Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-08
Address OF
HON. JOHN Y. WRIGHT,
OF TENNESSEE,
To ms constituents.
WAsHmaroN, D. e, DE-, 81. ]


ogies for addressing yOu at this time The diff
culfies and embarrassments attending public dis
eussieu ON the Honr of Congress, and The iearth O
time that would necessarily intervene before
could address you through that channel, inGuel
me to seek this method Of expressing my views Oh
the duties and interests Of Tennesseans ia the pre
ens alarming crisis. The time for the profitable
diccussion Of many preliminary questions has Pass
ed Il is no longer useful TO discuss the relations
existing between the States and the Federal Cav
eminent, and the right which each Of the States
may pOssoss to remedy aggressiOns already made,
or attempted 10 be made, upon them by Che Fs3e-
raj auhOrty,or by citizens Of one State upon those
Of another. Neither shall I, in this letter, endeav-
10 exhibit to you the blessings Of the Unon nor
The evils which many suppose viii inevitably ioE
from diEmembermeni Of the Confsderaey.
Questions rendered Ear moro prastisal By ressns
events. now prescAl themselves and slaAa Qua be-
fore you as great and startling facts. ard dsmand
your sesisus consideration.
When / say that amid all the trials aud koables
which have sEfrou1dsd the csnfodsraoy si1se Ton
nessee became a msmbsr thereof, hsr psopls lave
5esn sincerely dssirous Of uphsldiAg Ghe Constisn
ti9E and preserving The Union, and thai siaeo
have represented ysu 1 have most fully cosc1rred
in this sentiment but express fact which is well
knsTa 10 yea al; and whsu / affirm that cur noble
Stato has ever been faithful and loyal 90 sll her
Obligations % The Federal Government, snd nus
"a her dsTotioa 50 the rights and hsnor Of 81 her
OchtcueEate Elctert, 90 Dub lLsttCa 70 HeE l1llt
and history. TeAnessec and TeanessesBs are in no
wise responsible for the condition OF aifsirs az
existing. know that you have been devoted to
The Uzion- The world knows that you have been
fsrbonYiog and conservative; tk1t Though in CEN
men With your sister States Of the South yen hsye
sOsa and fell the aggressions, unYArrsutc1 aud
Hnesnsstutiosal as they were Of ysu- sister St.te5
sf the North, nevertheless you lava borne them
with pstisnce, aspiag that tins and sense Of re-
tUrziHg ustios weuld heal your iajuries sEd secure
Psscs aEd fr&teraal concord. You havs in dsed and
IA truth syiRood an honest desire rAther to bear
BE ills We hsVs thsn TO 1y 20 others which Ts
know noi Of"
know, and all ths wsrld Knows, that yea have
desiPed 10 preserve the Union. / would yet pre-.
serve it, could il be dose pFiao pies Of justice snd
equality aad wikheut guaranteeing the vial rights
Of my State and people as guaranteed b. the
Constitution. In this sentiment know Ihs7s ySur
concurrence. When parted with ysu bat few
weeks age, though dark clouds we're hanging ever
us, had not entirely despaired, and l came here
hoping family / osnfess) that something could he
done t. avert disruption OF the Confederacy, and
st the same time preserve the Constitution, aad f,
Lhus secure the rights Of the Southern pespls.
had hoped that though the aboliGoaists had sue
oseded in eeeiing Bir. Lincoln as their Precedent
yet. seeing Ihe dGngsrI in which they had ay0lFod
the country by their sectional warfare, they would
pause IN their career and give rs same assurances
thu. our rights would be respected. In this have
nearly four wesks A gloom dark ard dreary hasbsen
hanging this city and tho couItry for tE0
months, and YET no word OF premise or OF hope has
been hoard frSn the camp OF abolisionisa- 4 sui
len and portcHtous silence hss invaded thsir camp,
cave wien Mr.. Wade and Blr. DoolitEe and thar
eonsderGtss have broken that siencs by threatening
to wait abe South with FIRE sword and reduce ycUr
bra hren who have taken precautions to provide FOR
their safety 10 tbs ctndiCuD &C Conquered preri
oss Soon aner ths assembling Of Congress-, South
ern men in the Senate and sAo House q RsYrssaR-
lives moved to raise csmuitoss 10 take into Cossid
Grafton The dangers Of the c0ustry and to a. and
avert the evils OF disUnion and civil war.
