Brownlow's weekly Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1861-1861, 1861-08-31
KNOXVILLE TENN SATURDAY, AUGUST 81. 1861.

the leaders of the seathsfn Ilighis party Ia
/ 1850 as traitors--as dissurbefs Of the peace
of the country, for advocating principles and
| measures which they, the Union leaders, now
pledge themselves 10 tnaintain, peareabiy n
they cam isfvfhly II they mass. y lltA .-sssa4
| II Is impossible for the politicians 10 pre-
cipiate these Stairs into revolution OF secss-
sion. Great political changes are always the
result Of adequate and long exiatiug causes;
and the separation Of the slaveholdihg from
the on-slaveholdiuE States IL not an excsp-
ton to the general rule.
In 1850 and 1851 the Southern Rights party
OF Mississippi, with the gallant Quitman 10
the lead. embraced q large majority Of the
most talented leaders Of the Democratic party.
and many of the most influential leaders OF
the old Wbg party, all OF their Representa-
tives In both Houses Of Congress bui one, and
. majority Of the press Of the State; bat all
the zeal and energy of their combiasd efforts
failed with the people Of Mississippi. They
could not be preeipitated into position Of
resistance to, or secession from the Union
They resolved to wait for the fuliilment Of
the prophecy of Quitman, in regard to the
progress and Hual triumph OF the Abolition
lists of the North, in usurping the Government
under the forms Of the Constitution. They
would be a hostile sectional party ia the
North, strong enough 10 elect q President,
without one vote in Southern Stale. They
had faith in the patriotism and justice Of their
Northern brethren; bat In 1861 they sbeheId,
in the election Of Lincoln, the falfilmsnt OF
the prophecy of 1850; they remembered the
warning voice of the immortal Qaitman, who
had been gathered TO his fathers" and with
one heart, aud one voice. the true men of Mis-.
sissippi uaited in seveFing the bond which
bad bound them to a nominal Union, in which
they could no longer enjoy equality, peace
and security.
Il eertaiaiy is not very complimentary 20
the intelligence OF the people of the seeded
States, to ssy that they have been forced BY
the politicians, against their will, TO secede
from the Union which they had been taught
TO love and Yenerste, from their infamy, as n
monument Of the wisdom and patriotism of
their Revolutionary si.es. If this charge
were true, NC might well aba9don our faith in
the capacity Of man for self-government. But
it is not true. Long years of persistent az
gressions upon the peculiar interests Of the
South, by the people Of the Nurth, had pro-
voked a spirit Of resistance in the South,
which naturally increased with the increasing
demonstrations of sectional hostility 10 the
Of the South slowly and reluctantly yielded
to the necessity Of separation from people
whose fathers had fought, shoulder TO
shoulder, with their fathers, against conn
mon enemy who sought to hold them in per-
petaal political bondage, under the forms of
perverted Constitution.
The history Of the American Revolution,
which resulted in theindependencs Of the thir-
teen original States, is history of aggression
on one side and patient forbeArsnce on the
other, until forbearance ceased to be q
virtue" and the spirit Of resistance, and the
idea of secession from the British Union, sup-
planted in every tfae American heart the feel
ing of Loyalty 10 the British goVernment.--
But long after Washington and the host Of
noble spirits who conducted the Revolution
to q successful issue, had despaired Of ian
honorable adjustment OF the great questions
involved in the controversy, the majority Of
the people Of the Colonies held them back
and compelled them 10 wait until they saw
the dangers TO which they we're exposed and
even after the Declaration Of Independence,
many of the people we're in favor Of :. recon-
struction"-of submission to the tyranny of
the government to which they had been ac-
customed and when their opposition to the
new government ripened into treason, they
fed for protection TO the camp Of their OPP
presseFs deluded with the hope that the rebel
government would soon become an intolerable !
burden upon the people, aud be easily crush !
ed opt by the overwhelming power of British
guns and British gold. There were then, as
there are nov, recoastructi0nists; men |
who could not think of separating themselves !
from the grandeur and glory Of the greatest !
Government on the earth--the glorious goS.
- OLD nd xRh a.
they bad fought and conquered In the name Of |
liberty q Government which had iasalted, |
robbed and murdered an unoffeading people |
on the plea Of enforcing the laws Of the /
Eaglish Goyerpment Against independent |
States, as they we're soon compelled /
30 acknowledge them to have been. Such |
vas the Government 10 which the reeonssrue- |
tioRists Of the Reyolatioa would have united /
the fortunes Of the independent States Of |
America. And in the plenitads Of It's mag.
nAnimity, the greet and mighty Government |
of Great Britain, after 1t bad alienated the |
hearts Of the American people by systematic !
course Of injasties and oppression, AID had |
them to make their choice between
submission and tyraRnJ, or secession from the
British Union, proposed 70 confer upon the
American colonies the distinguished honor OF
voting, in q hopeless minority, 10 the British
Parkameat aud Of having themselves abused
rs "outside barharians.s But, thanks to the
heroic hrmaess Of The Seeessionists OF that day /
they refused 70 Fceommit their peculiar In
terssts TO q Government which had failed 10
crush them, not from tbs want of the will,
but Of the power TO do IL.
Ny Union friends would not say 4 word
10 offender veand you. know yoa are not
know you are true TO the
South bat Ike many OF The true men OF the
were not the hrstte perceive
he necessity of dissolying their political con-