Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-03-30

think OF abandoning 1t; stuck 10 and hight tor II;
fight in it; if your rights are disturbed main
tain them, if that desperate extremity should
come; but that desperate extremity is not to
be apprehended. It may occur for a short time
Wrong and oppression may be practised for
short time. Bad rulers may Cypress you as
they have oppressed others. You may have a
mischievous President and an ignorant and in
furious Congress. All this may occur, but all
this in the wisdom of the Constitution is swal-
lowed up in the general good. That same Con-
stitution, which, through the infrmity of hui
man nature, necessarily subjects you to those
evils, gives you the power of redressing them
at short intervals of time, and he who cannot
for the perpetual good, bear such evils for
short time, does not deserve to be a member
of good government. You have an opportu-
nifty of redeeming that government by frequent
elections of a President and Congress. If you
permit repetition of maladministration it is
your fault. Yeu have the remedy and it is
your fault if you do not apply it.
Gentlemen, the government is in bad and
dangerous condition. Whether it shall fall to
pieces and become the scott of the world,
whether our ruins are all that shall remain to
tell our story is the question now to be deter
mined. l believe in the people more than
believe in governments. believe In the peo-
pie more than | believe in Presidents, in Sena-
tors, or in Houses of Representatives do
not say that to fatter multitudes / say it be-
cause believe in the intelligence of the peo-
pie. believe in the public virtue of the peo-
pie, whatever may be said to the contrary.
Though in many things many people act lit
| tie unworthy of the dignity of freemen, still,
when l look at the majestic body of the peo-
pie, find that there is wisdom, a generosi-
ty, and public virtue that will not allow this
country to be trampled under foot or to go
down to ruins. They will extend their hands
from the North in fraternal sympathies. I do
not believe they viii fight upon any cause that
yet exists. believe they will not permit their
rulers to maintain any petty platforms to de-
stroy great country. The Chicago platform
"a thing no bigger than my hand-to be set
up, like an idol of old, and worshipped, and a
great country like ours, with all its millions
sacrificed upon its altars-the people viii not
allow that to be done. They are not platform
makers. Their country and their God is what
they are for. They are our fellow-citizens, and
they will save US. This may be superstition,
but have it, and it comforts and solaces me-
You are portion of that great body, and will
you do your part?
My friends, these remarks are desultory 1
have not pretended to sketch the sad history of
these events or to relate them in their detail
/ have not attempted to discuss all the proba-
BILE consequences of abandoning or standing by
l.
satisfied myself by saying that to Join the
new government would be nothing but specula-
ton. To stand fast where you are is to per-
form the duty which is nearest you, and with
in your clear conviction. That is the course
have recommended. What have you done? Are
you not pledged to this course? What has
old Kentucky's course been? You sent some
years ago piece of Kentucky marble to be
wrought up into the structure of that magnif-
cent monument to the Father of his Country
now unfinished in the city of Washington
That was your tribute to the patriotism and
the great name of that unequalled man. What
did you cause to be inscribed upon it !? Let me
remind you. Upon the stone is engraved
these words: Kentucky was the first State to
enter the Union after the adoption of the
Constitution, and she will be the last to leave
ii" This is the testimony engraven by your
own order. 1t is engraven upon the marble
1t stands part of the great monument to the
memory of Washington, where all the world
may see it. While Washington is adored as
the founder of the Union-in that holy keep
ing is this monument of recorded rock in
which you say you will be the last to leave the
Union.
Now Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen, when you
have examined in every material point of view,
n the view of every material interest, this ques-
ton as to the policy and course Kentucky
ought to pursue; when you have found them all,
let me say that / think your judgment will
find 1t satisfactory not to remove from the
Union. But suppose you did not arrive at
that satisfactory conclusion, is there not some
thing in the stability which marks the man.
hood of old Kentucky? Here she stands upon
her own native ground; here she stands by
that flag under which she has often fought, and
stands by that Union, that she has sworn to
maintain. Is there not sentiment that you
feel in your heart that, however politicians NAV
reason, policy ought to sway this matter There
is great deal even in doing wrong when you
do it in pursuance of sense of fidelity and
honor-a sense of patriotism. Which of you,
if your child is to read the history of this
period, if it be our sad fate that our country
now is to perish, and he is left to read only the
mournful history of its fall, how would you
rather it would stand in that history-that
Kentucky in the tumult of this revolution was
led away, led away from her colors and her
Constitution, and joined in the experiment of
Southern Cotton State Republic ?-that she sur
rendered herself from the parent Government,
which was broken into fragments, and
helped to form little governments which soon
consumed each other?-or that old Kentucky
was left, when the land had been swept by
secession and revolution, and nothing was left
of the Union, Kentucky alone was seen
| upOu tuc utlQ WHICH TcNOluliOn udu
conquered-standing alone, like stalwart, I'M
conquered old warrior, with the flag of his
country in his hand, standing by the falling
column-that the last scene of your ancestor
should leave him sitting like Marius upon the
ruins of Carthage, mourning the melancholy
and disgraceful fall of his own once glorious
country? Where would you rather your an
cestor should be presented in history-as
sliding off into revolution and secession, max
ing the experiment of the new republic, or
see him standing unconquered and alone, with
the stars and stripes in his hand, or falling
nobly land faithfully and devotedly with the
Constitution of his country? / think there is
not one of US that would not prefer our apces-
tor to take that course. ] know that We
sometimes would be willing that our ancestors
would pursue courses that we are unwilling to
pursue ourselves. There is hardship, difficulty
and danger about it that we would rather
avoid, provided we can have, even through an
ancestor, the hereditary glory of acting such
a selfsacri6cing part as that.