Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-17


he is puritantical imposter who aggravates his |
Groins quotes several instances of false iaierpre
tati0ne put upon irealies. The Plateans having /
promised the Thebeaus TO restore their prisoners,
restored them after they had put them to death
Percles. having promised to spare the lives of such
of the enemy as laid down their arms. ordered alt
those to be killed that had iron clasps TO their
cloaks A Roman general having agreed with Anti
ochus to res ore him half his fleet. caused each Of
the ships to be sawed into. All these interpretations
are as fraudulent as that Of Rhadamistus, who,
according to Tacituss account, having sworn TO
Miihridatss that he would not employ ether poison
under heap of eioihieg -Peteps Lao of Ma
lions, Book 2 Chapter 10, Page 2a4
There is the text; nov the ecmm .ntary. You
Senators Of the Republican party assert. and your
people whom you represent assert. taat under
just and fair nterp alton Of tae Feisasl COns;i-
tuition. it is right, hat you deuy that cur slaves
which directly and indirectly involve value of
titan four thousand million dollars, are prop
erty ut all, entitled TO protection in Territories
oEn6d by the common Go7ei nment You assume
the Interpretation that it is rga TO encourage by
sill possible means, direeiiy ard indirectly, the
robbery Of this property. and to legslste SO IS 20
rendsr lis recovery az difficult and dangerous rs
possible; that it is right and proper and justifa-
BILE, under the Constitution, to prevent cur mere
transit across sister State, 10 embark with cur
property On lawful voyage, Without being openly
despoiled of it. You assert, and practice upon
that assertion, that it Is right 10 hold US op to the
ban Of mankind IN speech, writing, ead print win
every possible appliance of publicity-as thieves,
robbers murderers, Williams, and criminals Of the
blacklist dye, because we continue 10 OWE property
which we owned at the time we sill signed the com
pact; that il is right that we should be exposed TO
spend our treasure in the purchase, or shed our
blsod in the conquest of foreign territory, with no
"a laou he
hind our most valuable property, under penalty Of
lis con6scation You practically interpret this in
strument 10 mean that it is eminenty in accord
anee with the assurance that our tranquility aud
welfare were to be preserved and promoted, that
our sister States should combiue to prevent our
growth and development; thai they should sur
round US with Gordon of hostile communities, Tor
the express apd a7owed purpose of accumul ting in
dense asses, and within restricted Unite, popu-
latiOn which you believe to be dangerous, aud
thereby force the sacrifice of property nearly suf-
cen in value TO Pay the public debt Of every nation
| in Europe. as
This is the construction of the instrument that
was TO preserve eur security, promote our welfare
| and which We only signed on your assurance that
| that was IT'S object You tell us that this is fair
ccnstrueiion--not all, say one thing some say
another; but you act, your people do, upon this
| principle. You do not propose u enter into cur
States, you say, and what do We Complain of Yeu
| destroy our institutions by force. Ga, no You
initiate the faith Of Rhaismistus; you propose siup-
| ly TO close us in al embrace that will sufocate US
You do not propose to fell tbs tree: you promised
not You merely propose to girdle it, that it dies
| And then, when we tell you that we did not under
stand this bargain this way that your aching upon
it in this spirit releases from the obligations that
accompany it; that under no circumstances can We
consent to live together under that Interpretation
and says: 1--WE will go from you; let US go in pesce;
| we are answered by your leading spokesman; "Oh,
uc you cannot do that; we have NO objection to 1t
pers oDally, but we are bound by oaths; if you
attempt it, your people will be hanged for treason.
! We have examined this Constitution thoroughly;
we have searched il out with fair epirt, and We
can find warrant in it for releasing ourselves from
/ the obligation of giving you any Of its benefits,
bat eur osths force US ts tax ycu we can dispense
with everything else; but conscienees, we pro-
test upon cur souls, viii be sOrey worried if we do
not tske your money" Laughter There is the
proposition Of the honorable Senator from Ohio, in
plain Language. He can avoid everything else I'M
der the Constitution, in the way Of secession; but
how he ia 10 get rid of the duty Of taking money
! be cannot see. Laughter.
Now, Senators, this picture Is not placed before
you With any idea that it will act upon asy one Of
you, change your views, or alter your eonduct
/ All hope OF that is gone. Our committee has re-
ported this morning that possible scheme Of ad
justmcLt car be devised by them all combined The
| Day for th5 Adjustment Eas passed. II you E0uIo
| give it nov, you are too late.
And now, Senator'S, within few weeks we part
| to meet &c Senators in one common council cham
| Der of the nation no more forever. We desire-we
| brseech you-leS this parting be in pesee / coz
jure you 10 indulge in vain delusion that duty
or conscience, interest honor, imposes upon you
the Necessity of invading our Sta;es--of shedding
the blood If cur people You hare no possible jus
ufcation fer it. trust it is in craven spirit,
and with No sacrifice of the heRor CT dignity Of
my cwn State thatI make this last appeal, but fro
far higher AID heller motives L. however, it shall
prove vain, If you are resolved TO pervert he Gov
| ernment framed BY the fathers for The protection
| of eur rights, into an instrument for subj 1ga ing
and gnLlaVing us, then app aiug 10 the Suprem
Judge If the universe fer the rcctiiude OF cur in
| testions, VIC must meet The issue hat you tore
| upon us best becomes freemen defending oil that
! Is dear TO ma.
What rnsy be The fate Of this horrible contest, no
man can tell none pretend TO foresee; but this
much will say: the fortunes of may be adve
| to cur ms you msy carry dcsolatIen into our
percefui land. aud with torch and fire you may eel
CUR CT les in fames ycu may even elhuste the afr
cities Of those wbo, in the CT TIE Revolution,
| ounded the b oodthiraty savage to attack upon
the defeuoeess frontier; you may under the rrotsc-
tcn of your advar epg armies, give shelter 10 the
| fpIicus fanatics who DESIRE end profess TO dseire
nothing more then to sad al the berrOrs CT servle
insurreoiio1 the cslamities OF civil var; you may
| dc sll tbis-ard more. tso, if mere there be-but
you never can subjugse Us; you never can convert
the free sops of the coil Gto vassas, paying trhue
| 10 your power; and you never, never can degrade
them TO the level Of an inferior and servile race.
| Never Never!