Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-03-15

practice, there can BE- peaceable adjustment and
there win be further seeeisions from the Union
This isour honest opinion, and it is our duty TO
give it for what Il Is worth. Lincoln or the Con-
'federate States, mist "back down" or there must
be war-this is a settled fact which no man can de-
ny, and If any one can see opening for pence
able settlement through the cloud that hangs upon
the paliical horizon, It is too small for our OPTICS
But, say some, let Lincoln and the seeded States
fight it Quit is no business of the border States ia
interfere That may be good constitutional doc
true, but the constitution Of human nature has to
be looked 70. There is large minority Of seces-
sionists in every border State and there Is no virtue
IN State or Federal authority that can prevent them
from going 70 the assistance of their Southern
brethren, and there is a law of sympathy in every
herrt which will ultimately coerce every Southern
to subjnga,e any slave State. Tbi is az argument
drawn from human nature, which is more powerful
than human laws and he has read the former to
little purpose who believes that the Gulf States can
be oyerrun by Government of fanatics whilst the
other slave States look calmly aud impassiyely up
on the bloody scene. Let the war commence when
il may, and it will be that we correctly esti-
mate its efeets-it ID human nature thus to act and
statesmen will give it its due weight when the
question is between civil war and the enforcement
of a fanatic dogma upon wronged and insulted
people.
We have strongly condemned the seeded States
for not cooperating with the border States that
we might save the Uuion together. together dis
solve it and we have condemned in still stronger
terms, the Northern fanatcism which has ripened
the spirit Of secession into actual revolution. Both
are wrong but South Carolina is no more to blame
for not waiting to see WHISTLER a settlement could
be made than Lincoln is for not securing settle
him to "hod, possess and occupy the property and
places belonging to the Government" He had the
power to do this, and failing to do it. is as respon-
sble to the border States for whatever may happen
as the Gulf States can possibly be- But to retsrn
to the starting point. We have not advised Ten
nessee to secede-.nor do we now advise it and on
y ask her to make up her mind as to what she will
do in certain contingency. Farther than this
inacton is, perhaps the best policy because if peace
is maintained we have faith in a settlement satis-
factory to the border States; but if war should
come upon US our faith is just as strong that the
slave States will all go together. And if there be
no war; it will be because the President backs out
or the Gulf States secede from their declarations
But whether we have peace or war, every border
State stands pledged to secede provided no adjust
ment can be made upon the basis of the Crittenden
Amendments-not only the people, but the Legis-
latures Of those States have committed themselves
to that position. We took it, in the beginning be-
cause we honestly believed it to be right-for the
same reason we adhere to it now, and will never
consent to be ruled by geographical and fanatic
Government without such guarantees as will secure
institut ions against sggressions. The question
Of time we shall not discuss-that may be
settled Immediately by hostile collision bat if
not, it will, we suppose, be determined by the
friendly unfrendly indications at the North, and
the patience Of the border States. For ourselves,
we repeat that we stand where we stood when the
Union party stood with us--if they have changed
we have not If we were no disunionist then, we
are none now. That's all