Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-20

From Die Southern uonfsderacy.
We informed oar readers in yesterdays issue.
that this distinguished gentIsan was expected to
reach the city By The evening West Point train. ~
pectation was On tptoe, and the whole city wa. ont
to greet the favorite Of our people We % not re.
member ever before to have seen so large an assem-,
blage of our citizens brought together The M
merous military companies IN full dress. and the
Fire Department with gay uniforms and brilliant
torches, were out in strong force. Mr.. Stephens
was presented to the OF enthusiastic adrirers
who stood there to do him honor, By our worthy
Mayor in few very appropriate words Of wei>
come. -
In response, Mr.. Stephens excused himself from
bis state Of WEAKNESS and fatigue, from maxine auv
very extended remarks, but said he desired to no
tice ellusion of the Mayer to the Iabors Of the
Congress at Montgomery. With marked emphasis
Mr.. Stephens said that in all the public bodies in
which he had ever served the country and in his
experience they had not been few, he never met as
many men combining the same exalted talent with
as much Of devoted, unseifsh patriotism. Their
whole aim seemed 10 be to see the right and to mr.
| sue 1t. This was his opinion but very soon we
would have the opportunity Of seeing what had
been done and passing upon it ourselves He ven
tured to say, that the history Of the world did not
present such another social phenomenon as the ex
| sting revolution in the Cotton States vast en-
| pire was divided government thrown off. new
system inaugurated in juxtapesition to the old,
| and without. a drop of blood, the SLIGHTEST so.
cial disorder Of physical suffering. All we had to
d. said the speaker to perpetuate this happy state
of things, was to be true TO cur own honor and fame
We were once Unionists but now we are all Secess-
oniss, and continue to display to all the world
the proper union of hearts andpurpose there could
/ be no such word as fail for us. But in most elo-
quent tones he declared, if dissentions springing
| from Tenal and selfish ambltioas, if unreasonine
and caphous faultfnding should distract and dis
/ courage the true friends of Southern liberty he
could prophecy no good for us.n Mr.. Stephens said
boh o1 Cd ~ V...-.
which he had been born, and did still feel great re-
! spect for it. But upon dispassionate comparison
of the two Constitutions he did not hesitate TO de-
clare that the was an improvement on the old.
He went on TO state that he thought ehe mode of
appropriating money when brought into the Treasu
ny by taxation asproyded for by the Constitution of
the Confederate States, decided improvement on
/ that of any government whatever. The labor he
said, was not much to get money into the public
chest to protect 1t from misrepresentation after it
| was raised. BY the new Constitution not dollsr
could be drawn from the public Treasury, unless
! by two-shirds vote Of Congress. An exception to
this rule only madewhen the President should
report to Congress that pressing public necessity
and exigency called Tor it. Another grand differ
ence between the old and new Constitution was this
said Mr. Stephens, in the old Constitution the Faith
| ers looked upon the falacy of the equali-
| ty of races as underlying the founda-
dations Of republican liberty. Jefferson, Madison.
and Washington and many others were tender of
i
forward to the time when the institution of slavery
should be removed from our midst as trouble and
stumbling block. This deluson could not be trac-
ed in any of the component parts of the Southern
Constitution. In that instrument we soeLlnly dis
carded the pestent heresy fancy politicians, that
all men, OF all races, were equal and we had made
African inequality and subordinaton andth eqnali-
y of white men, the chief of the South
ern Republic. With an honest administration Of a
government SO founded, Mr.. Stephens said, the
world was yet to see in US the model nation Of his-
tory. Restore peace set people quietly to work
ont their destiny frsm this point Of departure, and
we would go on from one step Of glorious develop
ment to another. We would expand Southwark ard
Westward to the East and to the North (God forbid,
said gallant Secessionist) until there would be no
complaint about Territory. Even now our galaxy
numbered "seven stars and like that well known
| cluster we would soon have the admiring gaze Of
/ the world to follow Mr.. Stephens said befoI Q
he closed he would make a prediction that some
might take in the way of good news if they wished
/ He gave it as his opinion, that before Saturday
night we would hear of the surrender of Fort
| Sumter. What the labors and science of Gene-
| raj beauyegard had dene in convincing Ma
jor Anderson that his position was not impregnable
ne would not undertake to say. But if this predic-
ton turn cut as 1t may, Of one thing we might rest
assured, that the forts would be given up, or they
would be taken away. Mr.. Stephens seemed to be
satisfied that we should have peaceable separa-
ton from the North but he said cur general prepa-
ton and readiness 70 meet different result might
| hsve had great deal to do with such consumma-
ton. He said we all desired peace-none Of us
felt that and its suerings and distractions were
| light things, but yet we were prepared for war
While we said to the North, go on in peace be pros
porous and happy As you may, while we will do the
same, yet having once said to the North you must
not trample on and interfere with u.s. we 1soas
said you ShGnu After invoking fraternal and
cordial union of all hearts in defense and support
| of the Honor and Freedom of our people, in most
touching language, Mr.. Stephens closed by propos>
ing three cheers for the Confederate States. The
stirring eloquenee Of the speaker had sprung the
hearts and voices of the great crowd for that
cheering, and it was given with will: three cheers
for the Confederate States of Americ. and three
more and tiger for the Provisional Vice Presi-
dent
Mr.. Keitt, of South Carolina, it was whispered
around, was IN the throng, and soon a thousand
voices called him out. Well did this gallSnt aud
eloquent gentleman sustain the report we had all
received of his power as speaker. He rendered
tribute to our Vice President of indispensable
eloquence and gave US, in his unsefsh and no.
bic devotedness TO the of Southern Independ-
ence, an earnest of what his State would do in ap-
proval of the recent labors Of the Congress at
Montgomery.
The immense crowd dispersed at half-past eight,
cheered and eated with what they had heard of the
frightening prospects of our beloved country.