Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-18
E.ester frer. csr. brown Of eeerrIa.

vention, which is TO assemble in January next has
been received.
Such is the extent of my official labors at present
that can devote but little time to the preparation
of reply. If, however, any importance is vt.
tached to my opinions in the present perllous times
cheerfully give them to my fellow-citizens pro-
pose to scuss briefly three propositions
lst Is the election of Mr.. Lincoln TO the Prrsi-
deney, sufficient cause to justify Georgia and the
other Southern States. in seeding from the Union
I'd. What will be the result to the institution of
slavery, which will follow submission to the ina1pIl-
ration and administration of Mr.. Lincoln, as the
President of one section of the Union?
Sd What VIII be the effect which the abolition of
Slavery will have upon the interests and the social
positions of the large class of nonsayeholders and
poor white iahorers, who are in the South?
FIRST Is the election of Mr. LicolnsufHeient carse
to justify the secession of the Southern States from
the Union In my opinion the election of Mr.. Lin
coin, viewed only in the light of the triumph of
successful candidate, is not sufficient cause for
dissolution OF the Union This, however, is a very
contracted and narrow view of the question. Mr.
Lincoln is mere ute in the great political atmos-
phere OF the country; which, it floats, only shows
the direction in which the wind blows. He is the
mere representative of fanstical abolition senti-
ment-the mere instrument of great triumphant
political party, the principles of which are deadly
hostile to the institution of Slavery, and open
ly at war with the fundamental doctrines of
the Constitution of the United States The rights of
the South. and the institution of slavery not
dangered by the triumph of Mr.. Lincoln, as a man;
kutthey in imminent danger from.the triumph of
the powerful party which he represents, and ofthe
fanatical abolition sentiment which brought him into
power, the candidate of the Northern section of
The Union, the united opposition of the South
ern section against him. The party embracing that
sentiment has constantly denied and still denies
equality in the Union, and our right to hold our
slaves as property; and ayows its purpose to take
from us our property, so soon as it has the power
Itq nj udi
it has the power to control the Executive branch of
the Government. As the President, with the advice
and consent of the Senate appoints the Judges of the
Supreme Court of the United States, when vacancies
occur its control Of the Executive power will, in
few years, give it the control of the Judicial De-
partment while the constant increase of abOlition
sentiment. in the Northern States, now largely in
the majority in Congress- together with the admis
sion of other free States Will very soon, give It the
power in the Legislative Department. The whole
government will then be in the of hands our enemies
The election of Mr.. Lincoln is the first great step in
this programme Iii the triumph of the Northern
over the Southern section Of the Union of Northern
fanaticism over Southern equality and Southern
rights. While, therefore, the election of Mr.. Lincoln
man, is no sufficient cause to justify secession
the triumph of the Northern section of the Union
over the Southern section, upon platform of avow
ed hostility to rights does in my opinion, afford
ample cause to justify the South in withdrawing
from confederacy where her equality, her honor
PSSttSj
teeted.
Second What win be the result to the institution
of slavery, which will follow submission to the in
auguraton and administration of Mr. Lincoln as the
President of one section of the Union? My candid
opinion is that it will be the total abolition of slavery
and the utter ruin of the South in less than twenty
five years. If we submit now, we satisfy the North
ecn people that, GENE what may, we will never re-;
sist. If Mr.. Lincoln places among us his Judges,
District Attorneys, Marshals, Post-masters Custom
Ep w Inv fba an1 of d c.t5n, inic-
traton, with the control of these men, and the dis
tribuIion of public patronage, he will have succeed
ed in dividing us to extent that will destroy all
our moral powers, and prepare US to tolerate the
running of Republican ticket in most of the States
OF the South, in 1864 If this ticket only secured
five ten thousand votes in each of the Southern
States, 1t would be large the abolition party
was in the North a few years since 1t would hold
a balance of power between any two political par
ties into which the people of the South may hereaf
ter be divided. This would give it the control
of our elections We would then be powerless; and
the abolihonsts would press forward, with a steady
step. to the accomplishment of their object. They
would refuse 20 admit any other slave States into
the Union. They would abolish slavery in the Dis
trct of Columbia, and at the forts. arsenals and
dock yards. within the Southern States, which be-
long to the United States. They would then abolish
the internal slave trade between the States and pro-
hibit slave owner in Georgia from carrying his
slaves into Alabama or South Carolina, and there
=
time, Cautiously, and our people would submit.
