Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-30

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Ny CoUxTRFuEN II would feel recreant to the
trust confded to my care by your kindness. were
not to address you in the present lamentabe state
of affairs. Much as may regret it, candor forces
me to announce to you that the Federal Union is
dissolved Six of the Stars that but yesterday moved
in their regular orbit around the Federal centre,
now revolve in sphere of their own, and others
are preparing to follow soon.
It is useless to recapitulate the causes
which led to this result 1t is sufficient to say that
long list of almost intolerable grievances found
their elimination in the triumph of a party and its
candidates in the recent Presidential election upon
the omen and avowed doctrine that the negro is tho
.ouA of the white man; that the negro ought to
vote with the white man, and marry the white
mans daughter or sister. It appears from the Sc
lection of Messrs. SEWARD and CHASE to fill the chief
positions in Mr.. LNooIN's Cabinet and the warlike
attitude of the Black Republican States that the IN
coming dynasty has determined to carry out these
abhorrent and abominabe doctrines if needs be, by
fire and sword.
Ny countrymen, Iwould feel recreant to my duty,
did not advise you to resist at all hazards this I'M
holy combination which, if it succeeds, reduces you
to the degraded level of the negro and turns loose
upon you four or five millions Of lawless free me-
groes to insult your wives and daughters, and to
burn your houses
But you ask me what must we do to resist these
denominations? answer, that unless the Black Re-
publicans speedily give such guarantees as will re-
call the seeding States, and guard you from their
Ubiquitous policy, it is the duty-yea, the necessity
of Tennessee to withdraw and unite with the
Southern States in the formation of Southern Con-
federacy.
If, my countrymen, the question is presented to
you, whether you will link your destiny with
Northern or a Southern Confederacy, (and
| believe it now is) which will you choose :
Can Tennesseans hesitate which to choose, the
buoyant. sunny South or the freenegro Republican
ism of SEWARD, LINCOLN & Co? [ trust not. Ny
countrymen, your interest and your sympathy is
all with the South. Where is the market for your
prodnce9 Your mules, your hogs, your everything
is sold in the Southern market to the Southern
Are you then willing to sever the bonds of friend
ship of sympathy and of interest with your South.
ern friends to unite with your Northern enemies.
cannot believe it.
Bat we are told not to destroy the Union conse-
Grated and given to us BY our fathers. My country
nnen you have not now the Union your fathers gave
| you In that Union the Northern man knelt at the
same shrine with the Southern man and worshpped
| God under the same swine and fig tree" but now
the Northern cburehmau denounces his Southern
| brother hypocrite an3 q barbarian. Under
that Union the man Of Massachusetts, welcomed to
his house his Virginia neighboF, and helped him to
.recapture his runaway negro; but now the Massa-
chusetts steals and entertains the negro and
suits or murders his master. Do not, my country
men, let the syren song of Union deceive you. All
we want and all we demand Is the Union as our
fathers made it. We want nothing else. But we
are told that this is the best government the Wis
dom of man has yet devised That may be so but
no one wants to overthrow the form of govern
ment 1t is only to withdraw from Union with
those who do not respect it the constitution that
called 1t into being. The Southern Confederacy will
be formed on the basis of the present Constitution,
adopting our present form Of government with such
amendments to the Constitution as will settle for
all time to come the question Of slavery
My countrymen, l have thrown out theseobserya-
tonsn not TO widen the breach that unfortunately ex
lists between the Northern and Southern States but
that ysu may have proper understanding of the
questions at issue. ferventy trust that the angry
clouds of gloom that lower above our national hor-
ION may break away, and that returning sense Of
patriotism may lead the Northern States to give
up their fanatcisms and render to US the full meas
IRE of our rights, without which duty to ourselves
our ancestry and our posterity alike demand of u.s.
that we separate from oppressors and seek that
peace and contentment in confederation more con-
genial, which is now denied us in the one we have
Very truly, J.J. WILLIAMS
House of Representatives, jan 49, 1861.