New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-19
THE TENNESSEE STYLE OF BOLTsNG.

1 p
in tort OF fog Of political dalectics, Tennessee
blandy begins by waving any expression OF
opinion as TO the abstract doctrine Of Seces.
son"-a very prudent waiver indeed Because
it ia plain that the Constitution, being drafted by
! gentlemen who understood their business, con-
tains no such fatal scrclsm o. tie recognition OF
the right of Secession; or. in other words, the
| Constitution does not provide for ts own de-
structioD. This shows reprehensibe oversight
undoubtedly, on to part Of its Trainers. To
| fost o permanent Constitution upon the coun-
! try-to do the work wel!-tO guard against
riot, revolution, ood rebelion-was not this
dpscred,abiy reprehensibe But they did
| it and not even the Tennessee gentle
mcn, eager TO nbscOnd, dare to say that they
did not. They put in convenient WAIVER
! They avoid discussion as tedious They are alb
| s,ractionlsts who vii have nothing 10 DO with
distractions They consider the Constitution a.
something to be repealed, Ike any ordinary law,
at their pleasure. They forget that explicit pre-
ambe in which the People of the United States,
to secure the blessings Of liberty" not only to
Themselves but "fo posierfy,' do ordaln abd
establish" the Constitution for the United States
Of America--a compact for all time, capable Of
amendment though incapable Of repeal.
But Tennessee. prudent in the Aforementioned
particular, goes on to assert the right OF q ifee
- aud independent people to alter, 1lOrm. or
~ abolish its form of government in such manner
as it thinks proper" Alarming platItude the
" right" of "a free and independent people" to
do ms it plcascs IA "freedom" aud 'inde-
pendence" imply might Us we'll as fright no
would not be- "a wise man who should cOntr0yert
thi. invincible proposition. The only trouble is
that Tennessee is not "fIee" from the restraints
of the Constitution and is not " independent OF
the laws. Tennessee eau only follow the devices
and desires of her own heart by breaking her
word and by violating statutes to the enactment
Of which she at the frat solemnly as,eutcd, and
to which she has since, BY long-continued obe-
dience, given Prescrptiye authority. Surely,
before putting hor,elf in a position which, uuex-
planned, must be criminal one, Tennessee
should have made some little explanation. But
even here she is wiser than the fathers
They had decent respect TO the opin-
IONS &c mankind" requiring them To
" declare the causes which mpeled them
"to the separation" Gov Harris, of tnls same
Tennessee, while claiming to be in the possession
Of many cogent reasons" says it Is "uunecea-
.'sary to rehearse them" Why SOL A pretty
spectacle does this false State or at least its
false rulers exhibit! Ii waves any expression
''of opinion" ms to "the right" of what it is
dong, and it declares, while it has "cogent"
reasons for its course, yet that lit ia unaeces-
"sary h. rchearse them" What q sagacious
GOVERNOR What a conscientious Legislature
Without cause given or " reason" assigned with
cut even adopting the spurious "Constiution"
Of tho Southern COniederates, 1t enters with them
into "a military league" and, without declaring
in what respect the General Government has
offended and holding tho President as such, re-
sponsible for the alleged sins of his party which
ho is not and never can be, il prepares to make
war upon him and upon US because we will not
be- public liars ard prelessed cheats Is this
this showing "a decent respect to the opinions
"mankindi"
Tennessee, then, goes out, OF her mere motion.
She "ordaius and declares that all the laws and
ordinances" b. which sho /" became a member
- of the Federal Union are hereby abrogated and
" annulled." She ignores utterly the fact that
the Constitution is - an Indenture OF Two Parts"
to which the United States and the several States
a. INTERCHANGEABLE set their hands and seals; and,
in the very teeth Of said lndenure declares that
il is only an agreement TO be regarded and to be-
violated at her pleasure-that she came into it
merely to oblige US, and that she now departs to
obi 20 herself. Was then, THE Indenture merely
nudum JaeiuDa Did Tennessee receive 10
consideration No implied consideration at least,
in the fact that she asked, when she was sup
posed to know her own interests, for admission,
ard was admitted to the benefits of this contract
Certainly here was consideration enough to hold
any man 10 any common-aw court for twenty
millions OF money; for at such bar we doubt If
tho plcadingl employed by this defendant would
be amiably received by the Bench. We ASK at
tcntion to the precise language employed:
eve do hereby re'ars oil tho lights, functions AID powers
which BY any said laws and ordinances conveyed 10 the
Government, OF the United States"
SO Tennessee resumes what she coareyed-
takes back, by her own confession, that which
she gave, and spits upon her own hand aud seal.
give, grant, bargain sell, and conyey"-this
is the language Of deed Of real property" to
=. the said A. b., his heirs and assigns forever"
so such conveyance runs. Now, suppose that
the heir Of A. B. comes into Court in plea of
land, and, claiming that his ancestor made bad
bargain, seeks TO dispossess c. D., the said an
cestor's grantee. G. d. pleads his deed. A. Il.
rrioins that the defendants grantor made bad