Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-02-28

bearing thrte-fourths OF the burdens or the
goYernment2 Is it promoted BY paying mem-
bers Of Congress from the treasury OF the
| United States to speak about abolishing negro
slavery and enslsying us? Are the blessings
ef liberty secured 70 ourselves and to our pos
teriiy? aInvoyed in darkness lies The great
decreeS Our liberty depends on "stout hearts
and strong handss' dThe hext gale that sweeps
from the north may bring to our ears" the
tread Of fosfnen, marching to subdue US;
s'For a asla oi the dead rushes red on my slsht,
And.a rnerciess sword on Culicden shall wavei
Cuiluicn that rseks Wifh the blood of The brave"
Ihope I have shown in the third place, that
S ate has the right 70 seeede Whenever her
Isoyereignty il invaded BY the Federal Govern
ment purpose to inquire briefly as to
sbether or not, in this case, TeRnessee has
! tue right Of secession. You ask, who Is to
decide upon the fact Of Invasion? say the
people Of the state sHd0ebieely. This is
question Affecting The reserved power, and in
regard to that the State is supreme As
have said, the presumption is always against
the jurisdiction Of the supreme Court OF the
United States Tie chief justice, IN the case
OF DFedd vs. Sanford, speaking OF the Su-
preme Court, said: although 1t is sovereign
aud supreme In lis appropriate sphere Of ae-
ton, yet il does not possess all the powers
which usually belong to the sovereignty OF
nation. Certain specified powers, enumerated
+
il, and neither the legislature, executive nor
judicial departments Of The Government, can
lawfully exercise any authority beyond the
limits marked out BY the Constitution. And
Ia regulating the judicial department, the
cases in which the courts OF the United
States shall have Jurisdiction, are particularly
and specifically enumerated and dehned' It
was decided in the cases Of the United States
vs. Wofrall, q Dallas, 3S4, } and the United
LFrs.Na rsnfm
4l5,) that because an officer was appointed
under the Constitution, that would not Of
itself render al eases, IN which he was con-
cerRed or By which he might be affected, cases
arising under the Constitution and laws, and
eognizable BY the Judiciary. "Such q wide
construction would be throwing legislative
power to the judiciary, and vest it with al
most unlimited jurisdiction, FOR where is the
act that might not in some distant manner, be
connected with tie Constitution or laws OF the
United States" Within your jurisdiction,
vou are supreme; within the Federal inrisdie-
tioa, The SapTsme Court Is supreme. It would
be useless and foolish to reserve to yourselves
rover. and give to another the right Of dehR-
ing it. What would be an invasion Of the
sovereignty Of State by the General Gov
srunput2 HAHv infringement, violation OF
attack upon the rights OF another" is an in
vasion Have your rights been iHfringed upon
or violated2 Judge ye for yourselves"
need not mention your rights in the Terrific
ries. Il is true, the Supreme Court has deci-
ded that you have as much right 70 carry a
negro there al 3 horse. This right existed be-
fore. 81 shall only stop to mention that the
clause of the Constitution which says, +" The
Congress shall have power to dispose Of and
make all needful rsles and regulations respect
ing the territory belonging TO the United
States" has reference only to the territory
which belonged 70 the States, under the arti-
cies Of confederation. See the case OF Dred
Scott vs.. Sanford Mr.. Lincoln says that
your rights in the Territories do not exist, and
il they DO, that be win trample them beneath
bis feet. He has repeatedly declared that be
would make every eXertion to prevent you from
exercising them. Again and again has ne
av5tzed these hostile and threatening sent-
ments. But you say, be has not executed
them. II a man threaten your life, does the
Ia = command yOu to stand, and wait until be
has executed his threat? By no means The
law saws that whenever a man is under Tea-
soBable fear Of death, or great bodily harm,
be has the right to kali. It is true, that be is
not the iudge OF the circumstances surround
ing him; but in this case, Tennesseeans, you
have the right to judge for yourselves. ls
there reasonable fear Of the destruction Of
your righ's? Where is the Black-Repuoliesn
party? What are its principles? What sen
timents does Mr.. Lincoln entertaiBs? What
does Mr. Seward saw Do you believe that
the northern people have made such gigantic
and superhuman efforts without intending to
defeat your rights2 Is l. reasonable 10 sup
pass that they will throw aside the " threat
ening steel" as soon as an opportunity is Of
fsred for committing the crime Be not de-
ceiVed.o
aLoehieI, Loohisli beware Of tbs day"
In the words OF your own Constitution,
p faN
benefit. the doctrine Of non-Tesistance against
arbitrary power and oppression, is absurd,
slavish, and destructive Of the good and hap
piness OF mankind. It is urged that Mr. Lin
coin is not the General Government, and that
be will not be part of it until the fourth Of
March next; that therefore the invasion by
Mr.. Lincoln is not an invasion By the General
Government. Admit il. But the Congress OF
the United States-the General Government
knowing Mr.. Lincoln's sentiments and posi-
tion, has declared him President Of the United
States. Congress by this act becomes PaTti-
eeps cTimiais. I charge it With the crime.
