Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-11
lFor the Louisy xIie Courier.f
Address Of Rev. L.w. Aner

our rigdtsi Prompted by no fondness for
strife, nor by the spirit of unholy am :
bition, nor yet by the expectation or
desire Of promotion or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, l
have left my home and family in old
Virginia and have come to Kentucky to
make common cause with you in expell-
ing from your State the. armies of the
Federal Government. Ihaye done this for
several reasons Virginia does not need
my services. = She can never be conquer
ed by the Yankees. Besides, / regard
Kentucky as the key to this terrible con-
troversy, and on her Iuxuriant fields is to
be ahed the blood of her best men to seal
the destiny of the noble and beautiful
South therefore think. L can do the
cause better service here than anywhere
else. Yet. again, am mostly identified
with you of Kentucky. A short time
since Twas the minister at the Walnut
Street Baptist Church, Louisville. My
church membership and that of my fam
lily are stin with that church the sacred
dust Of . brother and sister lie buried in
the bosom of Kentucky have property
here, and most of my relations are in the
surrounding counties. is5
The majesty of the principles, the
magnitude of the consequences which are
involved in the issues of this war, in my
solemn Judgment, override all other con-
siderations, and make it as much the
bounden religious duty of the Preacher as
of the people to take up arms in self de-
fence and for self-preservation.
The causes which have led to this rev.
olution must be left to the future histo-
rian to discuss 1t is needless for US to
doit here; but, certain it is, the fault is
not with the South, unless it be in her
ardent devotion to the Union, and in her
forbearance and long suffering towards
her Northern Gonfederates for the sake of
the Union. 5z5s -
But the war is upon as, precipitated by
the unjust aggressions and anti-slavery
fsnaticism of the Free States, and waged
by all the power and passion of the Lin
coin government. We must meet the is
sue, and the question for US to decide, is,
aohetaer zoe shall haze the privilege ola gov-
eminent suited to our institutions and tastes,
or be crushed by tie cruel heel Of aepotisna.
In deciding such q question, shall we
hesitate? Not for one moment Our hands
should instinctiyely grasp the sword
We should lift up the banner, flock to the
standards of our leaders, and cry might
lily to God, the Supreme Judge, for help
in the maintenance of our rights. Why.
cling to the delusion that the Federal
Union still exists? Are we not convinced
that the North and the South are ire
trievably, absolutely separated, and sepa-
rated foreverf That their reunion is an
utter impossibility, even if such thing
should ever be desirable? That the causes
which have led to the war will make the
disserverance of the States perpetual?-
And however relgiously We may have
cherished the memory and glory of the
Union, and however unwilling we may
feel to give it up, like most of the bles--
sings of earth, it has served its purpose,
and is vanishing away. Like as the
Jewish dispensation of old, which yield
ed to the milder and more blessed admin
istrstion of the Savior, Jesus Christ, SO
the Incompatible union of the antagonis-
tie Northern and Southern States must
give way to the beautiful and harmonious
confederation of the glorious and chival-
rous South. The old Union is broken
up and necessity is laid upon us to decide
whether NE will support the North or
the South. -
But where is the hope for us If we sub
NIT to them or are conquered by them ?
When enjoying the best Government that
was ever devised by human wisdom the
North would not allow the South to live
In peace and equality with them; and
now when we ask to be permitted to de-
part in peace from them, they turn upon
us with the vindictiveness of the savage.
Proud of their prowess, and boastful of
their numbers, they threaten US with ut
ter humiliation if we resist them. By
them this alternative is left US: we must
employ all the means of defence which
God has given US, depending upon him
for success, or we must submit to a doom
a terrible as death itself. For one ac-
cept the alternative, and say with Patrick
Henry, Glue me liberty or giUe me deotli;;"-
and joyfully leave the issue with him
IS whose am and whom serve" e
Neutrality is absurd, impracticable,
cowardly. We therefore must make our
election. Doesnot every instinct of honor,
.