Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-26

sECEssIOy CANNOT EE UNDoNE-THE NORTH CAN NEVER
RESTORE IHE UNION.
FROM the Lendon Economist, July g.
We last week discussed the prospects of the Union
ists reducing the SecessiOnists to submission by
mere fighting and blOckading, by defeating them IN
the field and shutting up their ports. We assumed,
for the sake of argument that Northern victory
over Southern troops and Northern destruction OF
Southern commerce was as probable as ihe federaI-
lists believe to be certain We granted all q AZ the
free States boast to the superiority OF their re
sources aud notwithstanding that we arrived at
a most confident conclusion that the forclble rein
corporation of the seeding States was about as
hopeless a scheme as it is unwise an aim
But suppose 1t done. Suppose the South so e1ee-
tuslly beaten and broken Down by the ruin of its
commerce the privation of its people, and the de-
feat Of its army, that is reduced TO sue for peace
and to accent the terms dictated by the cOnqueriRg
North Let US suppose further that those terms are
not needlessly humaung but consist merely IN the
resembling Of all the secession ordinances and the
restoration of the authority of the Washington Gov
ernment over the whole Of the rebelliOus States.
What has been gained thereby? And how much OF
what is gained can be preserved? How IS the con
quest to be upheld? How is the suppressed will OF
the peoDle to be kept down. How are the captive
millions to be retained in their forced allegiance!
How can they be made to work 2 Joint system OF
Government, Of which they are thWartlng mem
bers and unwilling constituents?
How is the administration of ten distinct States
of square miles. 70 be carried on Are Federal Gov
ern0rs and Federal offcers to be appointed - the
work? and how amid hostile people, cen they en-
force their decrees The slave States, forced back
into the Union, must be governed either as conquer
ed lands or as free and equally endowed portions OF
a Federal republic. If the former, what stan OF
civil officers and what military force would be ade-
ouate to maintain authority, and to enforce order
and obedience! If the latter, how will The STATE
machine work with three Hths Of the Senate and
az the House Of Representatives bent upon thwart
ing every movement Ten independent States aud
eiSbtmiIions of free men can only be governed with
their own consent, and through their own officers
and their own citizens. And what chance Is there
that their own officers and their own citizens viii
| govern them in conformity with the wishes and
DIaus of central Government which has Just coa-
auered them 0yerrun their pl; ntatOns bOInbardsd
| their cities ruined their commerce. and lnuicted
| the deadlfest wound upon their pride2
The very idea is absurd. To sObJugate the sisTc
States difficult as It is viii be infinitely easier than
to keep them in szbiectiou. Il Is obvious, on
moments consideration, that they can only be Kept
in the Union ater being forced back INTO ~ VAN
their own free consent and what prospect OF that
free consent can even the most sanguine fancy hold
| out to u.s. 1t was pereDptOrily even lnsulungly
| refused before blow was struck and when all
| was comparatively calm: will 1t be giye1 bY men
infurated by the modification of defeat and dsGp
nontn,ent to men whom they dislled and despised
| as equal felOW-citZeus. and whom tley viii aOso-
/ Iutey abhor as cOnquer~rs or masters. In fi1e
could the forcible reconstruction of the Union be
maintained for year, or wOul It bring with any
| one adYmtsge, even If mai1talnableE
/ But one single consideration would seem 10 Be
sufficient to render all this argument superhuous
Does not the mere existence OF democratic lnstI1u
| tions-(and no one so far as we have heard has
| ever dreamed of abOlishing these render any
| poley or any Government Impossible that IS de-
nouuced and detested by the people! Unless, there
fore the SOuthcrners or decided majority Of them
are or can be made friendly to the Union-unless,
that is the SeCessiOnists are, or become hostile TO
secession-the reconstruction Of the Mon IS pure
| impossibility. Som Americans we hear, are wild
ourh 10 ssert that the influential, not the COM
mercal majority in the slaves States are JniOnlsts
| at heart or will become so after good beating
But this is a question Of contingent fact en- when
! we can accept no mans dlctum.
| Some Americans from the North, and fe" En-
| glishmen who sympathize warmly with their wish
es occasionally hint, though as yet only cautious
! whisper that they have yet another resource IN
| the background-an ally in reserve, to be called
ont if uecessary-by whose aid they can insure the
! submission of the South, in case we should prove
| correct in pronouncing their own unaided powers
INADEQUATE TO the achievement. They believe 1t I'M
! Uossibe for the seeding States with their iour
millions of slaves-as internal fOes-to prolong for
auv Iergth of time conflict which can scarcely
fail to arouse and render unmanageable the negro
| population. In plain terms, they ANTICIPATE lhe
probability, in the slave States do not sPeedly
| suCCumb, of exciting a serylie lnsurrecllon' anu
thew are COnQueNL lllt uECd1 VI s1S4A OSNoN
| inS ca soon as the likelihood of it can be real
iasd will bring their antagonists upon their knees
This is so grave a matter that (since it has been
| spoken of we must say in very distinct language
What we think of the scheme looking at 1t both
from moral and q strategic point OF view.
Our own strong convictions on the subject OF
| negro slavery in America have been too often ex
pressed and are too well known to need repeating
here.
All this time we have no scheme Of our own tc
propose for the extinction of negro slavery; anu We
have never heard one propounded which seemed
to any high degree rational, hopeful or attractive
Yes, we confess that the prospect Of securing VIC
tory to Northern arms by the aid OF negro lnsar
rection-of raising the slaves in order to subJugati
the Secessionsts- to US at once desperate
expedient and an enormous crime. That should
even be dreamed Of by sober politicians and Chrls
tain citizens shows but too clearly how tearfullJ
civil conflict has disturbed the minds ald perverted
the feelings of those engaged in It.
vyGr,ND's RECOGNITION OF TIE REBELS AZ BELLIG
! GERENTs.