Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-02
Letter from mr. vallanalnEham.

Letter from Mr. ValiandIngham.
DAYTON, Ohio, May lS, 1861.
To Messrs. Richard H. Hendrickson, N. G.. 0gles,
by, John Mcclellan, William s. Wilke, Simon
Goldman, James G. Lummis, D. H Peck, ]. F.
Hand, John H. Jones, A G. Clendenning H. P.
Cough, J. C. FAIRIES, and w. W. Seltell, Middle
town, Ohio.
GENTLEMEN Yours of the Sih inst, requesting
my opinion upon certain points connected with
what you Justly style the present 'inglorious, and
it msy be, bloody war;" has been received. That
opinion was long since formed, and was repeatedly
set forth through the press or by my speeches and
vote in the House of Representatives last winter,
and re affirmed in o card dated the 18th of last
month, few days after the commencement Of the
war But Inssmuch as | never had occasion to dis
cuss this particular question at length, beg leave
20 adopt the following admirable summary Of the
case in an extract from carefully prepared and ex
ceedingly able speech of the Hon. Stephen A.
Douglas in the Senate Of the United States, March
18th, 1861:
al prefer such an smicable settlement to peace
able dlsunion; and prefer it thousand times to
civil war If we can adopt such amendment as will
be satisfactory toVirgns North Carolina Tennessee
and the other border States the same plan Of paci
ieaiion which will satisfy them will create Union
party in the Cotton States which will soou embrace
large majority of the people Of those States, and
and thus restore, strengthen, and perpe ulte the
glorious old Union forever. repeat, whatever
guarantees will satisfy Maryland and the border
ates (the States in the Union,) will create
Uuiop party in the seeded States that will bring
them back By the voluntary action Of their own
people You can restore and preserve the govern
ment in that mode. You can do it in no other.
"Wdr is disunion. War is final, eternal sepArs-
ton. Hence, disguise it as you may, every Union
man in America must advocate such amendments
to the Constitution IOi pTesre peace and Testors
The Uaion rhie eveYy dsuHionist, sOhether openly
seeretly pIoiag Us destruction, IS the Gdcoedte of
p.acefuL secession or Of s1ar, the sest Of
ysnderta0 reunion and rseoHstrEetoH tmPossible. l
HAVE TOO MUCH RESPECT FOR HIo INTELLECT TO BE-
LIEvE FOR ONE MOMENT. THAT THERE Is A MAN FOR
WAR WHO Is NOT DIsUNIOSIsT PER Sc. Hence
do not sasGa can prevent ii, that the ensnie: Of the
Union-snsn plotting to destroy it-shGH drag this
country into ray under tie PRETExT of protecting the
public PROPERTY and enforcing the IGrs, and collecting
reuenus. tOhsx their object "a dsuniOs, and 'rGT the
means of accomplishing cherished purpose.
"The DISTINGUISHES, therefore, are divided into
tJyo classes: the one open the ether secret disuniou
lists The one in favor of peseefal secession and
recognition of independence; the other is IN favor
of ,var as the sursst means of Accomplishing the object
and Of making the separation final and eternst an
Union man. and hence against cdr; but II the Union
must be temporarily broken by revolution, and
the establishment of de fdeto government by some
Of the States let no act be done that will prevent
restoration and future preservation. Pesee is the
only policy that can lead to that result.
s.B-t We are told, end We hear it repeated every
where. that we must hud out whether we have 60
a Government. Have we 3 Government is the
question and we are told we must test that quest
ton by using military power to put down all discon
tented spirits. Sir, hisquestiou-'have we Gov
ernmeut has been propounded by every tyrant
I'D tok kaan fapt al n
people since the world began. When the harons
demanded Magma Chsrts from King Jshn at Ruil-
ueymede he exclaimed, have We GoverumentF
and called for his army to put down the discortent-
ed barons. When Charles |. attempted to collect
the ships money in violation CT the Constitution Of
England and in disregarding the rights Of the peo-
zle and Was resisted by them, he exclaimed, have
va Government? We cannot treat with rebels;
nut down the traitors; we must show that We have
a Government When James ii was driven from
the throne Of England for trampling on the hber-
ties of the people, he called for his army, and ex-
claimed, 'Iet US show that we have Government
When George III. called upon his srmy to rut
down rebellion in America Lord North cried cut
iustiIy. "no compromise with traitors; let us de-
that we have Government When. in
ls4s, the people rose upon their tyrsnts all over
Europe and demanded guarantees for their
rights. every crowned head exclaimed, 'nsSe we
Cove nment? and appealed to the army 10 vindicate
their authority and enforce the law.
