Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-21
HUNTSVILLE. Feb. 10. 1860


M Dear General: You have been defeated as /
anticipated you would be, but you must allow me
/ to offer you my congratulations nevertheless. You
have placed yourself right the record, and snort
time will certainly develop the fact that You looked
further ahead and saw clearly into the future
than those by whom you were opposed. There will
| be rejoicing and firing of guns at the North over
the result in Tennessee and in their exulat1on the
devilish propensities of Black Repubhcanism will
| be certain to manifest themselves. If tennessee
had gone with the seeding States the North might
have been frightened into a compromise. As 1t now
is they will reject any offer our part with scorn,
and those who have 80 eloquently deplored being
dragged into revolution by the cotton States will be
driven into it themselves by the North.
have said that anticipated your defeat, but 1t
was not because doubted the spirit, the patriot
ism or the intelligence of your people. 1t was be-
| cause knew their deep seated attachment TO the
Union and believed they would hold on to 1t as long
| as solitary hope of obtaining justice and security
| remained Your election was therefore held a
| month too soon. There had been no development OF
! Black Republican policy further than the mere
to0rds of their platform, and the declarations OF
their public men. No oppression has yet Deen Jcu'
Besides the Peace Congress IN session ana many
good men looked to that with hopes that are sure to
prove delusive The vote just taken is therefore no
indication of the willingness of your people to SUB
NIT to aggression; it is emily expression OF their
determination to try every peaceful means before
| resorting TO revolution The Northern States Will
not understand this and will commit the blunder OF
surprising that you have voted on their side. Their
| arrogance will return, and in less than three
months their niquitOus schemes will be fully defe~
oped predict that Mr. Buchanan will call an extra
session of Congress for the benefit of Lincoln, be-
fore he leaves the White House, and that 1t viii not
be in session three weeks before Tennessee repudl-
ates its action with much Indignation as Ala
| bama.
! The materials oat of which regular submis-
sionist is made are scarce in Tennessee, and am
| willing to stake my life upon her action. she has
no intention of rushing into revolution for the Jun o.
| he hiRq Nor have l. ] resisted 1t in Alabama,
and would have resisted it to the present moment.
! If resistance would have awaited anything, l
| wanted delay for the double purpose of getting
ready and letting II become apparent that revolu-
ton was the only refuge from slavery was over
| ruled, and then / went with the majority for the
| purpose of giving the movement ali the strength
could In your case secession is just as certain as
| any future event can be- For few days the Re
| publieans viii oyerwhelm you with praises of your
| patriotism. They cost nothing. But when Mr.
Lincoln is once IN power. Guns ana insults via NC
substituted for henied words He will require you
| 10 fight his battles and fill bis treasury for the
punderers about him, and this know is something
that YOU will not do. Mark the predicuop-ln less
than six months you will be side by side with VS.,
warning upon the Government, whose wicked ~,
zaGeism will only be equalled by its unprlnciped
corruption.
1t is net the slavery question alone when mas
pulled down C1is Union. The real fanatics OF the
North about tue Llost honest part OF us popuid
ton, and could stand tkeT rawlings better than the
low and sordid thieves, who have crePt INTO puonc
employment and poisoned every branch OF the pup
lie service 1t is my earnest conviction to$t it Is
as which has called down the vengeance of Heaven,
and deareed the destruction of the present Coy
crnmept If we had gone on at the rate we were
going, but few years would have elapsed, Detore
honors and Offices were shamelessly exposed 10
public barter Our territory is SO vast that
knowledge Of these things spreads slwo-y among
the people, and it Is no wonder that tie Govern
ment was ready to fall to pieces from It's own coz
ruptons before they wePe aware OF 1t.
Yours, truly, sERE' N[ENENS'