Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-19
OF M'MISN.

Col. WILLIAM H. Polk heads the column.
lie is a candidate for the office of Governor
of Tennessee. Messrs. NELSON, MAYNARD and
BRIDGES, his associates on the ticket, are
candidates for the Congress of the United States.
II elected, they will go to Washington TO re-
present their districts in the old Congress.
This is crime, the punishment of which has
been provided for by special statute by the
Congress of the Confederate States. The OBJ
jects of the Union party of East Tennessee. of
which Col. Polk is thus made the head, are
stated in the address of Mr.. TEIGG, in which
he makes known his determination not to run
for Governor. He says:
But inasmuch as the permanent Constitution
of the Confederate States is TO be submitted
10 the people for their adoption or rejection.
I must be pardoned for adding word on
that subject. The action of the people of
Tennessee upon that Constitution will have
a most important bearing upon their future
destiny For, if the people adopt it, they
plunge themselves irrevOcably into the South
era Confederacy, and be the consequences
what they may, they must abide them. What
these consequences are likely to be. and of
the utter min which is to attend them, we
have already had a melancholy foretaste, by
t1e COuuCCllOA VIC nave bhuc Hdu
With that COnfederacy.
Rut if that Constitution shall be rejected
by the people at the approaching election,
the uqfals of Tennessee will be changed, and
she will then be in condition 10 take such
z course in the impending crisis, as her best
interests shall dictate.
Apart from the unconstitutional Military
League" which was formed by her Legisla-
ture with the Confederate States, the State
hos M M hor SllIa with
States, than that which arises from the adop-
ton of their provisional Constitution. That
Constitution provides for lis own duration by
Secls-iDg that il shall continue one year
from the Inauguration of the President, or un-
al Consultation shall be put in operation"
The pern,anent Constitution, to be submitted
10 the people, prOvides that 1.-The ratification
of the Conventions OF fUe States snail be suf-
f1cient for the establishment OF this Constitu-
ton bsttceeya the States so ratIylng the so7ae.o
So that by the very terms of the INSTRUMENT,
II Il apparent that any State which has adop-
ted the Provisional Constitution, and which
refuses to adopt the permanent one, VIII no
longer be regarded as one of the Confederate
States, for it is only TO be established betcee1l
The States TatJyin9 IL. Hence, If Tennessee
shall refrse to ratify 1t, on the FIRST Thursday
in next month, her connection with the Con-
federate States will cease. except as Tar as
.he Is bound by her Military League" and
the adoption of the Provisional Constitution.
By the latter act, she can at most be held on.
ly for year from the Inauguration of the
President, and not so long IL fDe States shall
r .ify the permanent Constitution, which will
no doubt very shortly occur. And the mil
itary League" being legislative enactment, |
NAV be repealed and annulled by the same
authority which brought it into existence.
Then let the people at the coming election |
refuse to rstify the Permanent Constitution |
and thus dissolve the connection of Tennessee
with the Confederate States, as they have the |
right TO do, and which may be done without |
iisbonor. For the State of Tennessee is un-
der no obligation whatever to adopt thei- |
Permanent Constitution. The people have |
given no pledge to that effect, and have a
light TO consult their own interest either Ia |
adopting or rejecting it. If the people shall
-sfiE.e The ratification, then the State of Tennes-
zee must fall back into her original position.
or, by her vote on the Sth day of June last,
her relations towards the General Govern
ment have been changed as some contend, |
she will then stand as an Independent State,
and may assume any position in respect to
the two contending governments, which the
interest and welfare of her people may de-
mand of her. She will then have it in her
power to remove from her people all appre-
hension OF ruinous and devastating war
within her borders. She may save her fields
from being laid waste, her towns and cities
from being destroyed, and her soil from he |
Ing drenched not only with the blood of
strangers, but OF her own sons, She NAV
avert civil war, CT which the danger IL i'm
rninent, among her own citizens; and last of
al, by not driving headlong into that South
err; Confederacy, to which so many thousands
Of her citizens have such an apssioa, she NAV
reconcile the existing differences or opinion
among her people, and bring them speedily |
10 resume their relations of brethren, and To |
act and cooperate together for the same
great end, the welfare of the whole State
If all these things can be accomplished by |
Il, or if there is even remote chance of ac-
them, land who can affirm and |
prove that there is not,) would il not be much |
better for the people of Tennessee to cote
dopn that Permanent Constitution. By doing
30 cannot see that we will be ju any aoorse
condition than we now are, and there will
be q chance of placing ourselves in
a much batter one. Tennessee is not invaded |
by an enemy, and by parting company with
the enemies Of that great government of which |
she IL legitimately member There will be |
no necessity for any invasion Of her terri |
tory.
Her citizens may then return TO their ac- |
pursuits, and direct their energies |
20 O reparation of the mischiefs which have |
resulted from unwise legislation, and the to0 |
hassy and inconsiderate action OF our sxcit- |
COSNALLY T. TRIGG. |