Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-24

would be impossible. ReoAuse such appointments
could only be made under the the authority OF tnese
two General Governments, and IN accordance Win
their army regulations. Then these i've appoint.
rnents were made IN the militia The Constitution,
in this clause does not say that the militia must De
called out il the service Of the State, but uses the
word militia Ia general sense, without oeslsDsIlng
the service. But our militia az the TIME VI tnese
snDointmens were called out In the service OF the
stare by the Governor, in accordance with law o.
the General Assembly authorizing the samei and
With the exception of that portion which has been
mustered INTO the service and taken the cath OF al
Iegiance 70 the Confederate GoYernment-an the
remaining portion of our militia is still III the Ser
vice of the State, notwithstanding It's admission
aimee as State into the Confederate Union. and the
Military League which the State heretofore con
cluded with the accredited Minister of the Southern
Confederacy. Neither our admission as g. state or
Military League destroy the State character OF our
militia so loug az they are not mustered into the
service of the Confederate Government, and do not
take the ordinary oath of allegiance to the same
The Military Lesgue obligated the Confederate UoV,
erument instead of the state OF tennessee 70 pay al
expenses for armng, equiPplng organizing anu pres
pariug TOR active immediate or future service our
militia but even this League does not release the
State from It's first and paramount obligation to de-
fay these expenses upon the delinquency OF the
Confederate Government. Not st all
Again there is another clause OF the Constitution
that has some relevancy to this subject: Section 2
OF Article viii declares, speaking Of the mihtla,
that the Governor shall appoint the AdJutant Cen
eral and his staff officers" Docs il declare he shall
not snDoInt these Of the members of the General
Assembly? No not ar all; but leaves It entirely TO
his discretion. The Governor did appoint two out
If the five alleged illegal
Adiutsnt Generals, to wit: W. q. hMtlhorn ana :"
D Porter, Jr.
We will now examine The iHp2l,cy Of denying to
the members of the General Assembly such appoint
ments in the service OF the militia Of the State
especiallv in perilous times like the present Who
are those ordinarily elected to the General Assem-
bly? They are men who have earn pubhc favor
and commanded public confidence from their i1teg-
rtT pvneriepce elevated public services and char
acier Shall the Governor of this State be censured
for confJug in part the destiny OF our Common
wealth TO those IN 10dr, whom the people ~ PsacS
have confided their most important and sacred
rghtsq Shall eminent merit be ostracised from the
service Of the State the hour of her dlrest need
or banIshed from Offices OF high public trust ana
responsibility? Have any OF these nVe gentlemen
four of whose elections to the General Assembly
were urged by the Banner, since dlsqu2lihed them
selves by incapacity, been dlshonored by lniamy
The aronisition of extraordinary abilities is not
worth the trouble, if we can not ENJOY the pleasure
anil honor of EMPLOYING such in the s. rvice OF our
country The argument Of the Banner proscrl0eS
public worth and anmhilates the strongestlneenVes
to public virtue.
In relation to such appointments, the illustrious
Madison has said: Such Offices given TO the mem
bers of the General Assembly may become vacant
by ordinary casualties; and to suppose that these
would be sufficient to purchase the guardians OF the
neople selected by the people themselves. Is to re
nounce every rule by which events ought to be al
culated and substitute an iDdiscrlmlnate ana ua-
boundad jealousy with which all reasoning must be
vain. The sincere friends Of liberty, VINO give
themselves up to the extravagances OF such pas
sion are not aware Of the injury they DO their own
canse. We're the pictures which have been drawn
btJ the pOicdl jealousy OF some among u.s. 1althini
kenesses of human character, the Inference would
he that there is not u.ient virtue among men Tor
self government; and that nothing less than the
chains OF GespOsm can RESTRAIN them from destroy
ing aud deyOuriI one another.
But will it be said by permitting the Governor OF
the State TO beStow such Offices he will corrupt the
/ members of the General Assembly, and induce them
10 minister TO his inoTdinate ambition, or perVert
legislation 70 vile purposes of party aggranciement!
SuyposItiCns drawn from such imaginary prospects
of venality Innot have any weight with lntelgent
! and Rejecting people. These appointments were
/ given the Governor by the Military Bill" which
triumphantly passed both houses OF the General AS
J sembIv The Governors Of this State, unlike the
Presidents of the two Confederacies, official pre-
negatives have neither offices nor funds to corruP;
! any one-infnitely less than the members OF the
| General Assembly. Besides this Is the first time
since the formation of our government Il at the mi
lita of the State were called cut to repel DO
Tgsc and never but twice to repel foreign ivasIOH
/ once during the Mexican and once during the
7 war of 1872 So it will seldom happen that the
/ Governors of this State by such appointments can
| ever corrupt the members OF the Gtneral Assembly
/ and never then, unless By power conferred upon
! them by acts of the General Assembly.
Fortunately for the five gentlemen WHOM Gov
! Harris has appointed. ante Tor 10 their appoint
/ rneDts thsv coneurred with his Excellency IN the
nosrtun " hCh the state should assume, and the de-
! rridad and vigorous m assures by which she should
m ,intan her honor, integrity and sovereign rights
Here al least. suspicion cannot rest charge-hert
their fidelity TO their county was not vlctlmlZ
/ ed or their public virtue subsd Zsd. 1t Is true
| "lhere is a degree Of depravity IN mankind which
I reuuir a cert IA degree OF rcumspecuon anI
dIsIrust But On the other hand. there are othel
| Qualities in human nature WIFI justify CERTAIN
! pUrtIUn of esteem and confidence. E,pubicsn gov
/ trEment presuppOses the existence OF these quall
ties in a hIher degree than any other form" Ihu
have we finished our discussion Of The ''unconsil
turiouaiN' of the five military appointments c
/ Governor Harris as alleged by the Banner.
The Banner has two ether cap:iOus objections I
the elect On of Gov Harris. Oae Is, that he ough
not TO be elected the GiT time to the Elective oihc
It's a bad precedent 1t says. The Consttuiin
of the State declares that he may be elected 81
wears in any term Of eighJ-but no more. Gee sec
18th of article H. Bat whether he O'g4 TO be- WI
dppprd upon the peoples decision, not the Judg
meUt OF the BIuCT. lie IS certainly eligible an
well deserves t. The other objection is that Gov
erpor Harris is very ambitious He Is certainly nc
! E1ore so than HIS competitor, Col. VIM II Polk =
One thing however. We do know that no man eve
! vet served distinction who sighted her honoIe
1riz,s The man that despises unsullied fame WI
soon despise the lofty virtues that deserve II. le
these re appointments and tloJ little objection
have formed the goods in store-the StGpts-of II
Burners columns for weeks Would II not be
sdcIiiege Of religious charity ard melancholy pity
10 refuse il these fee )UeS and trO little fishes, WhIe
unlike their prototype would not suffice to SAFE Ii
APPETITE of one man, much less multitude Of pc
pie. ". N bi-HO'