Finally, when we were sufficiently Inundated, and
sufficiently in their power, they would abolish
slavery in the States. It will not be many years
before enough of free States may be formed out of
the present territories of the United States and ad-
mited into the Union to give them sufficient strength
TO change the Constitution, and all constitu
tional barriers which now deny to Congress this
power. do not doubt, therefore, that submission
to the administration of Mr.. Lincoln will result in
the final abolition of slavery. If we fail to resist
now, we will never again have the strength 20 re-
sist.
Sd. What effect will the abolition of slavery have
upon the interest and social position of the large
class of nen-saveholders and poor white laborers
in the South? Here would be the scene of the
most misery and ruin. Probably no one is so I'M
Just as to say that it would be right to take from
the Shareholder his property without paying him
for it. What would it cost to do this There are,
in round numbers, 100000 slaves in the Southern
States They are worth, at low estimate, 500
dollars each. All will agree TO this. Multiply the
1880, 600 by 500 and you have TWENTY-FIVE hundred
and fifty millions of dollars which these slaves are
worth. No one would agree that it is right to rob
the Southern Shareholders Of this vast of
ey, without compensation. The Northern States
would not agree to pay their proportion of the
money, and the people of the South must be taxed
to raise the money. If Georgia were only average
Southern State she would have to pay one-ffteenth
partof,this sum, which would be Sl50,000000 Geor-
gia is much larger than average State, and she
must therefore pay larger SUN. Her people now
pay less than half million of dollars year of tax
Suppose we had ten years within which to raise
the $3.50 000,0 600, we should then have to raise in
addition to our present tax, Sl5,0G0.000 per an
mum, or over thirty times much tax we now
pay. TIE poor man, who now pays one dollar,
would then have to pay thirty But suppose the
Northern States agreed to help pay for these
slaves (who believes they would do it , the share
of Georgia would then be about one-thirtieth of
the twenty-five hundred and fifty millions of dol
lars, or over seventyve millions which, if raised
in ten years. would be over fifteen times as much
as our present tax. In this calculation, | have
counted the stakeholder as taxed upon his own
slaves to raise money to pay him for them. This
would be great injustice to him. If the sum is to
be raised by the upon others, the non-savehold
ers and poor white men of the South, would have
to pay nearly the whole of this enormous sum, out
of their labor. This would load them ard their
children with grieYous Indebtedness and heavy taxes
for long time TO come. But suppose we were rid
of this difficulty what shall be done with these
4, 800 900 negroes, when set free? Some of the
Northern States have already passed laws prohibit
ing free negroes from coming into their limits. They
will help to harbor runaway Slaves, but will
not receive among them our free negroes. They
would not permit them to go there and live with
them. Then what? One may say, send them TO
Africa. To such proposition might reply, send
them to the moon. You may say that it is rot
practicable. 1t is quite much it is for
us pay for and send this vast number of negroes to
Africa, with the means at our command
No one would be so inhuman as to propose to
send them to Africa and set them down upon a
wild naked sea coast, without provisions for at
least one year. What will it cost take them from
their present home to Africa, and carry provisions
there to keep them single year? (if left with only
one years supply, many of them would starve to
jeath.) 1t cannot be done for $3.50 60 each. At
that sum it would amount to eleven hundred and
twenty-five millions of dollars. Where will we |
get the money? Our people must be taxed to raise
IT, This would be half large a as the |
above estimate of the value of the negroes If the |
Southern States had it to raise Georgia part would
be over SIS 900 900, which added the part of the
amount to be paid to owners for the negroes, would
amount TO 1925, 900 coo; which must be raised by
taxing the people, or loading them with debt which
would virtually enslave whole people for gener
atoms to come. 1t must be remembered that we |
own territory in Africa large enough to COLOMBO |
100000 people This too must be bought at a very
heavy cost. The Northern people would not consent |
10 be taxed to raise these enormous sums, either to
pay for the negroes, or to pay for sending them to
Africa, or to pay for land upon which to colonize
hem; as they do not wish to do either. They wish
20 take them from their owners without pay |