Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-03-09
Tennessee and the Cabinet.

The Cincinnati Commercial, in an article
justify ing its expression of qualification, when
it was rumored that distinguished citizen
of Tennessee had been rendered a position
In the Cabinet of Mr.. Lincoln, remarks
The propriety of having the State of Ten
nessee represented in the Cabinet has been
obvious to all the judicious. Her noble
stand for the Union the glorious uneouivo-
cal victory of the Union won at The ballot
box within her borders-entitled her TO the
gratitude and admiration of every lover OF
his country. For our part We did not care
whether the victoFs in the Union battle in
Tennessee stood upon the Chicago Platform
or not. We put aside the dogmatic rubbish
and equiyOcal twaddle about slavery in the
Territories, and Tariff. contained in that
Platform. II has served IFS purpose and be-
longs TO the past. The candidate of the Chi
cago Convention was triumphantly elected
by a constitutional majority. but the Chicago
Platform never was endorsed by majority
of the people of the United States. The
true policy, the only wisdom, is that express
ed by Mr.. Lincoln in his inaugural to trust
TO current events and experience"
The appointment of Tennessee Union
man to a seat In The Cabinet might have
been of great advantage to the new admins
but it was not desired by the Union party of
this State What they have desired, and do still
desire, is the administration Of the govern
ment, without reference to party creeds, and
with view to insure and protect the eonsti-
tutional rights of all sections. This car be
done as we'll without as with Union man
from Tennessee in the Cabinet. We are graf
flied to discover a willingness on the part of
the Commercia1 to lift itself above the sphere
of mere partisanism, and to eschew the dog
matte rubbish and equivocal twaddle about
slavery in the territories" &c, in the Chi
eago Platform, and we hope the adminislra-
tion will exhibit similar patriotism, The
Union men of Tennessee have shown their
affection fer the Federal Government. They
love it for the blessings it has conferred upon
them. and they would gladly proloBg the ex-
istence of the Union to the end of time. But
they must be assured by acts, not cords, that
the government is not to be made the instru-
ment. in future, of rendering them and their
section subservient to sectional majority.
They musthaye guarantees that their
rights shall not be invaded, nor their
equality IA the Union subverted. This
is the more necessary since so many
of the Southern States have assumed to them
selves the authority to withdraw from The
Union, and form an independent government
of their own. Ii will not do to presume upon
the possibility Of the resumption by those |
States of their places in the Union. Having |
gone so far, thew cannot do so, unless the |
guarantees the border States ask are given. |
1t is not to be supposed that these States have |
taken their position without calculating the |
cost They may have acted hastily but for |
many years the subject of dsunion has been |
in their newspapers, periodicals, |
and pamphlets, and by trusted leaders. and |
they believe that they have within themselves |
the means of establishing a selfsustaining
government, which, though it may be some
what oppressive at first, will eventually be-
come one of the least expensive, most equal.
as well as most free, ever known to man.
Besides, the men uader whose immediate lead
the frmation of Southern Confederacy has
been consummated, are not the sort of men
that willingly retrace their steps. They have
" crossed the Rubicon," and know that when
they surrender and their States resume their
loyalty to the Union, they are forever ruined.
All these things considered, the Commercial
will see the absolute necessity of additional
guarantees to satisfy the border slave States,
from becoming fixed, unalterable fact.