
justice and equality might demand upon
the question Of slavery, powerless, as we
now are, and ever would be in the Gov
ernment, the hostile legislation Of the
North alone, upon the mere questions Of
political economy, would make il ruinous
for us TO remain with them. There Nor
rill tariff fishing bounties, Northern Pa
cific railroads, Northern Mail Steamer
lines, with every other conceivable scheme
Of OfspeculatiOn and plunder which we would
be utterly powerless 10 resist, would con
stitute sufficient causes for separation. II
would place Us pOwerless in a state Of alb
sOlute vassslage. ] have already felt
this humiliating helplessDess in my place
upon the floor Of Congress, too keenly to
covet il again. But when coupled with
this grinding, crushing legislation upon
matters Of mere public policy, you see q
determined and unbending purpose 70
strike down and destroy that Institution
OF the South Of which she il justly jeal-
Gus, what hope have you 70 remain in
such Union You viii be cut off forever
from all power Of expansion. / am an
ardent advocate Of the advancement Of
our institutions. ! want to belong to that
Government which looks S2stfh and not
North for the peaceful spread Of empire.
The appointments Of Cassius n Clay as
Minister TO Spain. and Corsvin TO Mexico,
are at this moment omnous signs, por-
tending no good to the South, as to Cuba
and Mexico.
Nv fellow-citizens ] thought when /
stood upon the floor Of the American
Congress and put the standard Of Ten
nessee upon the question of Southern
rights up 70 the point of her own resolu-
tiOns, that I had a warrant for taking a
least a step as bold a. that but ! must
acknowledge 10 modification most deep,
when Black Republican arrogance, and
inflated insolence triumphantly Haunted in
the face Of Southern Representative the
subsequent vote Of Tennessee a. proof
that Andrew johnson and Emerson Ethe-
ridge were the true types Of Tennessee
sentiment. and that those who battled for
your rights against the black cohorts of
AboltIonism. misrepresented you. With
a firm purpose. vet within wounded pride,
] stiI denied II. ] do not yet believe
that the true voice Of Tennessee IN that
vote was spoken That vote was given
under the press Of peculiar circumstances.
and viii yet be reversed.
Every sO-called compromiseandm measure
% adjustment was then pending The
Committee Of Thirty-three, the border
State propositions, the Crittenden resolu-
fions, the Peace Congress. were all going
70 save the country. The people were
promised a speedy settlement from these
sources. of all their difficulties. They
were told that the Black Republican party
would give and grant 20 them all those
Constitutional guarantees which the most
devout Dnion-ioving man and conserve
tive then clamored for. These have AL
slgnally, ignominiOusly failed a. knew 1
they would. Propositions, one after ano- /
ther. in Senate and House. were indie- I
nantly spurned- Even that poor abortion I
Of the Peace Congress brought forth after 4
almost q months parturition, was con-
tsmptuouSly thrust from the threshold Of