Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-06-05
a sweet unton mf..iye.

A sweet Union mfssive.
We publish below circular, issued from
this city 1t will give the reader some idea
of the views, spirit aud hopes of the few in
our midst who are opposed to Tennessee In
dependence. We have no time to comment
upon it further than to,eay that the argu-
ment, based upon the Presidents proclama-
ton and Gen. Buffers course in Maryland,
Is destroyed by the change in the Generals
policy at Fort Monroe, and the approval of
that change by the Federal Administration.
The hopes of success, too, which the author
The vote cast for bis side of the question will
be very small-not enough to encourage him
in his self-denying efforts to resurrect the
dead Union, or 20 keep alive the hopes of
those who are so credulous to follow him.
We will add. also. that the recommendation
as to tickets would be good one, if the 'se-
cession tickets" as he calls them, could be
| purchased.
A Word to our old Union Correspon-
4
1 dents.
| DEAR SIR:-HOping, as fain would. that
| there may still remain possibility OF deliV-
| ering our State and people from the vortex
/ of most terrible revolution, have taken i.
upon myself TO address you, one of our for
/ mer political correspondents. this circular
/ letter We OF Nashville who intend to vote
| against secession. at the rapidly approaching
| election. must not be misunderstood in re-
| gard to the motives which actuate us in our
| course. We behold, with dismay our init
mate friends and relatives being rushed into
| the ranks of q standing army, without due
consideration of the grave responsibility in
CURED by such precipitate action. They are
placing themselves under the command of a
Governor in whose patriotism many even of
themselves have no confidence, and by him
transferred without constitutional authority
to the command of the chief of a revolution
which has been condemned as unjustifable
| by a majority of our people. The rash, ill.,
| tolerant aud violently unlawful course pur-
| sued by the leaders of this unprecedented
movement, has embittered the relations ex-
| listing among our fellow citizens; and will
| inevitably bring upon our State, if persisted
| in, all the horrors of civil, if not partIZan
neighbOrhOOd war. Our institutions, our
| lives, our liberties and all we hold dear in
this world are about to be set aflOat upon
tempest-tossed sea of revolution. 1t is IN
questions involved in the scheme of breaking
up the government of our fathers, and the
establishment in its stead of such govern
ment as the result of revolution may entail
upon US. All the solid arguments against
Secession remain yet in full force. Many of
Us cannot accept it as a necessity or as wise
conclusion.
As to the plunging of our State into a war
against the General Government, to sustain
vUa haU pha
may be held as to the right of a majority TO
commit the lives, fortunes and entire inter-
ests of the whole people of Tennessee TO a
revolutionary policy, it is certainly true that
majority, if it will, may vote against revO-
luton, and that our State shall go into the
war. If the State is sovereign power to |
make war, surely it has an equal power to |
make peace, or to keep the peace. NOT |
For one, then, land there are many |
among US of like mind-cannOt vote to i'm |
pei the breasts of my acknowledged up
on the points of Federal bayonets in support |
of a cause which my conscience never did |
approve, and never can The infatuatiOn is /
wonderful which can lead portion of our /
fellow citizens to take a view of the case di- |
rectly the reverse of this and tell US that to
vote against separation Tor secession) is to /
vote against our brave soldiers, who have
rushed to arms to defend, they think, our
rights. Surely nothing can be more alb
surd. If the cause was good one, we ought
to have gone into it long ago-if a bad one,
we ought to keep out of it now; and it is
horrible to think that by vote of Onrs-it
may perchance be single yote-we may force
these generous and patriotic young men,
needlessly, into the Jaws of a terrible death, |
subject them to all the horrors and privations
of war, and impoveTish and ruin our people,
and destroy our liberties. A chief consider
alton with those who vote against Separation
an no hat a m " |
should so vote, those in authority will feel
bound to withdraw our troops from the field, |
and cease TO array our State against the Fed |
eral Government. |
They had no authority to declare war, nor
to enter into military league with power
which is either foreign or in rebellion. The
most vital point involved in the mOmen-
tOus movements now being carried on, is the |
placing of our State in an attitude of war.
The people had a right TO be consulted be
fore these movements were initiated; they
have not been, but they have been assured,
upon the honor OF men in whom they have |
heretofore had confidence, that the United
States Government (Or as they express it the
North was coming down upon US with a
horde of mercenary troops, to wage against
our people a war of determination, confiSca-
ton, and rapine to liberate our slaves, &c. |
This very incendiary language ought not to
be used IN the hearing of a seIvile population,
upon the authority of less than dozen intem
perate and atroeious northern newspapers. 1
have myself seen an immense amount of the |
writings of even Northern editors taking an
opposite view OF the contest. But these
things are carefully concealed from our peO- |
pie. The prOclamatiOnS of the President and
of Maj Generals Butler and McClelland con
tradict these assumptions. The latter, in his
recent proclamation to the people of Virgin
Ia, says:
Your homes, your families, and your pro-
perty are safe under our protection. All
your rights shall be religiOnsy protected.
Notwithstanding all that has been said, to in
duce you to believe that our advent among |
you will be signalized by interference with
your slaves. understand one thing clearly:
not only will we abstain from ali such inter-
ference, but we will, on the contrary, with
an iron hand, crush any attempt at insurrec-
ton on their part"
Even the Massachusetts, troops have so far
arrested and returned all fugitives
reaching their lines, and Gen. Butler goes
into Virginia with orders to continue that
honorable course. Any attempt to embit-
ter this unfortunate contest by misrepre-
sentation is a wicked atrocity. Tennessee
need not be made the theater of war at all,
if her people will vote to remain in the
Union. Not one of our citizens need be
put before the guns of an enemy. If Ten
nessee should place herself by the side of
Kentucky, the two States together can
their position, SO far at least as to
keep out of active participation in war
which threatens to prove in any event most
disastrous.
Adviees which we have received from va
rious parts of the State, encourage the hope
that possibly we may succeed in a manly eff
fort to maintain our position. An enormous
vote will be polled against Secession in
East Tennessee, and in many counties in the
Middle and West.
This circular will doubtless fall into the
hands of many who cannot concur with the
views herein expressed but trust it will