Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-17
sEEDNEsDAY MORNING, JrLY II. 1861.

The people of the South are now involved in one
of the most earnest important and serious strug-
giles in which nation can be engaged.
1t is virtually struggle for their sovereignty
and nationality, for the freedom of moulding their
own domestic institutions for the right of sefgov-
eminent, for State equality, for the principles and
guarantees of the Constitution, under which they
have lived for the rights of persons and property and
for the freedom of conscience of speech and of the
press. The Northern people have striven to exer-
else them control of their consciences, their
opinions and their actions
They have endeavored to degrade them in the
eyes of the civilized world, have proclaimed them
to be brutes and barbarians, and, by assumption,
have exalted themselves to a superiority over them
in education taste conscience religion and civilza-
ton.
All the time they have made them
the objects of tyrannical exacGons, in the
shape of tariff laws, navigation laws, fishing
bounties, etc, which have consumed their surplus
wealth and made them the victims of a numerical
system of government that was as unjust as it was
patiently borne. Mr.. KETTELL, an accurate and re-
liable Northern writer on finance, estimates that
the amount expended by citizens of the South, an
nually by pleasure travel in the North is about
S60,O000O0. When we add to this the tariff exac-
tions bounties, and commissions paid TO the North,
for the goods we have hitherto purchased from
them, the cost of the war will be more than paid
out of these sums.
The South would never have dreamed of sepa a.
ting from the Union in consequence of these impo-
sitions alone. The people Of the South are liber-
al people and would not very accurately calculate
the cost of their alliances, provided they had been
equal and reciprocal
But the selfshness fanaticsm, and phariseeism of
the North would not allow them to be content with
their gains. A contempt for those they were daily
plundeTing grew with their own advance in wealth
and power, and nothing would suit them but to de-
grade and destroy the sarespect of the people up
on whom they preyed. Understanding the Consti-
tuition TO grant to them the power to rule by numer
ic constrant unrestricted by the limitations of that
instrument they have progressed in the usuTpations
Of power, which follow from such a Governmental
theory, with a rapidIty scarcely paraIelod by the
transitions Of the most noted despots who have cons
verted republican liberty into a mockery and bye
word in history.
They have overturned the Judiciary, tran. formed
the Legislature into a tribunal to register the de-
of the Executive and to legalize his usurpa.
lions, increased the army to force equal TO that
Of the most absolute Governments, without au.
thority of law, blockaded commerce, suppressed
freedom of speech and of the press, and trampled
under foot the most sacred rights Of the citizen and
the prescriptive guarantees Of constitutional LIB
erty. What the First CHARLES dared not do, and
what he dared do and for it lost his head, the
Apsh tyranny at Washington has done with high
hand and bold and defiant front.
The people that would submit to such acts o
tyranny, have lost the taste for freedom and de
serve to be slaves. We might 90 further and
say the individuals who will net sacrifice
all they have to resist tyranny so odious,
despicable and destructive Of their here
ditary rights lost to the higher sentiments from
which spring the glory of people and the blessings
of freedom 1t is not enough that the citizen moved
by patriotic impulse and hatred to tyranny should
rush to the battlefield vindicae the rights of his
countrymen. It IS not sufficient that the devoted
volunteer should suffer privatons and perils and
conquer the foe The wealthy citizens who have
more at stake, and consequently more TO protect
must manifest determination to devote their sur
plus wealth TO the cause, for which the soldier
bleeds. Life is greater and dearer than treasure.
Privatlon and suffering are harder to bear, in
defence Of ones country than the expenditure of
wealth, to uphold the insuted honor and violated
rights ofthe people. How many thousands Of the more
refined and high -sOuled men are to>day undergoing
drudgery priya.iOn and danger for the maintenance
of our independence while there are thousands who
are cutching their boarded wealth refusing TO con
tribute IN proportion to the deep stake they have in
the issue of this momentous struggle. Such men are
not unmarked by judcious and discrimiua,
ting observers. They may hide their treasure
and boast loudly Of their principles, but unless
they share some Of those burdens, which they
are so abundantly able to bear, they will
bring upon themselves just opprobrium in the
end. What is their wealth worth without a Gov
ernment in which their rights are guaranteed and
secured? They cannot coin their money into a
treasure which will compare in value to the pre-
eiOus blood that shall be shed for freedom and indie
pendence. But if they continue TO withhold their
aid from the good cause, they will soon be mum.
bered among those described in those heroic lines
"High though his tte proud bis name
Boundless his wealth as wish could claim,
Despite his title, pow'r ard pelf,
The wretch concsntre3 all in self,
Dou5ly dying, shall go down
To the vile dast from which he sprurg
CnWeptp unhonored, and ungUnE."