Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-14
From the New York Day Book.
Northern and Southern Nations.

| Elder Leland, whose name is lLlustrlous IN the
revolutionary history of our country, once prayed,
at the installation of talented but vain and pOmp-
| Gus young minister" o. Lord, do thou prick him
and let the wind ont" 1t might conduce TO our own
safety and to the placing of us in more honorable
| light before mankind, if somebody would perform
similar operation upon the Republican editors of
| our Northern portion of the United States,
| who have made themselves believe, and made their
/ readers believe that the people OF our Southern
States absolutely inferior to us NortheTneTs in
all the attributes of vigorous and powerful nation
atty and that it will be an easy thing for an army
| of our young " Wide Awakes" to go down
South some morning and eat the whole of the nhab-
ants up for their breakfast Our ability 10 accom-
plish this pleasant little astronomical feat Is based,
the first place upon aledged natural interori-
| ~ of Southern to Northern nations. To which
baseless assumption it may be replied that, even if
such rule existed it is in no way applicable 10 the
people of the Northern and Southern portions of
| the American Republic. But no such law does
| exist The assertion IS one Of those lmpudent
| and senseless maXIms which sometimes gain an
| almost universal currency. without having a
| single grain of truth for their foundation.
| It may, perhaps prick our vanity little
! and let out of the gaseous accommodations
that are by no means conducive to intellectual
and moral health. 10 be reminded thai the latitude
of our Southern States is precisely that of West
ern Asia. which is the only geographical centre of
! the human race. out is, moreover, the intellectual
centre-the cradle of mans moral nature. 1t was
which have spread civilization, light and liberty
| over the world. 1t was here in these Southern
plains of Iran and Bactrlana that the earliest civil
| izations were born, and from here they started
| forth to overcome the darkness OF the barbarOus
/ peoples of the Nerth. If we must draw differences
| from climate and take lessons from history
| here is something which we may study profta-
| bly,, and il is devoutly to be hoped that 1t may
| improve orr wisdom if it does not correct oCr
| manners. One of urscOtampOraIies tells
| II haar
ors. but, on the other h2nd, are easily subdu
| ed.' In twenty four hours after this stupen-
dous piece of ignorance was delivered thOus-
| ands of young Wide Awakes were repeating
it at the of the streets in restaurants, bar
roOmg, and the next day 1t became one OF the sa-
cred lessons of the Republican confession of faith,
TO dispute which was 10 be traitor" and de
serve hanging" This is the way Impostorg and ig-
noramouses make history. Southern nations have
done far more than their share of the COnCaerng
business since history began. The Greeks, led on
BY Alexander TO conquer the world were Southern
shareholders The Romans, whose victories under
Cesar, extended over nearly the whole Southern
world were Southern Shareholders. So were the
Arabs under Mahomet, and the Spaniards under
Philip. The Southern Moors penetrated the North
to Vienna ald but for the Valor of Sobleski, would
have mastered all Europe And If we want mo-
dern example. see what Soather1 men in Italy I'M
der Garibaldi are doing TO the Northern men IN
Austria. The lesson of history is, that Southern
nations have done their share OF the conquerng bus
mess.
The fact that Rome was conquered by the North
men. Is the standing example to prove that south
ern people are no match for northerners. But the
truth is. il was the Roman legions themselves,
siding with Alaric, tie leader of the Germans who
conquered Rome. We refer &c these histories IN
order to reduce modern vanity and expectations
within the safer boundaries of reason and posslhli-
lty. There is no greater danger TO nation, gong
to war than a blind contempt for the proves of
the gre of Eng
| lands weakness, and therefore of Americas
strength, Il the war Of the Revolution. II the pro-
gramme indicated in all the leading organs of the
| hepuohcan party is to be carried outfit war OF
aggression and SlyigqtOH as these organs declare,
Is really TO be undertaken then let not the people
De iooied with the idea that. lit Will be
ended IN six months" Twenty times six
months VIII hardly witness the beginning of it.
Mr. Llncolns term of office will only serve for
the inauguration OF the stupendous impossibllity,
and it will be left for some other President
If one can De found who will do ito carry on the
suicidal work OF subjugating free peonle Ma
poleon declared mat no nation attached 10 its in
stitutions and ts form of government can ever be
conquered His own invasion of Rpssia aud his
Peninsular wars IN Spain, had aeyerelv immersed
this lesson upon his mind The Spanish Arnad. of
Philip II, gives strong hintin the same way Tho
Pelopeneoiau civil war of thirty wears or cf IIor
mbals sixteen years' invasion of Italy might ono
would think. teach our madmen something, If thew
would sit still long enough TO think about it. Then
there is the Spanish invasion of the Eetberlan6s
which gives lesson too. All history is full enonob
of lessons If men would only get their senses lone
enough to think about them. Ask England what
her experience was in "conquering' the few poor
and scattered colonlsts on this continent AMI she
will tell you that those few men who stood up in
the House of Lords and said: My Lords
you cannot conquer America were the only
sane men in EngIand, while all the rest the
king included, were mad. In all the Repubi
can organs, which supposed to speak 1OJ
the Administration, we read plenty of such words
as conquer" invade" "sUbdue." "subjugate,n
"eXtermInate," war TO the knife, mo quarter
Shareholders" We talk like savages and if these
things are attempted, shall act like fools. Do
we read histories standing on our heads Has God
piled up one layer of time upon another before
eyes that we should not be made wiser and better
by their teachings? But f1Os must crush Out rebels"
But there is way of crushing out relies and
crushing ont OurSeluBS at the same time which we
entreat you not 10 do. But 1.-The Union must be pre-
served We say, amen. " loud enough to be heard
IN heaven; and, therefore, we abjure you not -
DO That which will render its preservation impos-
slole. We would preserve for our children the in
Gututions OF free government precisely as we re-
ceved them from our fathers and it is Ter this req
son, ana tina alone that we counsel moderation re-
Election and peace before plunge into a sea of
blood, ont Of which nothing but the fragments of
our once glorious country can ever come.