Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-26


crisis of our affairs has been looked to with deep
interest by her Southern sisters,-her geographical
position-her intimate relationship with these
States.-her former glory acquired upon the field.
and the Cabinet fully justified such anxiety ard
interest on the part of might This
be expected, from the sons and daughters of Ten
nessee scatt red throughout tn States of the South
they can well say:
t'Bresthes there the with heart SO dead,
VITO mse { nath cad.
This 10 M OWE, ny Lah9e land"
This beautiful fig was prepared by one of
Teunt ssee's loveliest daughters, a resident Of
Mississippi, and is Dff-red by her as a tFIblte OF
affection her native State. This act of devotion
/ know will be fully appreciated by every Senator
upon this floor It is siF. but another evidence of
wuman's patriotism, and her unsefsh attachment 20
the o: justice and right when left to the
prempungs OF her own feelings; partaking in less
degree OF the selfshness of human nature she
clings with only the crater tenacity the inaena
bic rights of man in the hour OF trial and danger
whether contemplate her watching over the
fortunes of rude and uncCltiVatel tribe in the
higher sphere of civilized government--whether she
proudly coutemplates her country's greatness and
glory, bends in sorrow and tears over its fallen
fortunes and blasted hopes; she always exhibits the
nobility and dignity of her own pure nature ant
hopeful ar cti0n that surrenders not to misfortune,
but shines all the more brightly amidst the storms of
adversely. Men may prove traitors, and seek the
ruin of all that is dear to freemans heart;-it is
upon the loyalty of the other sex that we may
idently rely, at all times and under all cireumstan
ces. Our mothers of the fist Revolution, did not
hesitate to bear ALL and suffer all for struggling
country-ihelr daughters will emulate their bright
| example in the great contest now waged against
the rights of man. The daughters will contribute
their tull share to the stock of noble enthusiasm
that swes the great heart of the S0uth-they will
nerve the arms of the gallant soldier to deeds of
daring, they will watch over him in sickness
| and shriye him in death, and whether vic
tory or defeat be the result the Of the South
will never desert the country flag. This flag, sir
will remain in your Senate Chamber, for years 70
come the untarnished symbol of liberty and the I'M
| broken pledge of female fidelity to the cause OF
| Constitutional freedom.
There is much, Mr.. Speaker, in q nations flag,
either for good or for evil The Roman Emperor
behed the miraculous sign ofthe cross in the vault
ed heavens, with the inscription IN hoe sJn0 Ullces,
that appropriately appears upon the flag presented
to the Senate-at once he became q convert to the
truths of Christianity Under the inspiring lead of
the heaven given banner, pagan temples fell to the
earth, their shrines were deserted throughout the
Roman world, and christianity triumphanty seated
upon the throne of the Caesars. Under the inspira-
ton of the ETHEREAL banner, victories were won,
kingdoms conquered, provinces founded and
churches established But corrupt age seized upon
the same consecrated banne 1t oated at the head OF
armies engaged in the cause of unsanctifed am BIZ
ton. and waived over plundered cities and ruined
I
and oppression throughout the world
Our ancestors founded colonies, fought battles
and achieved victories under the flag Of the mother
country. They loved it because it protected them
in their equal rights Englishmen they venerated
it because of its antiquity, and proudly marched
under il becauee it was crowned with the glory of
| thousand fields, and had been sustained by long
| line of ustrious rulers. For the honor of that
| flag the colonial soldiers followed a heroic
Wolf upon the plains of Abraham; for its honor
thu youthful Washington and his Rangers fought
with their brethren at Fort Du Quesne, where the
heroic Virginia Colonel bore on his own bosom the
diving British General. But sir the picture must
be reversed. Under besotted and tyrant King the
Banner of Great Britain became the symbol OF tyr
amy and against it Fathers com )elled to
take up arms After years fsacrifce they achieved
their Observation-Disclosures their claims to civ. i
and religious liberty, which have become our own
priceless inheritance They gave a constitution
whose framework has been the admiration of all.
They bequeathed US, also, common lag-beautiful
in its design AMI benefcent in its objects. That flag
neither Tennessee nor any of her Southern sisters
have ever proven disloyal TO, furnished by an
act of cowardice. They have helped to sustain it in
every contest upon the land and upon the ocean.
