Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-30


tional, that it became impossible to regard Than
, with the same disposition Is before. Bscsuss Wa
would not abruptly stigmatize as rebels and pirstez
tae very men whom but few DAYS preViouslv
themselves had been treEtng as Brethren still tbeT
snEeA,sned Us with eternal emily and suggested
tnat Al Americans should AZ once shake hsGds If
only for the purpose Of making Esr mon F1gianJ'
Ihsy required that we should hold ten millions ~
people fighting for Independence - a vzortbesS IL,
surrectlonary raools, and that We should rot ever
i9i IS Power Consideration
check with two hundredt thousar,l soIdiers An
this while, too, the SsSth partly BY the aectsntel
operation Of events, snd partly, perhaps thr9ugb
The policy Of its Flesders, Was OUTLYING "a
original dlseredit, and winning way TO something
ike favor.
The very silence and secrecy Il. which its pro-
eeedIngs were wrapped had the effect of obvistin0
All occasions Of scandal Perhaps II the rnlepa -
Richmond had been loud tougued and demon-
stFatlve Is the rulers ct Washington they wouId
have exposed themselves to the saTae kuls Of er;t
lclan; but As it was, their sayings and dDinQS es
capped nOtoriety and censure together When there
lore, the Southerners without bluster or hsrb.st
but stern and quiet discrimination, took their 10
slslon IN array against the Northern Invaders and
when, though the weaker and less prsssntio-.
party, they succeeded in repulaing the Qrsnd amy
Of those who would not even allow them the sitis
Of beligere1ts il was not IN human nature "a visv
such 40 achievement without certain amount Of
sdmiratioE. The check, indeed, thus administered
% the gaseonading spirits Of the North was ealcu-
lated 70 do them good service and tie defeat A NJ
nassas has already proved useful
But the one great fact which svayed Engliab
opinion was the decided and multiform autaoo5i-T,
between North and South which tine and events
combined 70 disclose. As the contest proceeded. IL
became perfectly plain that Presidsat Lineoinis
election had served as the occasion, but not tie
Cause Of the quarrel. The rupture had originated
nos ~ single political reverse, but in incompati-
olnues Of temper conflict Of interests, diversity Of
and such other differences AZ have al
ways tended to the disruption Of hsberogeueous
states or unTleldly Empires. The secession had
been contemplated and threstened fer some thirty
years past. twas defended By arguments as rood
IS have been usually advanced for national insnr
rectons, and If it was IN opposition to The dietats
d political wisdom It was in conformity with the
passions of human nature. The States Of the OH
American Union would perhaps have been more
prosperous at home, and certainly more formula
lie abroad. if they had remained united; but the
anne may be said Of the States Of all the Empires
which have ever fallen TO pieces
Union Is strength, always and everywhere aud
ne larger the population that can be retained under
1ese conditions, the greater viii be the result Bat
happens that these considerations are not allowed
Q prevail against influences Of q more immediate
Ind The vision Of Independence is more attract
re than the vision Of power. The people Of the
outhern States are only doing what the people of
undred other States have done before them They
hey may be mistaken, but they know their own
linds. They mag be wrong, but they are ten nil
ons. The FederGlists themselves admit right Of
surrectiOn, but deny thst nsurreetiOn can be JUS
ned IN the present instance That argument, how
yer, can never stand. It IS absurd to say that
sbellion is ssered populsr privilege, but that it
IN only be exercised with The assent Of those
yainst whom il would be directed. The EMPEROR
Russia might admit the doctrine Is thus stated
people have right 70 rebel against Governmeuts
must be when they think fitting and not when
le Governments allow IL.
So long as the insurreetiou Of the South seemed
iteful rebellion against the results Of particular
eetion, we were compelled to regard NJ A. utterly
ljust6able. It is meant only as has been asserted
bullet against "baiot,H We should look upon il
q wicked and reasonable Get for never could
e North be charged, Notwithstanding its CONNER
d bias, with want Of confederation for ne iRst-
tons Of the South If again, the question could
argued on pEre grounds Of ezpedieney, We
ouid here also, though not so deoldedly, pro-
unce against the resolution taken By the South to
vorce itself from the North. But the acsuaI ease
very different. The last twelve months havs
own that Northerners and Southernera are a.
reeoneilasle IS Greeks aud Turks, or Germans
d AAgyars- This war viii but intensity and Ser
tuate aDimosities which the very nature Of things
d long ago created. Sectional antipathies have
owed SIS stubborn as national antipashies.
They could not be assigned byc0mpromise and
y wild assuredly not be abolished By Conquest
e armies of the North may OTsFpOHer theRrmies
the South, but South and North can never be e1-
cted to amsigamate again, Il is Tor this reason,
because territories so prodgious "a those u
; SsuthernsStates can never be rsEained BY arm
occupation, that we think the policy Of the
deral Government wrong. If the WhHle case Of
war is 70 be anslzsd, We must D., = say the
riherns have the right on their side, for the
1therners have destroys without proYocatiOn,
Zhty political fabric, have impaired the glory
strength Of the great American Republic. But,
they have chosen to DO this, a. they have shown
'nseives hitherto no less powerful than their an
Onists, as the decision Of so large population
mot be eontsmned, and we eannos persuade
selves that genuine peace Is likely 20 spFiRg
a protracted war, we should rejoice to see the
ifcation Of America promoted By other means