The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-11
Rirt1mnnn Dispatrh.
TUESDAY MORNING. :. JUNE II. ,ss
POSITION OF. HON. JOHN BELL.

The Knoxville Register, of the eth inst.
contains report OF the speech delivered on
the previous day by Hon. JoHs BELL. before
very large number OF people, in Knoxville
Tenn. 1t will be seen by the ex tracts which h
we suh}on that Mr.. Bell declares himself a
feoel, and risks the consequences
Mr.. Bell stated that he did nor intend to
take any new position. It was true, that after
the last Presidential eiec tion he had vindi-
Gated Lincoln. he knew that Lincoln en- ter
tanned ultra Abolition views but stfl he be-
heVed ne could do no harm, because ne
could not move an inch without his Cabinet
and the Senate could have checkma ted hi in, =.
tad not the Southern States seeded at the
end OF i.tncoln's term the Republican party
would have been shattered TO pieces
Last February, when one or two States had
seeded, the Question was, Shall Tennessee 90
ont of the Union aisop Mr.. Belt had said
no. He had expressed his belief that Lincoln
was traduced--that ne did not fav or the ids.
OF negro equality. He was present M Lin
coins inauguration, and worked hard for ten
Gays and nights 10 pre- serve the Union. lie
hau come home and represen ted Lincoln for
peace. Llncoin had professed peace, and Mir
Bell had warned ttlsA sAAdninistration against
coercion. lie had told them that if there was
COERCION and bioodshed, there would be reyo-
lnhor III the Border States They might col
iect re revenue AnGs~+8locka Southern
ports, II II were necessary; bat If they in yaded
| State, there would be war. His advice was
| that II peAccable means failed, IL was better
1 w icb Liic 1OkSou iobGLtS eO-ib was bette 10
| lose them than 10 lose them ana the Border
| States also, by attempting coercion Coer-
| cion was not the policy. The Seceded States
| "erer co~td De Snbd"ed. tApplausel
Mr.. Bell then goes on TO say that he believed
Lincoln had intended to pursue a peaceful
| policy, bat yielded to the pressure of his par
| ty at the North and issued his proc laIna lion
| for - 900 men
| Lincoln had In his proclama tion disavoyed
his lnleIl tlOu invade Son n buf L,
has invaded them, and the Southern States
should all make common cause 10 resistance
to that in vasiion. Lincoln had alfed not on
iy tor $1,000, but 100000 troops. He might not
call marching these troops through the Bor-
der States 10 suppess armed combinations in
the Sou uthern States 'S1tbjpontin,l ~ but what
else would 10 heY The presence Of these troops
would overawe the citizens, wonld humiliate
aiI-Wouid humiiiate the Union men as well
as the Secessionists.
1t is true that the invading Generals issue
pTcclamatious that they will protect nri ata
property, but what are these proclaim a tions
worth when you look at the c0mpositioD of
their troops? ;? The leaders are ambitious poll
means, and the men are desperate fanatics
the conservative people stay at home The
leaders are unable to control the men and
their paper proclaim tions amount to nothing
The very presence of such an army in any
southern State demoralizes the slayes-they
are rn.nons' and ought to be resis ted and
driven back.
Mr. Bell aid not say that the acts of the
ieved they We're extra icons ii utjonaI but IL,
RtNcIuuon all laws aud all constitutions
were done away. There is no law about IT,
The Union men of East Tennessee ware
pledged to submit il the State voted out by q
clear naJOrity-With aqualication-naiuely
II 1t WAS done without fraud That was an
idle qualification. There never was an cleo
uoh WI hout some degree of fraud on one
side or the other. Then, too they thought
the law emitting volunteers to vote IN other
.~nah ~ ,heir own counties, was not constitu-
tiopal. But II the iaW emitting them thus
TO vote was unconstitutional the same law
authorized the election, and every other vote
was equally UNCONSTITUTIONAL II these vol
unteers Were entitled 10 vote al home any
body who would seek TO deprive them OF their
vote, because they were cncamped away from
home, was not himself worthy to exercise tbs
rights OF a free man. The very term ''IayoIy-
uon" implied irregularity and iii IA revolution
II could not be otherwise. If there was any
thing legal about it, these voluntp tpers in cafnn
who We're entitled TO vote at home We're en-
Il tied 10 vote here.
He denounced any attempt to interfere with
the Tree exercise OF the right to vote either
by threats of personal violence or OF other
consequences. In this section The Union man
had nothing OF that sort TO fear, because they
were numerically the strongest. He WAS not
here 10 dictaIe to them how they should vote
They had the right 10 vote tor or against sep
aration, and none had the right TO hold them
accountable for voting their honest conyic-
tions. II any did attempt to prevent them
they should assert and maintain their rights
at all hazards.
For himself, he had taken his pos ition The
moose was probably around his neck, but he
was frank TO declare himself a REBEL He
had counseied resistance 10 the invasive poi-
icy OF the Federal Government and that made
him Rebel, and if there was any punish
ment to follow il, he was willing TO incur il:
he did not seek TO eyade either the charge or
the responsibility.
The applause which followed this daclara-
ton of Mr.. Bell was so great that he could
not, for moment, proceed During the
pause, DIR. Curry presented the distinguished
speaker with a beautiful bouquet on behalf of
the ladies present, which compliment Mr.
Bell appropriately acknowledged.
Mr.. Bell resumed
Notwiths landing the eagerness OF the North
to engage in and prolong this war for military
glory, ne did not believe it would be of lorr
duration. He thought it would be ended ia a
year. England and France had an interest in
the matter, and they would not permit it to
continue. 1t was to their interest 10 favor a
reconciliation.
He paid a high compliment to the brave
young men who have marched from the Sonth
into Virginia to fight. He contrssted them
with the Northern troops, and while he
awarded courage to the Massachusetts troops
they were not composed OF The best class Of
Massachusetts men.
He would not debate the question whether
the first one or two States had acted right in
seeding. He did not believe they had : but
when seven or eight States had seeded and
their people were unanimous, it was then a
revolution, aud the Administration had made
a great mistake in attempting to coerce them.
They never could coerce them; they never
could cong uer them.