Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-02

rnost cery ,sosos toe Indispensable to the continued
existence of our Federal Union. Whilst beholdinG
| your patriotic exertons amidst the difficult anc
/ troublous circumstances which surrounded you,
felt more than once tempted 70 apply to you and Z
/ your patriotic exertions the beautiful descriptive
phraseology originally applied to Nestor himself
and exclaIm 81 A -
| i "ohi would the Gods. in love TO Greece decree
Bus such sages they grant in nes!
Such wisdom should Prish's forcs destroy,
And soon should fall ihe hsrghy towers of Trey
Allow me to say, my dear sir, before proceed to
suggest the principal object which I have had in
view in writing this letter, that in perusing your
Frankfort speech could not but feel sensibly
pained at observing that you had so repeatedly and
with such touching solemnity of phrase referred to
your gToaoing years.
Why my respected friend, man at your time OF
life, retaining your present Figor of mind and of
BODY and that charming Eyeliness of temperament
which has ever so much distinguished you, would be
regarded in England in France or in any other coun-
try besides our own, but little past the very me-
ridian cf existence. You will not easily convince
me- assure you, that you have not 1t least twenty
years of efficient public service yet before you. In
all things save experience, and that matured wisdom
which experience alone can confer, consider you
lust as young as when first saw you. feel cerN
tain that your countrymen will not easily consent
to your retiring altogether from the public arena,
as you intimate it is your intention to do,
until at least some one or two of those tokens of
decreptude shall have been exhibited which are SO
pointedy set forth in those memorable lines of
Horace which donbt not you yet bear in vivid re-
collection:
"Dzdtor, ape zeatss; sser,, paeidssgHs tetErfi
DdffciIis, gueyulUs, ldudatOr t.snpoTis Gtft
Sc pgsro, censor cdstiedtorQut zgi1oruDl."
However much may feel constrained to dissent
from some of the conclusions stated in your
late speech and however seriously may doubt the
absolute soundness of one or two of your admoni-
tory suggestions, am free TO acknowledge that
1sor,lo or-aAT
this remarkable harangue, frank and generous
outfowng of kindly and noble sentiment, an ardent
and exalted love of country, and firm and manly
opposition to all attempts, on the part OF the exist
ing Federal Administration, to coerce the seeded
States of the South which fairly entie you, in my
Judgment to the unbounded gratitude of your whole
country 1 delight in repeating here your own
clear and unambiguous language IN regard to this
vital matter. You say: Now, Mr.. President, with
out undertaking to say what the exact policy-un-
der circumstances so singular as the present hour
1resents us With will only undertake to say that
Ihey ought not to pursue q course OF torcibe
coercion Not the policy of coercion / say.
Our object and desire is to bring them back,
into terms of former union and fellowship That
il the object of our private affections. Let them go
on in peace with their experiment" Again you
saw, " Let them make this experiment aaader all the
1ir1ntqoes that peace can 1iUe them" A third time
you saw "I am, therefore, for The peace policy Give
them an opportunity of making the experiment. Do
them
been sufficiently mIsled by other causes. Add to
those causes the irritation that the sight of blood
will necessarily create and we can have no possible
hone OF reconciliation Them to us or we to thenh
Let us rather trust 10 peace. Let us trust to their
experence of the inconvenience of their errors They
will come back. We will invite them back-not
receive them as offenders criminals. We will
receive them as brethren who have fallen into
error who have been deluded, but who, discovering
their errors manfully return to us, who magnani-
tlarr1 gTFrf
the General Government TO pursue ns potscy Of peace
and forbe1rdnce Whavshall the separate States do.
Those slaveholding States still Rdherlng to the
Union ought to be more particularly forbearing'
Admirable sentiments these, and admirably express
ed They have my hearty approval and will doubt
less receive the cordial sanction of all good citizens
wheresoever resident. But how, my excellent friend
is this same peace policy, fecltousy depicted, to
be carried into effect? So long as Mr. Lincoln and
his constitutional advisers shall continue to recog>
nize the seeded States of the South still within
the limits of the Union established by our fathers
will they not deem it their duty to enforce the laws
throughout their confines? Will they not still feel
under obligation "te hold possess, and occupy" all
the places and property situated IN those states
heretofore recognized as belonging to the General
oyernment? viii they not feel it to be their duty
to collect revenue at the ports of the South
ern Confederaey Is it not probable that
they will attempt to reinforce the for
tresses still held by the Federal Government
anv other reasonable man doubt that these acts, or
any one of them, would be certain to bring on toary
So long as the present underlined condition Of things
shall continue will not the danger of war be constant
ly imminent? How is it possible that your peace
noiey can be carried into effect except by speedy
withdrawal of the Federal troops, and a formal
relin1uishment OF all claim to revenue! And how
can this be DONE Iprsy you except ger the recognt-
tiou of the Southern COnfederacy, as an lndepend-
ent power? VIII not the acts above specined virtually
V0tf oraO NJ
informed on this whole subject than am but have
recently learned that the svowed policy of the Ad-
mipstraton is to avoid all action N regard TO this
matter for several months TO come until after
the happening of the Northern summer elec-
tions after which they hope to feel author
ized TO propose such terms for the adjustment of
existipg questions as may be of efficacy To- induce
the border slave States t. remain in the Confed-
erscy and to persuade the seven States who have
seeded to return within the fold of the Union.
Now ali this occnrs to me TO be IN the highest de-
gree unreasonsble and impolitic In the nrst place,
Il ia most evident that no such change IN popular
sentiment, has yet been achieved IN the North as
would be required in order to enable the admlnlsN
traton to carry this fine spun and truly ianclfuI
scheme into operation / feel altogether certain
that our demands of constitutional amendment Will
never be listened TO more fsvorably by our fellow
citizens of the North than they were last winter,
when so eloquently and persistently urged by your
self am perfectly aware that there are very sa-
existing popular sentiment in the North was not
very faithfully represented during the last session
of Congress by the Black Republican Senators and
Representatives in that body But such is not Ger
tainly nv view of the matter. have seen no evil
dences of Change in public sentiment IN any one OF
the Northern States. You are aware that all the
popular elections which have recently occurred
there indicate marked increase in the strength OF
the Black Republican faction since the Presidential
election. know the Senators and Representatives
g.l,.A A. nall aOiQlQ
sErewd and discerning politicians as any on the
continent. 1t Is but reasonable to presume that
they understand what course OF pohcy would
be most agreeable to their respective eonstitu-
ents better than any individuals could do, however
enlightened they might be, who are resident beyond
the limits of the free States. These same Represer-
tatives and Senator's notoriousy inclined to con
suit with view to their own popularity ana
future public employment, the condition OF toca
s7tmtSf far more than the principles of patriouc
and enlightened craftsmanship. Their oonduct IN
refusing 10 accede to all propositions OF constitu>