Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-12
COMMUNICATION.


standing the same cause -. 49,. 49,
,l g. :: ,,e shall &rect attention ffst te
tba ,sa If the trouble. It's no fanaticsm, but
nr;ncinIe we think, founded II error. The North
,1 slaves the South has. The North thinks
:; g TO hold slaves the South thinks that il is
- ,rr,nr 70 hold them, and 70 reconcile these twe
ons Of our country, the opinions OF either the
North or the South must be changed. No tempoz
raFy advantage of the ono party over the other
legislative action can do anything toward removing
the difficulty. The North takes the ground that IN
.he organization Of the government Slavery was
found engrafted upon it, and that it was allowed
there necessity, but regarded as great evil.
and that they 50 regard i; still and thas after
bearing with 1t for seventy years that it j high
time that it should be abated or at any rate Checked
in its growth. S#
The South regards as blessing it is provi-
dssdial, useful and benevolent. That the enslaved
race are elevated, enlightened and in, every way
benefited BY it. Here, let ms take into considera
tion few facts with regard to this subject on the
assumption that it is q providence In the first,
should judge cotton was dispensed with. that al
the Limits in the world beside would not clothe more
than one half Of the human family which is at pres
ent clothed and that there are millions ofthe earth
population who are still wfhout clothes. This, l
suppose, no one will deny.
In the next place, assume as fact thatyou can
not cy;llze and chrstianze native until you first
clothe them thawithouC cotton, civilization and
christianity could not advance aud if it was discon
tfnued large portion already halt redeemed would
sink back into barbarism.
The next fact to which Noiild direct the readers
attention IS this that the portion of this eagth's
surface which will produce cotton is comparatvely
small and that such is the character Df its climate
that no other race or nation Of people found upon
this globe ia adapted to the cultivation OF this plant
and its climate but the African race and that in
the climate peculiar TO cotton and they
are more healthy, happy and prolific than In any
other country or condition. In fixing the limit Of
the cotton growing portion Of eur earth, God has
virtually said to all who labor in the open sun
among the white races thus far shalt thou come,
and no further; that the African is doing work
which no other race of men could do, and the Afri
can would not do it without master, and yet If his
work was left undone the ruinons consequences
would be felt almost throughout the earth.
And when we remember that when man was
under theocracy, and God alone his legislator
and iaw-giver and there was no custom or institu-
ton of man TO which he subject In the statutes
that He gave to man, written upon tables of stone
with his own finger, and although there were but
ten statutes in all yer one Of them was, That you
shall not covet your neighbours servantsnoP his
maid servant nor his OK nor his ass !" so that the
man and maid servant as legitmately property
as the OK and when we consider further that if the
slave taken from the position he is now in, that
there is no place in the world TO put him. and fur
ther that if had place for the slave that there
are none who coulG fill his place. these copsidera-
lions, with many others that might be introduced,
force US to the conclusion that under the provi-
dence of Almighty God the problem Of African
slavery has not vet worked itself out and that our
Northern friends warning against Providence,
and their interest and our interest," and the well
being of the slave himself so that there's no proba
bility that the South will be able to accommodate
itself to the views of the Abolitionsts so that if we
stay together shall expect the contention viii be
consumed. ] have watched the growth of Abolition
in the North for thirty years. and they have ec0eu
plshed at last their first great object which was to
get in possession of the Federal Government have
ever felt that the South had not much to fear
until that fact should transpiPe. They had
almost strength enough to accomplish that
object four years ago. When Mr. Fremont
was run by them for presdent,I then predicted
that at the end Of Mr.. Buchanans term, they would
be fully able TO get possession of the government.
