Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-12

their withdrawal from them; these States heret
declaring it to be their wish and earnest desire IL
adjust everything pertaining to the common proper
ty common liability, and common obligations of
that Union, upon the principles of right. Justice
equity and good faith.
g. Until otherwise provided by the Congress. The
city of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama shall
be the seat of Government
H. The members of the Congress and all execu-
tive and Judicial officers of the Contederacy shall
be bound by oath affirmation to support this
Constitutions but no religious test shall be required
as qualification to any Office or public trust under
this Confederacy.
5. The Congress shall have power to admit ether
States.
Remarks of Mr.. Vaughan, of Monroe, in
the Hoiise of Representatives. Nashville,
January %, 1861.
Mr.. SPEAKER: / had thought, sir, that would
maintain an absolute silence upon the subject now
before this body for its consideration Not because
do not appreciate the fact that our action here,
may shape the future desnies of the people of Ten
nessee. Not because did not know it to be the
most momentous question that can possibly arse
within the next century. Nay, but because was
one Of those who imagined an extended debate upon
the present subject, could not be the harbnger OF
harmonious action, and would probably harrow up
past partisan feelings, which every dictate of pa
trotisru, and every hope Of future social and pO-
litical welfare requires should be buried in the
tomb Of the capuetsn And l say it here to-day,
Representatives and people Of Tennessee were
stricken unconscious Of all past partisan feeling.
And appeal to the God Of truth and justice, that
il there yet fingers in my breast any of the old
leaven of party, he may obiterate it even to the
vering of the joints and the marrow.
For sir no patriot, and | must say, no honest
man; no man who has the welfare of the State and
liberties Of her people at heart up here at
such a moment with the foul toad of party
sitting like a nightmare upon his bosom.
And If there be such an one here, which pre-
vent it Heaven, / care not from whence he halls
nor who he be, he is the Achan of the camp and
ought to be beaten with many stripes and expelled
therefrom If there is one such here who is rolling
party malice like a sweet mOrsel under his tongue
while his heart fostering party rancor, tell him
fearlessly he is foe to the South and traitor to
her institutions that am not his brother, that he
would surrender the fortress of Southern rights by
wrangng within the gates.
Such heart would dictate drunken laughter at
the bed of death or a wild scramble for the ring
from dead mothers finger.
Ihope the generous courtesy Of this House win
| pardon one who in days gone by warned honorable
members of the storm that is now about TO burst
in all its fury upon u.s. one who beseeched you then
to buckle on your and fend off the passes of
an insidous andIwary foe who seeks to throttle
the liberties Of the people of fifteen sovereign States
| of this COnfederacy.
! do not profess to have been wiser than those of
mine own generation or gifted with any spirit of
prophecy in relation to the crisis that is now upon
| us and to escape from which but one way remains.
| But long ago in the midst of those who know me
| best sad have hOnOred me most and mere recently
after full investigation and deep sense of the i'm
movable Eating causes predicted them TO you
and to honorable gentlemen the dark clouds which
now overhang our political and social horizon with
| in the Union And then called upon the noble
State of Tennessee TO present her ''ultlmatum" to
those who were endangering her domestic tranquil
| 1ty and her general welfare a sovereign member
of the confederated States. believe it is too late
now, my councils were then unheeded, and perhaps
the more So coming from one so humble and IN
| known.
did not regret that sir. further than that saw
in it an evidence that Tennessee, from some cause
| to be regretted, was not ready willing to an
| nouace the sine qu1non upon which she would re-
| main member of the Union.
And comforted myself with the reflection that
had lived ahead ofmy time or in the wrong latitude,
and resolvedto bear with patience that whch could
not prevent, and wait for the dGwnng of a era
in public sentiment have not waited in vain. For
to-day behold the people of the homo of Jackson
a White Polk shaking off the nightmare of their
political letAargy and awakening to deep sense of
the wrongs and aggresslons which have been heaped
mountain high upon them by domneering flnati-
cal section of this Confederacy. Aye sir they have
awakened to a deep sense of the contumely and re
proach which have been hurled against them and
their social institutions until has ceased
to be virtue, until language of Cancellation land
entreaty has become treason to human liberty.
