Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-22

10 TIE people, was, WnetHer I0ere was CAUSE III
the past career of Repuhicansm, or IN its future
policy authoritatively developed, which made 1t
proper for them through their delegates to consult
together for their future peace and safety The re-
suit is interpreted to mean, that the people, by an
overwhelming majority, have determined that their
peace and safety are not involved or departed
the success or tbs policy of the Republican party
as TO render sovereign consultation necessary 1t
is further understood to mean that if the peace and
safety of the people hereafter assailed by the
aooressons of the Republican Administration it will
then be tire enough to consult together in sovereign
convention Acquieseence therefore in the domination
of Repubcanism and waiting for Developments
of future aggression, constitute the Interpretation
of the anti-conyentlon vote, understood here by
| the Republican party. Without knowing any thing
else than the official facts connected with that vote
doInot see anything in the logical deduction "a to
the meaning of the antiConyention vote with which
to quarrel Taking it then for granted that Tonnes
see is for waiting until her rights are hereafter
openly trespassed upon by the incoming party
consider that result full of significance to her
| future history.
To suppose that the Lincoln Administration will
| penetrate any open and fragrant aggressons upon
the Constitutional rights of the Southern people is
to betray lamentabe ignorance of the object and
policy of Republicanism. The object of the Repub-
can party is the ultimate extinguiShmen of slavery
everywhere The policy determined on for the
accomplishment of that object is, first to render the
expansion Of the institution impossible; and, second
| to make the patronage and power of the Federal
Government available in gradually weakening and
undermining the institution in the border States
and pushing it into the Gulf States where, being
concentrated il must ultimately expire either vio-
| ently or peacefully. The contamination of their
object requires time, and hence it is to be accom-
| plished without any such fragrant aggressons "a
would be likely to arouse the public mind in the
| border States. They will rather seek to appease
the feeling already aroused by strong professions of
conservatism, and even by repeating the obnoxious
personal liberty bills in Of the States and in
all other lusory ways calculated to hold the border
States in quiescent condition, whilst, through the
patronage of the Federal Government, they will be
quietly but steadily building up a Republican or
| ganization In these States
The accomplishment of the ultimate object of
Republicanism necessarily requires period of
time embracing several Presidential terms. During
Mr. Incolns term the great purpose will be to get
foot-hod in the border States and to do this their
policy will be marked by caution and stealthy con-
servatism. 1t will be expedient for them to give
early indications of a disposition to demonstrate
their fairness and their nationality by coaceding to
the border States the succession to Mr.. Lincoln.
This concession will at once bring forward a num-
Der of border States aspirants for the Presidency
and, by the year 1864, will deveope respectable
Republican party in those States. 1t will not re-
qure many years of appliances like these, with
/ open aggressions on Southern rights, to build up
Republican parties in the border Statesg and in the
natural progress of things, they will be followed by
| emancipation parties in these States. AS this
scheme developes itself, the owners of slaves will
seek for safety to their property by removing fur
Their South and in due course of time the institu
ton will disappear from the border States, and will
finally be concentrated In the cotton States. 1t is
easy to see that this first step towards the final
tinguishment of slavery may be taken, without any
such violations of constitutional rights to excite
| the Indignation of the quieseent majority of the
border States.
You will see in what have said the reason why
the Republicans have manifested much solicitude
as to the course of Maryland Virginia, Tennessee
/ and Kentucky, and also why they have evinced
| little concern about the withdrawal of the cotton
| States from the Union. The exact division now
exists in the South which is best suited to the ac
| complishment of Republican views. If this divis-
| ion can be maintained, Republicanism will have
achieved its first great practical triumph. To keep
| the seeded States oh and to keep the remaining
slave States IN, is the grand problem that is
| engaging the Republican leaders Until Kentucky
\ through her Legislature, and Tennessee through
her people, rejected the call of conventions, the
/ Republican mind was gradually drifting into the
policy of making concessions which wsuld hold the
border States steady, but not such concessions as
| would induce the seeded States to return. When
Kentucky and Tennessee Joined Maryland in refus-
ing 10 call conventions, this policy received sud
den check and of late has hardly received respect
full consideration. Since these three States have in
dictated their devotion to the Union the Republican
mind is disposed to believe that the policy of coer
cion can be so far resorted to- without endangerng
the present status of those three States force
| in collecting revenue and recapturing one or two
forts, thereby showing the pluck of Republicanism
and demonstrating the fact that we haVea Federal
Government
In the view of Republican philosophy it would be
cowardly in the new administration not to make
demonstration of its power. Republican honor may
be fully indicated by firing a few guns, taking
some one or two weak forts, and blockading for a
few days some Of the Southern ports. These extra
ordinary military feats accomplished they may be
ready TO draw permanent line, cutting off the Sc
ceded States and holding in the non-seceded States
South. To accomplish this delicate engineering op-
GRAFTON it will require all the skill Of Mr.. Seward.
