Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-11


the olden days
sswhere the Iances cleaned the thiekest, and the
surge Of battle rolled, -.--s-
brave youth charged his feemen, ma ssaow-white
steed so bold,
But be wore no guarding head piece, save his wsvy
hair Of gold.
Turn and fly, thou rash young warrior, this steel
bound helmet wear =
.Nay said he Sim armed already, in the brightness
Of my hair,
For my mother kissed its tresses, and she guards me
with her prayer.'''
The laurelled leaders, who conduct such
men to conquest, have not been chosen from
the prizs-riHg, tue tap-room. or the vortex of
fashionable debanchery. They are full wor-
thy to direct ia battle, the tried strength of
the bravest people in the land, who are now
marching resistlessly on, under the triumphal
standards of Truth, Humanity and Freedom.
They do not fight, merely that the South may
be garlanded with wreaths of victory-sur-
rounded with the enchanting haloes of tenn
porary success, and emblazoned with the tro-
phies of mere martial triumph; not to win in
the future name for our beloved land, that
shall reek with tunes of carnage and the
blood OF many conflicts. Never They fight
that the South may still be the asylum OF
LibeTty-that her public credit may not be-
come "a name and byword"-that her Con-
stitution may not be torn and trampled by a
milieary despOt, and that the objects of that
Constitution may not be thwarted to the det-
riment of her people. Not willingly have we
had recourse to the sword. Our attitude
through this whole affair has never been one
of rash defiance and angry menace, With us,
''the precepts of reason have received the
sanction of laW''--with us. mercy has had
influence, and Justice has had respect. We
know that nations, as well as individuals, by
the mere effect OF their birth, not only acquire
rights. but also incur obligations. Existence
endows them with primd facie right to live
uninterrupted by those whose territory is adj
jacent--to govern their own domain without
being molested-to prescribe the conditions
of citizenship. and to enjoy the undivided use
OF the natural resources within their bounda-
ries-being, at the same time, 'tenants in
common" of the high seas.
In return, they owe to humanity the per-
Torrance of duty, the continuance of inLeg-
rity and usefulness, and. of course, a constant
and proper progress. Thus they are condi-
toned, and neglect of their Obligations neces-
sarily involves the forfeiture of their rights.
This forfeiture may not be enforced, but the
penalty is none the less incurred. These
views we believe have generally obtained in
the South Hence this new union of ours,
drawn, like pure and refined gold, from the
drOSs of the cTucible in which the old Union
was tried,--composedo of States, cOnfederated
in resistance TO dominant injustice, because
the general feeling with ali is thai submission
would at once annul their claim to safety
dominion aud existence. Our greatest crime
is that we refuse to admire and applaud the
reckless strides of that yauting ambition,
which would o'erleap the sublime precepts of
mOrality-the kind and endearing charities
of our better nature, and rational and pro
per reverence for that Law ''of which no less
Can be acknowledged, than that her seat Is
the bosom OF God, ard her voice the harmony
of the world; to whom all things in Heaven
and earth do homage; the very least as feel
ing her care, aud the very greatest, as not
being exempt from her power" This power
has been with us IN the reach of all, and hence
1t Is no precedent in our Intelligent and God
fearing communities to d-termine questions
Of right by the old trial BIZ battle. Because
this is so, however, let no rash invader fancy
that we repudIate the use OF foTcs in a crisis
when that use becomes necessary. When the
difficulties now surrounding us first darkened
ia our sky, We tried interchange of opinion,
against argument, and reason
against reason. In times past, the statesmen
Of the South prevailed; in times past, Clay
aud Legare. King and Calhoun, Bell aud Crit
tenden. and other kindred spirits, were pow
era in the land; and il is remarkable and
significant fact which foreign observers
nave already noticed, and which the historian
will not fail to remember-that when South
srn mind directed the destinieS of the Union,
It attained that gigantic prosperity which has
so astonished the world. springing up in a
period surprisingly brief, from a hampered
and crippled colonial position to a mighty
aud, at one time, invinciple republic. No
sooner, though, was the guidance of the Ma
ton committed to Northern hands, and shaped
a whole
raised with SO much trouble by their prede-
eessors and cemented with such priceless
blood, such precious tears, tOttered to its
base; its wide arch began to tOpple; star by
star its giories have gone out 10 murkiest
ght, and stone by stone, its shapelieSt col
umns fallen; while those in other land, whose
chief encouragement in enduring dangers and
despotisms, and deaths, has been the thought
that Freedom here had found safe abode,
can only weep with US In looking at the
wreck, and cry in the sad cadence of a Roll
Liberty! what crimes have been
committed in thy name!' In this terrible
emergency, we sought to reason with those
who would be reasoned with. But we are
now assaied by men who are proof against
argument We cao only turn to our last re-
sort, the ULuEI Rdtio of ireemen, as well as
Kings; and one consolation still sustains US
no nun IS proof against b9tta. IT, therefore,
use. 1t is a sacred strength. and History
tells US that "when, with home-thrUst, strong
and sure, 1t reddens the invaders shroud,
thus gloriously anOinted, like the priestly
rod. il has blossOmed with celestial dJwers to
deck the patriots brow" In the assertion of
our liberties, let Us welcome it, all the more
As this hour the solemn voices OF the Past tell
Us how, "by it's redeemiug magic and in the
Iuiver of its crimsoned light" the Confeder-
ates of Greece repulsed the battaiioned des-
Dotism of Persia; how, with it, the Confeder-
ites OF Switzerland, in their Alpine defiles,
cut down the Austrian oppressor; how the
Confederate NetherlanderS drove back, from
heir ancient burghs, the invading hordes of
Spanish Alva; and, with especial emphasis,
low the Confederate Colonies successfully de-
led the hircling iegi0ns OF Brit iin. Let the
OF the South profit by these ex
with them this strife is gallant
acrifce and not a vulgar game. The yestal
amp whose eXtlnguishment they would pre-
vent, once out, II know not where is that
'romethean heat that Can It's light reiume."
What words are these All! they have alrea-
ly profited by the example. Not in vain for
south Carolina did Marion aud Sumpter and
lutledge nobly teach the brave lesson which
ducates the soul for liberty. Not in vain for
Virginia did 'Light-horse Harry" make his
ame terror to the foe--nor in vain has the
acred dust of Washington commingled with
Ter soil ! As for our own State, she is arOus-
d to her danger. In the old Union she lay
ntranced '.in a deep dream OF peace" like
air Lucretia in the hall of Collatinus, uncon-
cious as she slept that the fierce-brOwed Tar
uin CT the North was stealing towards her
midnight chamber, hasting with ruffian pas
lou there 10 feast his lurId eye upon face
nd form most sweet. We saw the terror of
he hour, and cried
90 o Mother State to thee we kneel;
Hark TO thy bending sons appeal.
For life and death-for woe, veal
Thy peerless chvalry reveal
Aud grid thy beauteou. limbs with STEEL
Thou wilt not cover in the dust,
Thy faIchion blade shall never rust
Remember Jackson sacred trust
Remember Carroll's warlike thrust
And all thy sIumberers with the just ~ |
Land of my adoption and my love! In the |
lnocent days of my childhood, fondiy have |