Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-06-29


The Engiish6ieu who were psnic-strickeu
whea Charles Edward Stewart marched into
their midst with only three thousand High
landers, and who now tremhle at the thought
of French invasion, Own no slaves.S Univer-
sal equality robs man of his pride OF place,
and makes him cfinging mental or an hum
Bile hireling. When the frat French revolu-
ton broke out, the war spirit mad complete
iy died eff in all Europe. On the Continent
frequent wars and frequent invasions have
somewhat revived il, but even now war is
trade carried on by mercenaries, not the oc-
cupation OF the citizen. The ardor with
which our people, rich and poor. young and
old, rush to the standard OF the CODfedefaey,
shows that the institution of domestic slavery
exercises the same influence in elevating and
ennobling the character of the citizen thai it
has always done heretofore and elseS here.
The most remarkable aud cheering pheuOme-
non, ia this connection, is the feeling aud
conduct OF our women. We have few
traitors, and croakers, aud towards, and sub
mIsslOnists among our men; but not one
among our women. They are all full of fight
and elated with hope. Spartan women were
not mere myths, a. German antiquaries would
have US believe, for Spartan mothers now
people the South. The North, like all coun-
tries without slaves. sends mercenaries to fight
its battles; the South turns out en- naasse-
We conclude, then, that in the rivalry OF
var we eau maintain an equal and honorable
position among the nations of the earth.
The still more Interesting inquiry remains,
what will be our relative moral, religious and
international grade among the nations OF the
earth? Statistics already show that there is
less of crime and less of pauperisn among us
than among any other people. In council aud
in camp we have always exhibited a decided
superiority over the people of the (so-called)
free North. That section has produced few
Ii.
great military chieftain. Our statesmen, our
orators and our generals have been equal to
those OF England. Ia diplomacy none of the
nations of Europe have surpassed US. The
whole world admits that we ale brave, gen.
erOus and hOspitable people; and that the
spirit of independence, national and individu-
al, exists among us In that intensity which is
only felt by privileged and aristocratic class
es. We have developed all those finer traits
of character despite of the want of a dOmes-
tic literature, of "a philosophy accordant with
our Institutions, and OF a civilization based
upon and growing out of those institutions
and of that philosophy. Our noble instincts
and our generous sentiments burst forth and
grow, and form our characters despite of the
utilitarian philosophy of Europe, taught US
in our schools, aud OF the sensual, penny
saved, penny gained philosophy OF franklin,
which we read at home.
Now, new civilization. new thought
and new philosophy will rise among us
civilization and thought having broader
basis, compounded OF more elements and
suggestive of more new combinations of
thought, than any that has yet existed. Ne
gro slavery will be its foundation; but our
location in a new country, the mixture of ra-
ces in our midst, our peculiar agricultural
pursuits, the blending of the Latin with the |
Eng;ish, Scotch and Irish nations, the mix |
ture of the civil law with the common law, |
and the admixture of various forms of Chris |
tianity into one consistent and harmonious |
whole, will suggest new thought, beget new |
manners and customs, give rise to new lit |
erature, and originate new civilization.
Europe has expended her thought; her |
poets can never write so well as they have |
written. The thoughts of individuals and of |
nations, although apparently susceptible OF |
infinite combinations, are soon exhausted, |
and then intellectual decadence begins. The |
Old Testament exhausted Hebrew thought, |
and tina Jewish mind has been wholly barren |
ever since three hundred years before Christ |
Great thought was wholly exhausted before |
the time or Philip of Macedon. The Romans |
ceased to think in half century after the |
Augustan age. Shakespeare alone exhausted |
English thought, and CervanteS did the same |
for Spain. France ceased to think after the |
age of Louis the Fourteenth, aud Germany |
began to think, or rather to dream, about /
the beginning of this century, but is now |
sleoping too profoundly even to dream.
There can be no interesting literature, no |
new thought, in other countries, because /
there is no food for thought. They have all /
passed their intellectual climax. The South |
alone has the materials with which TO build |
up a new thought, new literature, new |
philosophy, and a new civilization She |
should take the lead Of moral and intellectual |
progress.
We have left for the last the most remark |
able, distinguishing and gratifying feature OF |
Southern society. We are the Oufy conserva-
tive people in Cbristendom-the only people |
eontented with its political, religious aud So |
cial Institutions; the only Ration anlols i
whom socialism, and agrsrianism, aud an |
arcby, and Mormonism, and infdelity, and |
tree love are unknown, In the rest OF Chris |
tendon, society Is but heaving volcano, |
with frequent revolutionary outburst. Our |
institutions are natural, normal, historical |
God-ordained and therefore healthful.