On the election of Mr.. Lincoln, ! asked myself
whether there any thing else, save that of their
opposition TO slavery, which could induce them to
place sectional man in the Presidential chair.
and who was obnoxious to the SOUTH Nhenit had
been declared from the stump, and in the public
prints both North and South, thousand times that
such election would result in the division of this
Union. Such questions and answers as the follow
ing have run through my mind Can it be that
they think the labor of the slave comes In cOmpeti
ton with theirs that impossible for the slave pro-
duces nothing that they produce, but leaves to them
open market Is it because tle labor Of the slave
is local in its effect and eHriehng alone his n}aSteg
That is out of the question: for the product of slave
labor furnishes thousands In the North both employ
mept and support. Is it because we down South |
refuse TO buy their goods and wares; any thing else
but that would be nearer the facts in the case, for
we purchase all from them, or nearly So and make |
but little ourselves, that comes in competition with
them. Is it because we will not fraternize with |
them? That. they could not think for a moment |
for during the summer months, thousands upon |
thousands Of our Southern people travel into the /
North, stay ct their watering places and in their
Hotels, travel on their roads, and spend our money
buying every thing we want, from toothpick up /
to a steam engine; and in every wsy, have acted |
the part of good neghbors so that have TO return
to the same cause-which is abolitionism And it |
cannot be that their objection to slavery arises from
the fact, that they regsrd il as sin if that was
the fact they would object TO the balance of SINS
But it seems that they are determined that we
shall not commit sin, which they cannot commit
themselves But what are the grievances of which
the South complains? In the first place we men
ton politicians which were sent from year 20 year
to Congress on the subject of slavery. The sub,
stance of these politicians, either directly indi
rectly looked interference with the relation OF
master and servant, and showed clearly that they
would if they could invade the rights OF the South.
In the next place, we find our Northern friends
establishing newspapers for the express purpose of
advocating the doctrines of abolition, not that they
had any negroes of their own to lbeFate, but that
by agitating the subject in some way another the
slave might become less servicesble to his owner,
and less secure, and holding up to radiate in the
eyes of the world all slave States, publishing vile
and slsnderous stories about the treatment of slaves
in the South; aud these false statements were IN
tended for those to read, who had no personal /
knowledge of the practical workings Of the inetitE
ton of slavery, and no means of correcting these
ISLANDERS. |.
They went further and established societies, the
ayoged object of which was that in any possible |,
way that was just in their own eyes, they would
labor for the emancipation of the slave: and that
the ends of these societies might be secured agents
were employed and lectures were made; and here it
plain to every one that every society, agent and
lecture looked to nothing else but az interference
with the institution of slavery In the South. They
Gid more, they raised funds, established agencies
along the line they sent persons from time to time
into the Southern States tor the purpose of decoyng
the slave away from his master. Those incendia
ries have Travelled through the South in disguise,
to have business, some of one kind
and some another, and have been received kindly
by Southern gentlemen, who took them into their
hepses and extended to them gracious hospitality,
and received in return from these seoUndrels the
loss of one or more seFyants, who were either
Dribed or decoyed away by false promises of aid
md comfort into free State. But they have gene
,till fgpther-they have written books. such as
Uncle Toms Cabin and the famous Helper book,
Ind by the postal arrangements Of the States,
nave sent them into all parts of the country, |
md although these books and others that might
be mentioned had not the shadow of truth
Is a foundation, while the slave and his mas
er have been introduced into the stage in almost
Ill of the Northern Cities ard crowds night after
1
he master TO his slave until they would look upon
Southern man as a perfect savage monster. They I
rave gone stlll further, and passed laws ia num-
of the free States in direct Intervention of the
aw of the Federal Government the subject of the
rendition of fugtives from labor and they have at
asst elected President who belongs TO this class of
ggressors Southern interest, and he has gather
d about him his Cabinet of like character, and yet
dr Linloip ie heard to say in of his little silly
peeehes that nobody is hurt.
With respect to the course which shonld be taken
" Tennessee under the existing circumstances, I
suppose there are but few, if any, in our State who
would not have preferred that the Union should !
ave continued, if it could have been Union in
act but to remain united with other prospect :
,It continual conflict, and quarrel, is Union,at
n. And yet, there are many who say they will
light for their rights In the Union. Yonder how !
hey are going to fight. Now we have been lighting
the Union this subject foR thirty years and wed
ould not succeed when the Federal Government was
q the hands of Southern men, at everynew engage
aent the enemies of the South have increased their