Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-19

to tell. The influx of this population mas increased
| the price of rents in this city.
Our customers from the West tell Us tnat tneir
highways are filed with Southern emigrants.
These facts tell their story, and they greatly
stimulate at the North to develope and protect
the Union party at the South. $50
This is an unnatural war. Do you not feel it to
be such! The playmates and companions of your
youth are rushing to the battlefield. - is
arming and equippiD company at his own ex-
pense, and viii command them. - gives
his only son. Oneida county has sent her battalion
Of 1000 strong. Our State and our city are vast
camps of armed men. Our streets and the spires
Of our churches are streaming with flags. On Sum
days the exercise in most of our churches are clos
ed by singing the "Star Spsngled Banner" A few
days ago, conversed with member Of Governor
Sprague's Rhode Island Regiment He said he had
brother IN the secession army, and that brother
was the first traitor he wanted to meet. Say, is
not tins most unnatural war? 1t is war which
has developed all the fine impulses of the American
character. ls there no "sober, second thought"
to modify and restrain these impulses, North and
South?
Ninety days ago, the North would have given the
South all she asked. To-day, the North says: "The
day Of compromise is past"
God help our poor. distracted. unhappy country
/ have endeavored to write you about as things
are here. May hear from you?
Nest truly and faithfully, your friend.
New ORLEANS May 7.
Nu Dear SRI have received your very friendly
letter of the 3Oh ult The anxiety you express for
reliable information the state Of public affairs
here, which are grossly misconceiyed in your
part of the country, in which misconceptions you
appear to have largely shared increases the claims
which agreeable recollection OF old acquaintance
ship gives you to an early and courteous reply. My
opinions are entirely at your service, and shall be
very much gratiied If they contribute TO remove In
any mind some of the hallacinations which are inn
pslling the North tos course, which most consci-
entiously believe to be uujustifiable and wicked.
You propose 8 series Of seven questions, which
you illustrate by comments of your own. / shall
not follow them serdtin, but will state such opin-
ions as shall cover them all, well as my time will
permit
The first three relate to the state of public opin
lon here. You ask if majority of the 'solid think
ing men of the cotton States really desire to break
up the Union, and form separate confederacy? and
YOU imply the belief that there is considerable
'latent but terrorized" Union party here, which is
overpowered by political demagogues, practicing
upon the "inhamed passions" OF the irresponsible
portions of our P0pulsee.
This belief has, sm2persuaded, been the fruitful
source of grievous errors ct the North eur public
men and your journals haVefshaped their policy and
their counsels on the assumption that there IS IN
the cotton States suppressed Union feeling, which
requires some Northern support to manifest itself
and recover the ascendency in one or more OF these
States II ia q great delusion. So far it has en-
couraged the exhibition of Federal force as means
of bringing back any one OF these states, II has
been a yerY mischievous one. Whatever there was
of Unionisn1 of any degree whatsoever, has been
extnguished by that exhibition. There is no Mon
ism Of any kind, or degree however qualified, lett
in this region. There is none in any of the
cotton States. The political separation already
decreed is made eternal alienation by unanimous
popular feeling. We are more widely divided
thereby than if an rolled between us, and we
spoke different languages. This is the state of pub
Lie feeling now in all the cotton States. 1t is,
doubt not, spreading 30 as 10 become predominant
in the border States.
Even before this exhibition of Federal force,
with the accompanying demonstrations which made
il hateful, there no Union party within these
States worth counting as an element Of political
calculation. You have been deceived at the North
if you have been taught to believe that secession
was carried by minority, or that there was any
considerable minority who were Internationally
for the Union. speak for this state-what Is true,
as believe for all the othersthat, in the conven-
ton elections there was no distinct Union party.