"Sir, the history of the world does not fail to
condemn the folly VsGkRess, and wickedness Of that
Government uChich dretC its sTord upon its people
uher then demanded guarantees for their rights. This
crv that we must have q government, is merely fol-
lowing the example of the besOtted Bourbon, who
never learned anything by misfortune, never for
oaye an ipiury, never forgot an afront. Must We
demonstrate that we have got q Government, and
obedience without reference to the justice or
Injustice of the complaints! Sir, whenever ten
million pecple proclaim to you, with unanimous
voice that they spprehend their rights, their fire.
,ides and their family sltsrs are in danger 1t be-
comes q wise government to listen to the appeal,
and TO remove the apprehension. History does not
record an example, rhsre any human government Us
been syonq enough 10 crush ten millions Of people INTO
,uEjecion phen hty believed their rights and hoeTties
,csre mpered lCithout first converting the government
itself into desposm, and destroying the last Vsstgs
Of freedom"
These were the Eentiments Of the Democratic
psrtv, of the Constitutional Union party, and Of
large msiority of the Republican presses and party
oniy ak weeks ago. They were mine: l voted
them repeatedly aloLg with every Democrat and
Union man in the House. | have seen nothing to
change, much to confirm, them since; especially In
tie secession within the last thirty days, Of Vir-
oinia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee,
taxing with them four millions and half Of peo-
MIA immense wealth, inexhaustible resources, i've
hundred thousand fighting men, and the graU's Of
Washin0ton and Jackson. shall vote them again
Waving the question of the doubtful legality Of
the first proclamation Of April 18th, calling out the
militia for ''lhree months, under the sct o. lI9o
7 will vet vote to pay them, because they had no
motive but supposed duty, and patriotism. 70 move
them: and moreover, they will have rendered al
mast the entire service required Of them, before
ConOress shall meet. But the audacous usurpa-
tou Of President Lincoln for which he deserves in
peschment in daring against the very letter OF the
and without the shadow OF law, to
'sraise and support armies" and to "provide and
maiptain navy" for three or i've years, By mere
executive proclamation, l will not vote to sus-
tain or ratify-ERvER! Millions for defense; not
a man or q dollar for offensive and aggressive war.
The var has had many motives for its commence
ment; it can have hut one result, whether II last
one year or fifty yesrs-TIEAL, ETERNAL sEPAnA-
TON, DIsVNIoS. As for conquest and sueJugstlsn
of the South, will not impesch the intelligence Of
spy man amoDg you, by assuming that you dresu
of Il as At any time or in way possible Remember
the warning Of Lord Chatham to the British parla-
meut: "My Lords you cannot conquer America"
A nublic debt Of hundreds of millions, Weighing us
and our poserity down for Veserstions, We cannot
escape. Fortunate shall We be il We escape with
our liberties Indeed it is no longer 90 much
question of war with the South, as whether We our
selves are to have constitutions and republican
form of government hereafter in the North AMI
West.
ln brief am for the CONSTITUTION first, and at
all azards; for whatever can now be saved OF the
USIoN next and for PEACE always as essential to
the preservation Of either. But whatever any one
NAV think of the war; one thing at least every low
er Of liberty ought to demand inexorsbly: that ii
shau be carried on strictly subject TO the cOnsttHtt0s
The peace policy tried: it arrested secession,
and promised restoration of the Union. The pol
icy Of war is now upon trial in twenty days it has
driven four States and four millions and half Of
people out of the Union and into the Confederscy Of
the South In little while longer it will drive
out ALSO two or four States, and two millions
or three millions of people. War may, indeed, be
the policy Of the EAST; but peace is necessity 10
the WEST.
would have volunteered nothing, gentlemen, at
this time in regard this c vii war but as const.
uents, you had 3 right to know my opinions snd
position and briefly, but most frankly, you nave
them.
My only answer to those who indulge in siaedet
oivan in the card OF the ia