Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-07

Letter from Hen. Jere. Clemens, of Ala
| bAma.
The following letter, from Hon. JERE CLEMENS, of
Alabama, to Colonel BLANEoN, of Kentucky, is pub
lshed in the Louisville Courier of yesterday 1t
shows Enthusiastically the feelings of the Alaba-
nlans
HUNTSVILLE, February /, 1861.
By Dear Sir:-While in Montgomery, l read
letter of yours in the Louisville Courier. for which
you must allow me to return my earnest thanks.
Like you, have been Union man. Like you
have for ten years battled for its preservation.
When one act Of aggression after another came to
| warn me that period was approaching when it
( could no longer be preserved consistently with
Southern honor and independence, have closed my
ears to the warning, and Obstinately driven away
| the unwelcome conviction Up to the last moment
l resisted the sece sion Of Alabama with ali the
| ergy and ability I could command. The feelings
which governed me were shared by my constituents,
and nowhere the first news of the passage of the
ordinance received with more bitter denunciations
| than in this my native county. Throughout the
| whole OF North Alabama there was like state of
| feeling
| large part of population Kentuck-
| ians and Tennesseans, or their descendants The
two living statesmen whom all of US were taught in
infancy to look up with the deepest reverence aud
7 the waPmest affection were Henry Clay and An
| drew Jackson. Differing, as these great men did,
upon many poHts of public policy, they were alike
| enthusiastically devoted to the Union of the North
American States; and it thus happened that what
ever party claimed our allegiance, the one senti
| ment, that the Union must be preserved, was pre-
dominant in the minds of all It was not to be ex-
| pected that such people would submit without
murmur to act which dspelled forever this cher
! ished dream. They did muPmur, and even now the
| flush Of indignant anger has not entirely disap
| peared from their cheeks. But If the enemies
Of the South derive comfort from this fact, they
will be wOfuy deceived. There is not upon
the earsh's surface population more loyal TO the
State in which they live one which can be re-
! lied upon with more absolute certainty to defend
the integrity of its soil against every odds which
can be brought to bear upon them. The very fdel-
ty with which they chung to the old banner as long
they had right to throw 1t to the breeze, is the
highest proof of the stubborn courage with which
they will defend the new one which has taken
| its place. Rely upon it, that whatever evils dis
union may bring, there is danger that it will
| breed discord and dssensions at home. Recent
developments at the North have opened
| eyes 10 great fact to which we have been will
| fully blind Heretofore, we have been accuStOm-
ed 10 believe that fanatcism was confined to a few
that the masses of the Northern people were free
from personal anlmoSity towards US. and that
the politicians only using the slavery question
as a hobby to obtain power, and the consequent
control of Federal patronage, without any serious
intention of interfering with our rights of property
The election of Lincoln and the overwhelming de-
feat of such conservative statesmen as Bell and
Douglas did not entirely dispel the delusiOn There
was lingering nope CduSts OI us
satisfaction would be removed, and that should
march in the pathway Of nations united, prosper
Gus and happy. But the secession of South Carolina
was touchssone too severe for the patriotism of
the North. When that impetuous ard sensitive, but
chivalroUs and heightened people adopted their
dnance. if they had been met in a spirit of kindly
forbearanCe-if instead Of threats of coercion they
had been treated to offers ofcOncessions and guar
auCees such as would have been alike honorable and
glorious when rendered by the strong to the weak
if the compromise offered by your venerable states
man. Mr.. Crittenden. had been promptly accepted.
settlement might even then have been efected-nOt
another State would have followed the example of
South Carolina. and that single wanderers would !
have been again gathered beneath the protecting |
folds of the national banner.
Concession and Cancellation was the obvious pol |
icy, it ought TO have been the natural impulse of
men of kindred blood, who looked back to a COM /
mon history, and forward to a common destiny; but |
the idea of concession and Cancellation has not yet
penetrated the Northern mind. Submission without |
terms death by the halter, are the only alterna
tyes which have up to this hour been presented to
With people whose minds and Judgments are |
so perverted and whose affections are Sc little to be
relied upon, further union is impOss bic. Slowly |
and reluctantly this conviction been allowed to
grow up within me. No one ever clung to the /
Union more tenGciously than did, but the Union of
my affections was one of love, not of fear and when
the alternative is presented to of unconditional
submission to a hostile faction, or death upon the |
gibbet, feel an irresistible impulse to answer that
Jhere Is yet tnlPq alternative, winch IS always N
a brave mans reach-the alternative of dying with
arms in his hands, and staining the field on which /
he falls with other blood than his own.
Alabama has been forced into her present position
By the uncompFomising spirit which has been ex-
hlbited throughout the North. Three months ago
not one-fourtA of the people were secessicnists.
One month ago there was barely majority in favor
of seveFing our connection with the North. To-day
nineteenth of them sustain the action of the Cor
yentOn, and before the 4th OF March there will not
be man in a thousand to raise his voice against
it. Of this there cannot be shadow of a DOUBT /
look for Kentucky to move slowly, bat
know what she mast DO in the end. She cannot
stand by and witness the murder Of her own chill
dren without raising her strong arm in their de-
Tense. The North win make no concessions. They
have deTided the warnings of Crittenden. They wll
cOntne to spurn every offer Of mediation and leave
you at last the choice of emancpating your slaves
and assisting to fight their battles, of combining
with Too much Of my own blood IS Kentucky |
blood to allow me to doubt what your chOEee viii |
be- The Government will attempt coercion. This
question has gone beyond the point as which a
peaceful solution was possible. War, in my judg-
ment is inevitable, ard in such q war there can
be no neutral States upon the Moth American Con
tinent
Accent my thanks for your manly and patriotic
letter, ana believe to be- very truly, your FRIEND
JERE. CLEMENS.