The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1861-01-11
oovernof's Message.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
u NAsHvILLR, Jan. 7, 1861.

of the Constitution, provides that, on ex-
traor lnary occasions, the Governor may
convene the General Assembly. Be-
lievirg the emergency contemplated, to
exist at this time, ! have called you to-
gether. In welcoming you to the Capt.
toll of the State, l can but regret tho
gloomy auspices undcf which we meet.
Grave and homogeneous issues have arisen,
which, to an eccdented degree, agi-
tate the public9l( and imperil the per-
petuity of the Government.
The systematic. wanton, and long con-
tinued agitation of the slavery question,
with the actual and threatened aggres-
sions Of the Northern States and por.
ton OF their people, upon the welt
defined constitutional rights Of the South
ern citizen; the rapid growth and in
crease. in all the elements of power, Of n
purely sectional party, whose bond OF
union is uncompromising hostility TO the
rights and institutions Of the fifteen
Southern States have produced crisis
in the affairs of the country, unparalleled
in the history Of the past, resulting al.
ready in the withdrawal from the Con-
federacy of one OF the sovercirniics
which composed it, while Others are
rapidly preparing to move in the direct
ion. Fully apprecia,ins the importance
of the duties which dcvclve upon YOU.
fraughi, rs your action must he. with
consequences Of the highest possible inn
poriancc To the people If Tennessee (;
knowing as a great Commonwealth, our
own beloved State Is alike interested with
her sisters, who have resnstcSl, and are
preparing ~ resSrt> 20 this fearful alter
native. l.haVe cslleSl yoS together for the
J purpose of calm sud dSpaSsionsie delib-
| Grafton, earnestly trusting, as the chosen
/ Representatives of free AMI enlighten-
ed people. that you will, at this critical
.iuncture of our affairs, prove yourselves
| equal to the occasion which has called
for the exercise Of your talent and pa
triotsm.
A brief review of the history of the
past is necessary TO proper understand
ing of the issues presented for your con-
sideration.
Previous to tho adoption of the FEEDER
al Constitution each State was q separate
and independent Governmental COM
plete sovereignty within itself-and in
the compact of union each reserved all
| the rights and powers incident to sove-
reignty, except such as were expressly
delegated by the Constitution to the
General Government, or such as were
clearly incident, and necessary, to the
exercise of some expressly delegated
power.
The Constitution distinctly recognises
property in slaves makes it the duty OF
the State to deliver the fugitive to his
owner, but contains no grant of power to
the Federal Government to interfere
with this species Of property, except "the
| l,l ,l I,,t,.
to all civil Governments, to protect the
rights of property as well as those of lie
and EJerty of the citizens, which clearly
instrument by the Supreme Court of the
United States in the case of bred Scott
Us. Sandford. In delivering the opinion
of the Court, Chief Justice fancy said:
"Now, as we have already said in an
earlier part of this opinion, upon differ
ent point Tie right Of property in a slauc is
distinctly and erpress. affirmed in tie COnsti.
tuition"
"And no word can be found in the
Constitution which gives Congress a
greater power over slave property, or
which entities property of that kind to
less protection than property of any other
description. The only power contcrred, is
tie pouer coupled tcih the duty, Of guarding
and protecting the owner in his rights"
This decision of the highest judicial
tribunal known to our Government, set
ties the question beyond the possibility
of doubt, that the slave property rests
upon the same basis, and is entitled Ia
the same protection, as every other dies,
eruption of property, that the General
Government has no power to circum
scribe or confine it within any given
boundary; to determine where it shall OF
shall not exist, or in any manner to I'M
pair its value. And certainly it will moi
be commended, in this enlightened age
that any member of the Contederacy can
| exercise higher powers, in this respect
beyond the limits of its own boundary
than those delegated to the General
Government.
The States entered the Union upon
terms of perfect political equality, each
delegating certain powers to the General
Government, but neither delegating any
power to the other to interfere with its
reserved rights or domestic affairs; hence,
there is no power on earth which can
rightfully determine whether slavery
shall or shall not exist within the limits
of any State, except the people thereof
acting in their highest sovereign capa.
city.
The attempt of the Northern people,
through the fundamentally of the Fed
eral Recommendations, State govern
ments, and emigrant aid societies-to
confine this species of Property within
the limits of the present Soutfern States
Ito impair its value by constantaagta-
ton ard refusal to deliver up the jugi.
tive-to appropriate the whole of fhe
Territories, which are the common prop
erty of all the people of all the States,
to themselves; by excluding therefrom
every Southern man who is unwilling to
live under q government which may by
law recognize the free negro as his equal,
''and in fine, 10 put the question where
the Northern mind will rest in the belief
of its ultimate extinction" is Justly re-
garded by the people of the Southern
States as gross and palpable violation
of the spirit and obvious meaning of the
compact of Union-an impairment inter-
meddling with their domestic affairs,
destructive Of fraternal feeling, ordinary
comfy, and.well defined rights.
As slavery recoded from the North, it
was followed by the most violent and
fanatlcal opposition. At first the anti
slavery cloud, which now ovcrshadows
the nation, was no larger than mans
hand. Most of you can remember, with
vivid distinctness, those days of brother
mood, when throughout the whole North,
the abolitionist was justly regarded as an
enemy of his country. Weak, diminu-
tive and contemplate as was this party
in the purer days of the Republic, It has
now grown to colossal proportions, and
its recent rapid strides to power, have
given it possession of the present House