Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-17

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The line OF sSolfy which Mr. Lincoln will pursue
as President D thu United States is plainly indicated
in his recent <aeesh at Indianapolis. and still more
plainly in tw. senarkable articles which appeared
in the Springfield ILL., journal of last week, and
which as thgsseach say, were obviously "inspir-
ed - by HIM, f qotaetually written by his hand.
These articles hate all the characteristics of Mr..
Lincolns be Il diect and forcible style of thought
and expressly aid strike at the heart of the sub
ject Just az 3 ak of the railsplitter would cleave
the heart Of og rending and cutting through the
toughest h ~ of sophsm aud fallacy. They de-
clare that "a promise is not to be thought Of They
declare thaE:.S accession must be made but must be
made by tkaG Juth That the Southern States must
cencede thsj&urs is Government proper and not
compact bed zen States; that State can dissolve
its connect III with the Union at will; that the Gov
eminent he ~ right Z enforce its laws and that IL
Is the duty Se GOuemneRt to retdke from Southern
traitors It's In forts drsendls dc. 1--WE want the
HSouth to tMc ede that after Abraham Lincoln has
taken an 9TH to support the Constitution of the
Omitted StRi, it is his duty to observe it. We
"want thelM concede that the Seeding States have
sviolated II Consttution-hat they are in rebellion
against IL III ederal Government. and that Il is the
duty of TIL tfoUernment to put d0tcn rebellion. We
"want ther 10 concede that the taking of Federal
"forts and 4Rg upon the Star of the West, are in
esults that Wuld be atoned for. We ask them to
'coneede tN Northern creditors have a right to
'sue for aHN collect their demands in Southern
Courts N ash them 10 cORcedethdt Slavery is the
creare otsT cal la,c In all this do not ask the
South to ck sede single thing that is not demand
"ed by the Constitution of the United States In
atil they k1ucede all this, they ought not to
''pect that tls North has any concession to make"
After recApatulatng the outrages committed by the
rebels and tlG fragrant insults to the American flag,
the Springfield Journal eXclaims Away with
compromised an hour like this Let us first es-
tablish the fact that we have Government Gov
eminent able to protect itself and punish treason.
We should rot talk about compromise while the
flag of the traitors floats over an American fort.
and the flag u our country trails IN the dust IN
tx that flag istlirled MOtlre and every other
stolen fort, crSend cuSt0In-h0use, and ndUEy1rd-
until the lar. of This Gocer7uaent obeyed and its
authority recognized let us neUer talk about compromise.
Let the stObn forts, arsenals, and navy-yards be
restored to the rigbtful owner-tear down your
rattlesnake and pelican flag, and run up the ever
glorious starr and strpes-dsperse your traitorous
mobs and lei every man return to his duty. Then
come to us with your list of grievances, and what
ever manhood, honor, or patriotism can Yield shall
be fully accorded"
Mr.. Lincoh's Administration, The Journal says,
will feariessly and faithfully perform its whole duty;
will execute all the laws defend all the fortresses
and recovf all the property belonging to the United
States nov in possession of rebels. This is not
coercion Il is defense il is preservation. As Mr..
Lincoln SAYS in his indianapolis speech the march
ing of al army into South Carolina to force her tn
submit . 5uld be coercion. But if the United
States shsrl merely hold and retake its own forts
and otheTA "operty. and collect the duties on for
eign imp cations, or even withhold the mails from
places e they were habitually violated, would
any or az Ehese things be invasion or coerciOn!'
Mr. LincSS. is clearly right 1t is not coercion to
upheld tie 5nion maintain the Constitution and en-
force this Svs The President is bound by his oath
to do thEE things. He has no alternative. He
cannot sS9rably stand idly by, as Mr. Buchanan
has do ,>iElile the Government Is plundered and
It's FLAG iElfsed. But he need not invade States or
attempt 4 scoerce them into the Union If they
prefer t. nain outside they can do So But let
clearly lsnT rstaAd what is meant by being out Of
the Uniof:.
Here Nm Tie Spripfeld Journal states the case
with fois Z and clearness If Those States which
pretend z0 have gone out OF the Union do not want
to be represented in Congress, no one will compel
them TO seld representatives there. If they do not
want Postsofices, they need not have them If they
desire 10 dispense with Judges Marshals. and all
other Federal officers, no force will be interpOsed
TO thwart their wishes. Those Offices are created
and filed almost solely for the accommodation and
benefit of the people among whom they are placed.
If those people do not desire such accommodation
or benefit. we them that neither Mr.. Lincoln
nor the Republican party WILLIE interfere to com
pei them 80 accept either. No hostile demonstra-
ton will aver be made against seeding States by
the Fede 81 Government nor will national troops
ever marsh through such States, except to recover
o. proteci: federal property within their limits"
This cosers the whole ground, and sketches the
and honor%bly maintained. The slave States may
play at b.ng out OF the Union as long as they like.
They NAV govern themselves, and tax themselves,
and arm themselves to their hearts content. They
may witlfraw their representatives from Congress
where thsr presence in their present temper Is
neither needed desired. and they may decline to
avail ehselves of the advantages of the Federal
Courts aIsl post offices To that extent they may
90 out She Union and stay out till they are tired
of the ro;ition But they cannot be allowed to rob
the Unite: States to disoDey or evade the revenue
laws, G. hold unlawful intercourse with foreign
nations SThe supremacy Of the American flag must
be mair;aned not only from the ST. Lawrence to the
PotomaeS but from the Potomac to the Rio Grande
Neither F;naice" domestic nor foreign "levy' can
be al,os I'd to tear star from the standard of
the Req < lie or to sever inch OF the proud do
main H. -heathed TO US by ancestors Patriot
ISM pr.s and policy alike demand that the control
of the .sson and tobacco regions, of the mouth of
the NJ. fIGppi, and of the entrance to the Gulf of
Mexic: Ehould be kept in hands, and not suffer-
ed 10 ~. MO those of foreign ard hostile power