He had bright prospects of success of such policy
until Mr.. Lincoln, probably utter ignorance of
the real motives of his premier, started his tr
umphsl route for Washington. How the President
elect to be extricated from his laundering speeches
ii is not easy TO see, but if mortal find
way for his extrication, his premier accomplish
it. do not mean that Mr.. Lincoln has Numbered in
foreshadowing line of policy different from that of
Mr.. Seward, but his blunder was in disclosing that
policy before Mr.. Seward had finished his manIpu-
lating process of mesmerZing the Peace Conference
in session at Washington.
have been amused within the last few days, at
the activity, industry and energy with which some
of the leading Union men here have repealed the
idea that Tennessee is to be set down submis!
sion State. The men were vOciferously exult-
ant over the result of the late Tennessee election
Now, however they protest to the Republicans that
they do not understand that result correctly. sit
means devotion to the Union but not submission,
whether guarantees are given or not" And then
with significant ,uderScOred emphasis they add that
''if the Peace Conference fails to agree to guaran-
tees the people of Tennessee will rise one man
and secede." The blankness of these gentlemen is
ludicrous when the Republicans quietly respond,
ave thought the people of Tennessee had risen as
one man and voted down Convention; they will
hardly secede without Convention" And then
the stereotyped declaration of Republicans is re-
peated-that the people of the border States have
only to be patient and they will learn how grossly
they have been deceived as to the alleged purpose
of the Republicans to interfere with their consttu>
tional rights 1t is whilst the people of Tennessee
are waiting for this development of Republican re-
gard for their rights that the process of Repnhll-
canizing those States is to go on. But do not
purpose to enter upon that chapter of Tennessee
history, which is to be made up whilst the people
waiting for the evidences of Republican devotion to
their constitutional rights. 1t is enough now to
know that those who voted against convention,
under the hope of obtaining guarantees through the
Peace Conference or through Congress have been
wofully deceived, and that their votes have been
potential in defeating the very object which they
sought to accomplish. How Virginia ever fell into
the blEnder Of supposing that satisfactory settle
ment could be made in the order proposed by her is
a matter of wonder. Tennessee proposed the only
practicable plaza convention Of the slavehoding
States, to agree upon an uiTlqtq and then demand
of guarantees in accordance with that tsttndtnl,
otherwise concerted action by all the slavehoding
States with the privilege of being Joined by such
free States might accede to the terms. The reso
lutions of your Legislature will stand a
monument of the wisdom and patriotism of that
body strongly contrasting with the unwise and in
efficient scheme adopted by Virginia. 81.
" ---=-===z=7
Che Republican papers ana politicians pretend |
now to be devoted to the Constitution as it is. It
doesn't want mending but only to be faithfully exc
auted. They are LypOcrites. The Constitution, as
it is now they will not be up to. One of its proVi
sions nlain in language and intent their mObs re- |
sist, and their politicians oonnive at it, They go |
further their Legislatures deliberately nullify the
law and Constitution by State statutes, They still |
propose to prohibit slavery In Gll the Territories
although there is no warrant for such an exercise
of power in the Constitution, and the Supreme |
Court has said there is none. !
Il true MISREPRESENTATION did not and could not
provide against the existence of such power as |
the Republican party; but tie Eisegt statesmen |
uttered warnings against it. They fqresaT tho