They followed the lead of Scott Gaines, and Brown.
upon the soil of Canada, as herOically as that of
jackson Carroll and Coffee at Taladega
Emuckfaw and the Horseshoe. Southern chIvalry
filled the of its countrys glory upon the
fields OF New Orleans. where the bird of liberty took
is high flight and forth its l0udest notes of
eXul alton. We sir OF the South loved the stars
aud stripes because in the hands Of good men they
were the symbol and the sign of equality as
ireemen. We loved them because we had fought
beneath their folds from the heights of Irens
70 the halls of the Monte zumI's-and because the
DO es of SDutherners who fell in its defence lay
Wondering upon every battle field. or were bleach
ing upon the coral BIDS of every sea.
But these and STRIPES longer wave in high
and holy triumph over the temple of Am rican
freedom they longer inspire the hearts OF tree
men rallA ing around them in defence of a comm ~
country. They are borne by tyrants and usurpers,
they are covered wi the blood of women and chill
dren, and the morning guns that now salute tn IN,
insult the ashes # our bu led heroes The Union
formed by our fathers has been destroy ed; cur
Lars as citiz ms of he Tn ted STATES have been
hung upon the willows and we sing the choral an
thenIs uf the nation more. But. thank Heaven.
we have a country to defend, and God given rights
to protect we have an unsu,lied history in the
past that permeates the history Of an exit CT nation
like 8 stream of pearl a mourtain of gold, The
liberty OF American freemen is not inseparable
from an American Union Liberty would languish
and die III the foul embrace of such q government
Union at its best is the Offspring of maa-Liberty is
the child of Heaven; UniOn like the works of man
must die; Liberty has Immortality upon earth.
This beautiful divinity the attendant of first
parents when first they woke in the bowers of bliss
to behold the glories of the new creaton-she cheer
ed them IT their lonely exile from beloved Eden
has been with their descendants in all succeeding
she led the hosts of Israel through the dan
gers of the sea- and the desolation Of the wilder
ness,-nerved the arms of the deathless Spartans
against the hosts of Persia, and gave comfort and
hope to a heroic Wallace while struggling for his
country's rights. She follows with tears the
victims of tyranny to the gloom of the dungeon,
and the horrors of the scaold Liberty stood by and
waited upon bleeding Hampden and bathed the
temples of dying Emmett. She guided the ships
of the pilgrims across the ocean waste, sndaid deep
and strong the foundations of Colonial lndepend
ence, Liberty was with Washington when he
crossed the frozen Delaware and cheered the droop
ing hearts of his followers amidst the wintry blasts
at Valley Forge.
This bright, glorious goddess is with the South
this day. She hovers above this proud capital.
She is with the sons of the South on the sacred
soil of the Old Dominion, as she was when ty
rants flag was hauled down from ever the walls of
Fort Sumpter. The spirit of the Hugenot that
burst the shackles of the tyrapt and made South
Carolina the Warrior Queen of the South, to day
anmates the cavalier State of Virginia. and under
its inspiration the Old Dominion will swell beyond
the of tyrants chains, and stand forth in
her ancient glory, redeemed and regenerated by the
resisuble genius of Southern constitutional lib
erty.
Mr. Speaker tits the wish of the patriot that this
flag shall never be stained with blood shed in al un-
lust or aggressive 1t is the banner of freemen,
let t ever wave over freemens heads defence of
a freeman's rights The soldiers of the South go
fOrtl TO DaLLkS unCST LulS cuOSeu ARMED
with strength and power that will render them
invincible against all the tyrants of earth. They
are the bright jewels given their country by
than Roman matrons,-they sustained by the JUS
tice of thelRsause- they fight for their homes and
fresdes, for mothers, wives and daughters,-they
battle for heritage of freedom that was conquer
ed by the sword of the Revolution, and in such q
cause, under such influences that God who defended
the fathers will stretch forth his mighty arm for
the protection of their children
Let me conclude by saving that this flag is pre-
scented in the OF Mrs. Mary E. Dahlgren,
who by her association with the chivalrOus
people of Mississippi, whose spirit is now em-
bodied in the iustrous chief of our new Con-
federacy, has doubtless gathered fresh inspl-
ration IN the cause of patriotism and IS thereby
rendered only the more worthy of the land OF
Jackson.
The Temple of our Fathers regretted upon South
ern SOIL we trust will continue TO rise IN the simple
majesty an grandeur of truth, that upon Its por-
tai may be written in broad and living letters, hber
ty and equality. while from its high domes shall
wave in lofty TRIUMPH the flag of freemen. May