After the 9th of November last, there were scarce~
ly spy unconditional Unionists in this State. The
distinction, in the canvass and at the polls, was
between separate and immediate secessionists on
one side. and co-eperatioDists on the other, with
whom voted the very few who were for Union on
any terms-the larger number who were for the
Union, provided certain named guarantees could be
obtained by constitutional amendments, and con-
siderable number who were for secession after
better preparation, and by concert with the other
the dsy They were Joined in the convention by
the cooperation secessionists and the contingent
Unonists. The secession ordinance was passed
five to one, and every other party disappeared.
Under the pressure of the menaced war OIL supju-
cation from the North the Southern sentiment has
deeuened and wdened so that there is not yestge
of Unionism. The most uncompromisIng and deter
mined Union haters are the men who were the last
to give up the hope Of reconciliation Louisiana Is
one and indivlsioe.
zfistal lYa at 10
that this is the work of dersgogues, acting upon
the temporary exciLements of an irresponsible popu
lace The revolution in this State came from the
[" solid, thinking populaton- the men OF social
position and wealth, and there never was move
meut which owed leas to party management or
party leaders. The impulse came upwards from
the masses to meet the spontaneous direction of the
men of substance and thought. Old party lines
disappeared the old party issues were ignored, and
old party chiefs disappeared from the Held. 1t was
the work of the people.
In this speak of what know. was in the con-
vention myself and my connection with these mat
ters will illustrate to you the general course Of
things in this State There has been no more deVot
ed friend of the Union than have been. Twas,
like you, follower of the llustrious Clay, but
have never until these questions arose into promi-
nenee taken any interest in politics beyond that of
nv duty as . voter. had no more sympathy than
you have with the Rhetts ana the fanneys, to whom
YOU trace the authorship of these discords. have
prided myself on all occasions in being what Is
| termed conservative. The developments OF the
election of 1856 startled me out Of my security in
Northern conservatism; those of the last canvass
convinced me that 8 Union Of affection and cOnn-
dence was no longer possible and that it would be
best for both that separation in fact and IN form
| should take place. What has traGspired since de-
termines me- that anything, and everything, is more
endurable than the Union of ate-whieh Is what
the North offers at the point of the bayonet The
| process which has been worked upon me is, be
| lieye universal with all Southern conservatives
do most conscientiousy believe that in the present
state of feeling of the people OF
Louisiana would rather seek protection under the
French Emperor than trust to the fraternity OF the
North in any political association. am not reason
ing the question, but state what think to be facts
| for your information.
| This opinion need not ts be modified by the fact
! that you NAV have knowledge of families who are
leaving the South, and that business men write you
melancholy letters deprecating the state of things
| here. This thinning out of few only concen-
| trates to greater intensity what remains- There
| sre everywhere and always, timid men who would
! make any sacrifice for ease, however ipglorious
and selfish men who see nothing but unmixed evil
in whatever unsettles business and reduces profits
1t would be irrational to suppose that there are not
| some men of this sordid cast among US, who vent
their diseontents conClliate indulgence, IN com-
| planning letters to their creditors What wish to
/ affirm is that such men very few, have no in
| fuence, and despised. You cannot reckon upon
them for any aid in the recovery OF the LOST Unlon
| The solid thinking men and the men OF property
are with the men of muscle and sinew, for the total
emancipation of the cotton States from the political
| association with the Northern States.
There is another proof that you utterly misin-
terpret the Southern people, whea you identity the
movement of the day as the fruit OF an old conspl-
| racy against the Union, commenced thirty years
ago in South Carolina might easily retort, and
| show with color of truth, that the North Is now
banded to consummate the designs against the South
| which originated quite az long ago. with the Garri-
sons and that sort, who are now the guerrillas OF
the grand army marching at the same end. But l
! choose to confne myself to the remark, that the
afiIiation of so many States with the class which
have been so long marked out among ourselves, fer
avoidance because disunionsts, is fact Of no small
4 moment in considering the position of the South
| So long as there 4 conservative power IN the
North sustaining us in the hearty support of the
constitutional Union, we could laugh at these few
men, and put them down at the polls. The spread
of their opinions kept pace with the decay Of that
Northern support. The men have grown into con-
fSence as the proofs accumulated that they were