Mark you, eloT-citiZers, AssC msveuests 10 70
soueile differences and difficulties vera sst iazugu-
rated by men from the Nssth--frsm tat ssc-ign
whose people ksyo By thsir course Of ossdsct
brought en- this osihs-but by msn from the Ssush
who are, and have been throughouI this Whos cen
rover7y, the injured parties Propositions for SET
Element have been EGbmiked TO those committees, !
smbracisg all the VRriSus Of dissatisfsotlsu
and yet, up 10 this gosd hour, ne proposition in the
east manner caiculated TO de jusios 10 the Ssuth-
Brn people has recsivsd the countenanse OF single
Black Republican. Upon the contrary, every sfsr ;
has been treated with scorn and csstsmpt, ustil ,
even the NEST conservative honest men have los, :
Ill hopes of rscsivinE justice from the Black RcFuh
lean representatives. =
What dc Southern men clEim az thsir nghss u :
Ter the Constitution Of the UAited States? :
la. They claim right TO eHjsy sqUslly with tAe 2
people Of the Nsrtb, the settlement Of the csmnon
Territories Of the United States and kho right 30
larry with them their hsrpes cattle, slaves, aad b
,ther property; and TO enjsy II Without messtsiOn
N equal terms with their brethren OF the NSrhh.
rhis Mr.. Lincoln denies tkem, ard Though his :
seeckss and his platform declares thai the people =
# hfteen States who dd not vste for him shsl net
AVE equsl riEhE with the people Of those States q
le voted for him. s.
81. The Southern people thisk il wsuld be usjust >
nd unwise TO abolish slavery ia she District Of CO.
umbia becaose il originally belonged to Maryland n
md Virginia, which States Wsre ana ere jet slave
lolding Ststes, and beosuse thsreby slaves wsud be
Ell free m Che midst OF servile rscs grssty endR
-erng tNe peace aud safety of the whits Popula- c
.on without in asy manner improving the soadi- U
ion Of the negro, aHd because is wsud be in direct
iolatien of The spirit in which the DistTic. wss
ededed to the Fedsral Government. NotTithstsnd- q
nq all this aBd In the face Of the fact that s par
les have heretsfsre RETAINED from intcTmeGilinr
Fith this District, MT. Linssln and the Blask RI %
uSlicsn party, up to this momsst, have stubSomly
efused to give the people any assurasoe, tbat he 4,
1il net as soon IS possible after his advent pow
r entail upon The people Of two slsvshsldiHS States
he evils continued and sustsVed by The full power
{ the Federal Government Of free Eegro pepula- (
ion ard upon the oounhy the calamity cf al exau- c.
ae which may prove most disastrous II tie end. II
Cd The Southern people claim thsi the clause in h
he Constitution which provides FOR tbs delivery 10
he master Of runaway slaves shall be faithfully and
ouestly carried out 81
Mr.. Liaeoln and bis party, though two mssths g
ave ELAPSED have given us ne assurance that this Il
hall be done. Upon che contrary, his party in TIE
forth have used every means to dsfest This just q
sshk Many Of the States, through their Leg,sls- %
ures have made it criminal ts ebay the Constitution,
nd have thus added wilful aad deliberate perjury
bad faith II would not be doiEg injustice to the
arty which elected Mr. LiAcsln ts say that tsey do ii
oi regard the CsnssmGiSn nsr their oaths and b.
hat in their fsnstical eyes perjury is virtue fit "
id them In defeating their kHoyE swsra oh .sGsns d
, the Constitution ef the coustry. Though the b
onsst, Union-lssing Nsn OF the North haze con c,
lAntly warAed the absliGsnitta 81 Die i1sv,ablc u
asult Of their Unconstitutional acA, yst vo find N
tate Legislatures, If TO add 10 the insults and tt
rengs of the South, coStemptuously refusing to "a
smedy the evils We coaplGiH o. and boldly defying
|. when we are only seeking In proper way TO ca
cal the diflsudes which thEessSa tAS Conlo4s-sSy
it'll destruction. -
44h. Southern men de net bslisvS thst negroes S,
"a or ought 10 be on an equality with the white Cd
zee. nor DO they bslisye that the nan who made u
,e constitution Intend that hsy should be equal lei
Il have beer taught by history AID experience So
,at te white rsce is the superior and mus lJ
,riv control che black race, whenever and WhsT- c
yer the two races come in contact. We have seen CO
-. oo,cfautlV intrlli- q,