The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1861-05-24
VOL. XIII---NO. G6l.
Patriotic Letter.

lhtVm tho hnoANlne hegister.l
We are permitted to publish the fol.
lowing letter, copy Of one sent by our
townsman, Col. Hugh L. McClung, secre-
tary and Treasurer Of the East Tennessee
and Georgia Railroad Company, to Mr..
James Ross. one of the leading Union
men of Anderson county. 1t is written
in reply to letter addressed to him bv
Mr.. Ross.
KSoxvILIr, May II, 1861.
Dear Sr;-l did not receive your favor
OF the llth inst. until yesterday evening.
Inc coupons TO which you refer, YOU had
better send me, and will aythen here.
In iact. we will have to pay. all our next
Railroad coupons in Tennessee. We ara
afraid tosend any thing North know
ing at what moment il may be coniiscat-
ed.
You ask md for my opinion in refer.
ence to our national difficulties. [ will
give it to you frankly.
The affairs of our country, as Won sav
are in deplorable condition. The poy.
ernment OF Mr.. Lincoln is managed with
as much despotlsm as any monarchy in
Europe. All our letters North are broken
open, and no Southern man issafe North
Of Mason and Dixon's line. That Mr..
Lincoln intends the subjugation of the
whole South with fire and sword, to my
mind admits not doubt. =
The immense armies he .iIas called out
are intended for more than the protection
Of Washington, or the preservation Of the
public property. If it be for the protec-
ton of government property, why is it
that he has had burned and destroyed by
his own soldiers that very property at
Harper's Ferry and Gosport Navy YardY
No, Sir--from the instructions of Mr..
Seward to his foreign ministers, and from
the whole tenor Of the Northern press,
Mr.. Lincoln intends to conquer us, or to
use their own phrase, stripe us out"
You know that | have been as warm
a Union man as any in Tennessee. About
these things you and myself have thought
alike; and have condemned the hot head
ed men OF the South as we'll as the black
hearted abolitionists of the North. But
the time has gone past to look back to
the causes that led into our present diff
culties. We have to take them as they
are and to meet them as best we can
The house is on fire, and we cannot now
stop to enquire who fired it. We must
first 60 to-work and put it out.
We have no longer Union-it Is gone,
ard forever. Regret it as we may, il is q
stubborn fact, and we have to deal with il
accordingly. j have loved the Union
and the stars and stripes almost to idola-
try. loved them for the character
they gave, and protection they afforded
the American citizen throughout the civ
ilized world. | can no longer love the
remnant of that Union that IS to be used
for the slaughter of our wives and chill
dren, nor bow down to that flag that has
become the emblem of oppression. be-
lieve that our only chance of safety is for
the South to meet Mr.. Lincoln in Virgin
ia, and at all points upon the border, with
nm unbroken front, and say, Sir, you shall
not oycrrun the South as long as we have
an arm tuleft TO strike blow. Already
there are one hundred thousand men on
the Northern line ofVirginia armed to the
teeth and determined to dispute every
inch of ground. Ny son is a volunteer
and will leave in o few days. / trust in
God that when Mr. Lincoln sees such unit
ed determlnatlln he Will let us goin peace.
1t is peaceable separation or the blood
lest war that has ever been known on this
continent, or perhaps in the world. %
They even deny us armed neutrality
and say that we shall fight on one side or tho
other. The question for us to decide is,
shall zoe jOi'. IN tie suliugation Of our own pee
pie, or ma'ynlly defend our homes, our Wives
and our childrenP Others may hesitate as
to their course-l cannot. How can any
Tennessean worthy Of the namei
feel that am serving My country as
efectually where | am as / could elsc-
where. Our roads have to be kept open,
and our trains kept running to carry for-
ward troops, ammunition and provisions.
In that service am engaged. We have
taken on an immense number OF troops,
and to-day are putting through twenty
one hundred more. Your friend,
HU. T.. McCLcNG.