Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-11
Alabama Convection.

HUNTSVILLE. Jan. 10, 1861
To WHY Smith:
Our Delegates telegraph Convention viii
secede and refuse to submit ordinance to th(
people. Large meeting here last night
people indignaIt-stroBg feeling to unite
with Tennessee.
We received the above dispatch yesterday
from two highly respectable citizens of Hunts
vile, Ala
We are not surprised at the action OF The
Convention. The men who are leading the
separate State secession movement have new.
er intended, if they could help il, to give the
people time to think, and to give voice to
their calm, deliberate convictions They
have, by the most artful appeals to the pas
sions, prejudices, and fears of the people, IN
duced them to elect a majority Of delegates
in favor of Immediate secession. and it is 10
mart of the programme to permit their mas-
tiers to have an opportunity to pass upon the
work of the Convention. They are for fol-
lowing the example of South Carolina, and
getting the people under the rule of the mil
itary, that free thought and free speech may
be prevented. As we told them last Sum-
mer,s their YAScEY's. and other disunion
leaders, are men who would rather ''rule in
hell than serve In Heaven" By their pre-
cipitate course of action they hope to drag"
all the South after them. But, they will find
that their high-handed and arbitrary measures
ere but poor arguments te win such States as
Tennessee to their side.
We believe that it is within the power of
the Convention,-the Legislature calling it,
not having provided for submission of its
proceedings to the people for ratifcation,-
to determine whether there shall be such sub
mission or not. But, in case like this, where
the whole system OF government Is to be
changed, and the State put upon new and
Independent career, where the lives, liberty.
happiness and property of the people are in
volved. no one ought to object to rsti6ea-
ton, by the people, of the work Of the Con-
ventiOn. The destiny of the State and the
people having been chosen for them, common
prudence would say let the people elect
whether they viii abide il. That this has
been denied, is but proof that the men
whom Alabama has intrusted with her future
destiny are unworthy of their trust
The vote for President of the Convention
exhibited majority Of eight only for immedi-
ate separate State secession; whilst II Is
doubtful which side carried the majority of
the popular vote in the election Of delegates.
Both sides claim a majority; and with only
nix counties yet to hear from officially the
falling of from the vote In November for
President Is 2s,z75. Under these circum-
dances. there should have been no hesitation
on the part Of the majority Of the Conven-
tion, to take the sense of the people upon
their action. A great deal of stress Is laid
BY secessionists upon the oppression of mi
norities in the Union Can there be any
greater oppression than this which is prso-
diced BY the Alabama secessionists- It is ty-
r.nuicai in the extreme, and ought no more
70 be submitted to than the South ought to
submit to aggreszions of the Republicans.
We have not made these remarks, for the
uurpoee of interfering in the concerns of a
neiehbsring State. We have favored the call
of . State Convention in Tennessee; and we
comment upon the tyrannieal action Of the
Alabama secesstonisis for the purpose Of
warning our Legislature against the dangers
which are likely TO arise should they call q
Conventioa without requiring it to submit
their netioa TO the people fer taeir approval,
Ore Earned l. fore-asmed.