sfrbere is blood upon its skirts"
I come, in the last place, to discuss the eX-
pedisncy Of secession. New ideas succeed old
ones; and though they bear within themselves
a recognizing genil, they nevertheless pro-
ceed 81 means Of disoTgasiZation. g u Is the
common lot Of every new risen truth, to alarm
rather than persuade, to wound rather than
convince1 Christianity for long time eX-
cited the fear and hatred OF nations nov she
has at her control armies and kings. The
ideas which eliminated in the French revolu-
ton, aroused the fears Of Europe, and banded
kings arose to put them down. Now Louis
Napoleon Is on the throne Of France, carrying
out the policy Of his great uncle, who vas the
testameutarY executor Of the French revOlu-
ton. Secession, or rather the idea it repre-
ala T mill
bring peace and Tepose to she country. We
are in Il midst Of a great reVolutiOn-much
greater than we suppose. It becomes the duty
Of the leaders Of the people TO preserve its
moral influence, and diminish the fears which
It inspires. Why should you be frightened?
Look around. Do you not see on every hand.
death and reproduction
Nature builds uD, and tears down. No
ton Is the law Of life. Cities rise and
sink, like bubbles on the water. Fiery isles
spring blazing from the ocean and then go
back to their mysterious caEerns. Mountains
rear to heaven their bold and blackened cliffs,
and bow their tall beads to the plain. Empires
rise. gathering tbs strength Of hoary centuries,
and then rush down like the Alpine avalanche,
startling the nations. And the very stars, yon
bright and glorious blszonrV OF God, glitter
while in their eternal depths, aad Ike the
Pleiad loveliest Of the train, shoot from their
glorious spheres, and pass away to darkle in
the trackless void II secession be death, re-
member that the grave is but the portal Of
higher and nobler life. We must look to the
Onion that is to be; the empire that will arise
In future. We have seen "the venerable form
Of empire'' at various intervals, as well Of dis
lance as Of time, expire and revive success
sively from the scattered ashes Of its own pyre,
on the banks Of the Gsnges, Of the Niis, the
nyssus and the Tybur. Along the latter IA
v0rite river It has fingered down to modern
ages in the political song Of Virgil and the elo-
quent wisdom of Cicero. It hovers in our days
around the banks of the "sunny Seiene," on
the eagle pinions Of mental freedom and scien-
tific philosophy. A still grander resurrection
awaits It in the more majestic valley Of our
own Mississippi, where, after moulding the
generations OF peddlar and politician, and eT-
panding into proportions beftting ''the father
Of flowing Uaters,D it will soar 10 the visual
amplitude Of universal truth, and 90 survive
foreverm0Te, in "perennial beauty" and eter-
nal strength.
Tennessee cannot remain in the Union har-
moniously and peacefully unless she abolish
slavery This she cannot do If she would. It
would require three hundred years to ''settie''
the slavery question in any other way in the
Union. Ideas, like everything else, must grow.
seThe Ethiopian cannot change his skin, nor
The leopard his gpols,'' at least in a day. You
mist remember that the northern people have
been taught for two generations to hate
slavery as they do sin. They lock upon the
slave owner as monster Of wickedness and
dsprayity. Their opposition and hatred has
assumed the form Of religious fanstcism.
They have expressed a willingness to give up
their nst.tution, their Bible and their God,
rather than this prejudice. These ideas are
instilled into their children; they are incor-
porated into their cstechisms used in their Sun
day schools. Thee aTe.the ideas Of the masses
and the masses Of the people are always
honest-they never compromise. As reason
able men, you cannot expect them to change
In a week, OF a month, or year Large
masses move slowly. Put not your trust In
compromises. They will mislead you. When
YOU have a right, maintain it; and never COM
promise, unless its existence IS doubtful. The
personal libeFtys bili may be repealed. The
same spirit which enacted them is still alive
ia the people-the cause still exists. It is only
cutting oa the hyira's head, for another to
arise in its place. The disease is Ignorance
It is folly 70 compromise With it, its only cure
is knowledge. The northern people must be
educated and enlightened. The Confederate
States must send missionaries to convert them.
OhlY very few men at the North admit yeur
right to own slaves in the States. II you stay
in the Union, It will take a number Of years
vet te settle this question. After that, viii
| begin in earnest the great fight In the Terrific
u - =