Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-08-16

stronger than was that of the American
colonies to rebel Under the old monar
chical systems no such right was ever tol
erated--no such principle ever heard Of
as "the voice of the population" determin
ing the justice, legitimacy or duration O
a Government. The American colonies
Originated under that monarchical system
They had never claimed or possessed tht
tributes of Independent Sovereign States
nor had their connection with the English
crown originated in compact having fol
its object mutual benefit and defence.
What, on the other hand, is the position
of the Southern States in the present casef
They are not mere colonies, counties OF
districts of any State, Kingdom or Empire
They are number of Independent Sow
reign States so styled in law, and so
proved in fact. Their political system
the political system of the whole United
States of Americas based on the funda-
mental principle of the right of rebellion
determinable by the voice of the people
These several Independent sovereign States,
of their own free choosing, and for the
purpose of their own and the common
welfare, interest, and protection, federate
with certain others to this end. A num-
Der of these States declare that faith has
not been kept with them in the compact Of
confederation and that the cause and
purpose of their federal association with
certain others no longer urges its continu-
ance, but on the contrary demand its ter
mination. Whether they possess the right
so to terminate the connection, is neither
asserted nor denied by the deed of union
This silence is claimed by each side in the
quarrel as favorable to its own case. Up
on which eide the econstruction may be said
to weigh, is, no doubt, a nice and intricate
question for political doctrinaires and hair
splitting controversialists. But what we
have to say is this, that it is something
more than mournful, it is monstrous. it is
an outrage and disgrace to humanity, that,
on point which may be ruled either way,
the shocking spectacle must be seen of tor
rents of blood being made to flow in the
conquest-the subjugation-of those in
dependent States, who MERELY ASK FOR
sELF-GovERNMENT AND FREEDOM TO DE-
eide THEIR OWN DEsTlNIEs We say it
would be deplorable even if those South
ern States were mere colonies or outlayng
districts of a despotic empire. We say
that, in the face of such a unanimous de-
termination for secession-right or wrong.
according to construction of constitution
al technicalities--thi bloody war to force
union on the Southern people at the point
of the sword--to sabre them into brother
hood and dragoon them into "liberty " is
a blot upon humanity. We cannot pause
to weigh the niceties of the rival construc-
tions of the silence of the deed of Union
with reference to the right of secession
We turn from all this in disgust, denying
that the proof, at best, can be plain enough
to reconcile us to this butchery-butchery
to be done, let us remember, not by kings
autocrats, or tyrants; but by Republicans
advocates of popular liberty-themselves
the offspring of rebellion We have often
enough and clearly enough declared our
anxiety that the great Republic of Ameri.
ca might be saved from dismemberment
but far greater is our anxiety-for the sake
of the hideous reproach it involves to pop.
ular liberty-that it may be saved from the
terrible crime of forcing its Federal EN-.
brace upon any State at THE EXPENSE OF
RUTHLESS SLAUGHTER BY FIRE AND SWORD