Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-09

thereby admit that on rrneip;e DC ought not to De
IN ours II they have retained, by their own con
struetion Of ours, they show that to be consistent
they must seeede from one ans.lier, Whenever they
shall find It the easier way of settling their drtts.
or affecting any other selfish unj ust object &c
principle itself IS one Of disntegi alton and upon
which no government can possibly e9dure. Il all
the States save one should assert the power to
drive that enc out Of the Union. IL is presumed
the whole class Of secession politicians would at
once deny the power. and denounce tks act as the
greatest outrage upca state rights. Bat sups
pose that Or cisely tie sane act instead
called the seeding of the others from that one,
It would be exactly what the ssceders claim
to do, unless, inleed thar they make the point
that the one because i is q minority nay right
fully DO what the others because they are a ms
jority may not rightfuiy do These politicians
subtle and profound on tie rights Of minOri-
ties. They are not partial to the power which the
constitution gives and which speaks from preamble
IN words, I'VE the people II may wen be qEes-
toned whether there is to be a majority OF the
legally qualified voters of any State except, per
haps South Carolina, in favor of disunon. There
10 much reason to believe that the Ipion men are
in The majority in many, It not every Of the
s0-called seeded States. The contrary has not
been demonstrated in any one Of them It's ven
tured to affirm this even Of Virginia and Tennessee
for the result OF an election held 10 military camps
where the bayOnets are all the side Of the ques-
ton voted upon, scarcely be considered demon
btfAtiNe OF popular sentiment Al sUcn an eleG0Ou
all that large class who are at for the Union
and against coercion would be cOerced TO vote
glinst the Union. II may be affirmed without eX-
travagance that the free Institutions We enjoy have
developed the powers andimproved the condition Of
whole people beyond any example in the world.
Ut this we have had striking and an impressive
illustration So large army as the government
has now on foot, was never before known, without
a soldier in il but who had taken bis place there of
his own free choice. But more than this, there are
many single regiments whose members. one and an
other, possess full practical knowledge Of all the
arts sciences and professions and whatever Of else
usei vi or elegant Is known IN the world and there
is scarcely one from which there could not be Sc
lected president, cabinet, congress, and per-
haps court, abUndantly competent 20 administer
the government ITSELF Nor do say this is not true,
also, in the army Of our late friends now adversaries
in this combat but if It'll so much the better reason
why the good which has conferred such benefits on
both them and US should not be broken CD: whoever
in any section propose to abandon such govern
ment would do well to consider in defense of what
principle Is he does It. what better be is likely to
get in its stead-whether the substitute will give
or be entitled to give, so much of good to the peo
pie. There are some fOreshadoWiugs on this sub
ject our adversaries have adopted some declara-
tons of independence, in which unlike the coed old
one prepared by Jefferson, they omit the words
"all men are created equal while they have adopt
ed a temporary national Constitution, IN tile pream
Bile Of which, unlike our good old one signed by
Washington, they omit eve the people" and substi-
tnte eve, the deputies Of the sovereign ard indie
pendent States" Why this pressing cut of view the
rights Of and the authority Of the people This
is essentially peoples contest on this side Of the
world, that the form and substance of government
whose leading object is s elevate the condition Of
men, to lift artificial weights from our shoulders to
eeaye to the paths Of audabe pursuits for al, to
affJrd all unfettered start and fair chance in
the of life, yiel1ing TO the partial and tempo
rary despOtism from necessity. This IS the leading
object OF the government for whose success we
contend. / am happy 10 believe that the plain peo-
pie understand and appreciate this Il is worthy Ct
note that while 10 this the governments hour OF ri
al, large numbers of those in the army and navy
signed proved false to the hand VIII had psmpered
them-nOt one common soldier or common sailor is
known to have deserted his hJg. Great honor IS
due TO those officers who remained true, despite the
example of their treacherOus associates But the
greatest honor and most important part Of all is the
uaanimity and firmness Of the common soldiers aud
common sailors. To the last man. so far as
known, they succe stu ly Tesiste e tr4itOTo 8
efforts OF those whose commands but an hour
befOFc they Obeyed as absolute law. THIS is pa
triotic instinct OF plain people. They understood
without argument that the destroying of the
government which was made BIZ Nash n .tOn means
no good to them. Our popular government has often
been called an experiment Two pOn ii il our pee
pie have alrea y settled the successful establishing
and the successful administration Of t. One still re-
mains, its successful maintenance against 5fOrmid
able internal attempt TO overthrow it. 1t Is now
for them to demonstrate 20 the world shat those
who can fairly carry an election can also suppress
rebellion that ballots are the rIghtful and peace
full successors of bullets, and that when ballots
have fairly and cOnstitutOnaly decided there can
be no successful appeal back to bullets that there
can be no successful appeal except to ballots them
selves at succeeding elections, such will be the
great lessons of peace teaching men that what they
cannot take by an election neither can they take
by war, ard teaching all the folly Of being the
beginners of war. LestIhePe may be some uneasi-
ness in the minds Of candid men as to what is 10
be the course of the government toward the
Southern States. after the rebellion shall have
been suppressed the executive deems it proper to
say that will be guided by the Constitution and the
laws, and that he probably will have different IN
Outstanding Of the powers and duties OF the federal
government in relation 10 the rights Of the States
and the people under the constitution then express
ed in the inaugural address lie desires TO preserve
the Government that it may be administered for all
as il administered by mel EhO made loyal eiti-
Zens every where who have the right to clam this Of
their government has rightto withhold slect
it. 1t perceived that that in this there any CO
cOnquerlng any subugatiOn il any Just
sense of these terms. The Constitution provides, |
and all the States have accepted the provisions that
the United States shall guarantee to every State in
this I mon republican form of government. But |
if State may lawfully 90 out Of the Union. having
done so it may also discard the republican form of
government. So that to prevent its going out Is all
indispensable means the end OF maintaining the [
guarantee mentioned lawful and obligatory. Ths /
means Of it ase also lawful and obi
gatory.
1t is with the deepest regret that the executive /
found the duty Of employing the war power in de-
tense of the government, tor forced upon him he /
could but perform this duty surrender the exis
IenceIOf the government in compromise. Not that 1
are not often proper but that no pop
1lar government can long survive marked preceC-
ant, that those who carry election can only save
the federal government from immediate destruction, j
giving up the main points upon which the people /
gave the election The people themselves, and their
servants, can safely reverse their own deliberate
iecisOn. As private citizen the executive could /
rot have consented that these institutions shall per-
sh much less could he in the betrayal of so vast /
Ind so sacred trust those free people had con-
ided to him. lie felt that he had no moral right to
hrink nor to count the chances of his lite. In
What might follow in full view of his great respcn-
utility. he has so far done what he has deemed his
luty. You illnOw, according to your own judg-
neuts perform yours. lie sincerely hopes your
news and your action may 50 accord with his as t.
ssurs all faithful citizens who have been disturbed
n their rights Of a certain and speedy restoration
# the laws aud having thus chosen our course.
With pure purpose let US renew our trust in God
md go forward, without fear and with manly
earts. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, July ), 1861