The peaceful Q0Ve mas DeSn sent IOfLH again anu
again to find one secure spot upon which to rest
her weared piniOns and she has again and again
returned without the constitutional olive branch,
and to-day council, and patriotic freedom cries
aloud that reach forth our hand aud draw her
in, and close the windows safely against the wild
storm that is sweeping terr1feally along North
ern border, and whose turSid waves are laundering
at teark of our political safety ard borne upon the
wailing surges come hissng.the vindctive edict of
the council of civil and religious tanaticism that
ula shall he abOl,Shpd and
mate this hellish scheme they swear this Union,
must and shall be preserved
For thew will know thai their wild insane schema
+ofemancipation and negro equality can never be
accomplished. unless the present hateful Union is
preserved. For sir, tell you to-day, that do
not live underline Constitutional Union sprnging out
of mutual confidence, and respect given US by our
fathers.
No sir religious fanaticism has swept away the
last Constitutional barrier, and has hurled the last
Yestge of the Union of fathers, and the bright
memories that clustered around it into the vortex
of things that were and are not, and to-day has
reared q new Union-a Union of equality between
the white man and the negrO-a Union founded
upon the wild and destructive theory Of universal
freedom and equality, Union of conflicting moral
an! social elements Union which has for It's fun
damental idea, the degradation of the poor white
man and his children to the condition Of serfdOm
more degraded than that of the Athenian helOt or
the Mexican poems: Union of hate apprObrIum. and
derision of the social Institutions Of fifteen States.
And this is the Union which the freeman Of Ten |
nesee are called upon TO preserve. This is the feast
to which the sons and daughters of Tennessee are
invited. at the close Of which we are to find our
liberties stabbed under the guise of Religion and
constitutional guarantees.
Do l msapprehend the true state of affairs? Is it |
not a conflict Of opposing and enduring forces In
moral point of view? Common sense and right rea /
son leap up and hurl falsehood down the throat of
any proposition Is the South then prepared yield
the doctrine of the morality of slavery, as it exists
in the Southern States, and0as it has existed
since.the patriarch Abram owned those for whom |
he paid his own money? Ever since our Savior and |
his apostles behed the statues and rebuked it not.
Is she prepared to come down from her lofty for
LITIGATION of Divine sanction and capItulate with /
fanaticism and false zealOts. who have discarded |
Gods holy word turned intidel and dealt in sOrceIy
and witchcrrft and have taken the sword to
conquer the world to a religion? Nay,
sir, she is not prepared TO do so vile
thing, but is travelling in the opposite direction
And to-day public sentiment in church and State.
is terrifying itself upon that high moral ground
upon which alone anything human can safely and
rest. And to-day she is satisfied that
in the preservation of our system of slavery and
its extension sshe al duty to God to herself,
and to the slave g WhOsOeyer taketh the sword
shall perish by the sword :" then let those beware
who throw themselves between the South and her
destiny for come veal or woe, the South will not,
she must not. she cannot forsake her trust. She
cannot neglect the commands of Heaven, destroy
lueath the horrors of San Domingo to her innocent
Nay, such lesson is surely enough in
he annals of human experience.
Then trust not to what you deem to be the inter
st of the Northern people; It's an gRuSs fatGls "
which will lure you to certain ruin There !
would be 40 calamtes for historians to record, if
lations acted only from interest. No sir, no! They
ct only from what bigotry, zeal and fanatical
blindness lead them to believe is their interest. Who
foolish as to believe that to advance the in crest
f Great Britain, it was necessary to stun the ears
f men and angels with the horrors of insurrecton
n Hayti.
But how is it in the North The hearts of that pee
lie have become changed Do not shock reason al 4
ommon sense by telling me political demagogues
ave done this evil They were simply the baser
ehicles through which religious fanaticsm carried
n its vile work No. sir. 1t has been,accomplish-
d by a system of education, commencing in the
nursery of the youthful Aboliuonist," and push
forward in every imaginable manner from the
rst lisping prayer up-to the last blatant sermon
TIKI, roriOJicais ther hOOls their mn r1blntS |