Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-29
congederats LOau Meeting.

RI.lL Esq, non. HENRY ,. fCOTE was called 70 the
Chair, and TIE various Editors Of newspapers in
this city appointed Secretaries when the following
proceedings were had.
Gov. FooTE, on taking the Chair, expressed him
self, in substance as follows:
Gentlemen Citizens of the Confederate States:
| Friends of Southern Independence and Freedom
enemies Of the heartless usurpers at Washington
and sympathizers with those valiant and patriotic
men who are Drawing the perils of the batte'
| field in our behalf and in behalf cur homes, our
sltars and our fresides called upon to preside on
this interesting occasion, it devoves upon me to
plain in a'concise and distinct manner, the object
| Of our present assemblsge. Expecting the meeting
| TO be addressed by ergentlemen somewhat more
formally aud elaborately, / shall content myself
with the presentation Of one two general topics
and a few explanatoryIob observations touching the
loan asked Of our citizens by the Government of the
Confederate States and the duty of sl true patri-
| OTIS IN reference thereto.
The States Of the South are at this time engaged in
a war, with power numerically far supe-
rior to them which war, considered in its various
aspects and bearings will be confessed by all intel
! ligent men to be the most stupendous and import
ant which has ever marked the history of Nations.
Ten millions and more of as enlightened, as ViPs
tuous, generous minded, unselfsh, and as va
lorous people as the sun of Heaven has ever shone
| upon, have been driven into armed resistance
! of hesrtless and usurping government by
such multiplied and enormous acts of tyranny
and injustice rs no governmental power, beside,
Of ancient or modern times, ever dared to perpe-
tTate, and such as no race or
people regardful of freedom has ever been known
to endure patiently. From the foundation of the
Federal government up to the period Of its destruc
ton last spring. the legislation Of that government
has been constantly felt to be most unequal in its
operation upon the two opposing sections thereof
and most distinctly and palpably injurious to the
Southern or slayeholding portion. Long have we
! known without vehement complaint in any quarter
that before the close of the last century the North
had been yielded by Congress q monopoly of all
the carrying trade both between the ports of the
United States and those of foreign nations, and
that prosecuted between the different ports of our
own country. We knew well that the
revenue system put in operation concentrated
nearly all the trade Of the Nation in the com
mercial marts of the North and made
them the centre of exchange and traffic for the
whole Republic. We were perfectly aware that
the South, in regard to quantum of population
scarcely amounting to One-third Of the
whole American people, had for many years sup
piled more than two-thlrds of the products of every
kind exported abroad and exchanged for these for
eign commodities, the duties on which constituted
our whole National revenue, and that much the
greater part of all these imported commodities
was uniformly received in Northern ports
These advantages, and thousand others easy to
to MENTION but upon which / need not
now dwell, such the protection of Do
nestle Manufactures, Fishing Bounties, the
appropriation of enormous and most dlsproportion-
ate sums, distracted from the common treasury
for purposes of internal improvement in the NSrth-
section and for other purposes strictly local in
their character all these every intelligent citizen
Of the South has known tor many years and we
have known also that every species of fraudulent
legislation constantly going on in Congress for
the enrichment of the North, and for our own i'm
pOverishment. We have ascertained, IN several sg-
nal instances, that we had to incur nearly all the
expenses and hazards of our foreign wars. and to
allow our Northern associates to possess themselves
of nearly al the advantages accrung there
from. We have felt, and felt most pain
fully. forj many years past, that the North was
rapidly acquiring a moneyed and political ascen.
dency, which, unless in some way checked must |
inevitably be fatal TO our prosperity our happi-
meas, and our dignity as people. Still no cOnsde-
rable portion OF our Southern felOWcltlZens mani
Tested desire to break upa Union established by
our venerated fathers and sacred in estimation
Oh that account. The most Systematic and deadly |
attacks were made upon our domestic institutions
in thousand different forms, and still large ma
jOrity Of the citizens Of the South cung fondly and
tenaciousy to what they regarded the Ark of the
Federal Covenant At length g political organ |
izaton was daringly set on foot built upon Princi-
pies to cur domestic safety and
TO our social existence. That political organization
in the late Presidential election A Black
Republican executive chief was inaugurated dull and
impOtent Of intellect coarse and vulgar in his hab
its and manners, cunning and INSCRIPTIONS in his /
character. f0SaEGly OeIlOQlacdl IN his
pies. He surrounded himself with Cabinet COM
posed Of individuals nearly all OF whom were such /
monsters as no man of refinement and virtue could
tolerate as associates, selfish, corrupt regardless
Of all laws human divine, delighting in injustice
and rapine and notoriougly violent and butcherly
in their tastes and appetites. As TO be expected
open war was speedily proclaimed against the
South, and that war is now going on without any
distinct prospect of immediate termination. cans
not expatiate upon the innumerGbe deeds of
4
Of the North, which have caused 81 Christendom
10 recognize those engaged in it as worse than !
Vandals, or Huns or SarRceus. They familiar g
Is ALL and every days intelligence swells the black
catalogue Of understanding atrocities 1t is suf~
icient for to know that if fail in the pending
struggle we must submit to CALLING and never ends
ng servitude; to the sweeping confscation of the
estates OF all patriotic citizens, to the most grinding
AVIATION, first for the paying on Of the enormous
National debt which Lincoln and his accursed cabs
let have incurred and mourning and afterwards
brewer, for the qualification Of Northern cupidity.
f we fall we are forever ruined and degraded,
yretched beyond all that has been heretofore |
,nown among the children of men, supporting
existence under the domination of the |
asest and most vilainous tyrants that God has yet
llowed to pOllute the earth with their presence.
IN the other hand if we succeed, save our liber
from destruction, We secure the safety of {
urselves, and those who are dear to US, we estab
sh the principles of civil and religious free
ne civilized nations of the earth. a
Thank Heaven! The prospect is not at all gloomy | s
alarming If we be but true to ourselves and
ur noble cause, the defeat Of our enemies is GER
lin, and our deiiverance sure. Already have we | y
lOwn ourselves immeasurably superior to our :
Oasul prosecutors in courage, in military skill, !;
wise craftsmanship, and in carneast devotion to n
lie cause we have espoHsed. Manassas, and +
ethel, and Springfield, and Lexington, are but pre-
ges Of victories yet more signal and effective. The
eroic spirit Of people is just beginning to be .
lily aroused their giant energies have not yet n
zen fully developed their ambition for true glory -
every moment growing more and more intense.
all probability the Capital of the once honored
epublic, of which were lately proud to be
tiz5ns, will have to be torn from the grasp of the
espOtic usurpers who now sit there grimly en- a.
roned 1t may be, that peace will have yet to be ~
,nquered by our victorious armies by penetrating
e great commercial marts Of the North and com. az
ling her mammoth capitalists to pay out of their a.
7ergrown estates all the expenses of a war which U
ey have so unpardenably instgated and support to
|. 1t is not impossible that we may yet be "
llled upon to aid in the work of Gberating the NJ
orthern people themselves from the iron despot- e
N under which they are now grooming, before the Ia
bors m which we are engaged shall be n'
ought to close. 1t is certain that Missouri and ca
aryland have yet to be redeemed from the gall 20
g servitude and oppression to which they have W
zen of late subjected Nor is it reasonable to sup 81
,se that the warslike movements now in active &C
'Ogress in Kentucky will be suspended until the Dc
on rule of LincClnism,now so shRmeessly and cor So
pty established in that once venerated common Ga
ealth, shall be made'tO cease, and the mrmydons ol
the usurper be either driven -yond the Ohio U
yer or be extermlnated upon the soil which they