Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-24
-, n,.,,,u,,vo ., the Border states.
UUICT N1Is -
=. a. Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer :


the Columbus (Ga) Enquirer:
The secession Of the "cotton States" will undeubt-
.dly leave the border slavehoding States in a very
critical and embarrassing position in the Union, and
Ills evident that without speedy and thorough re-
volution IN Northern sentiment and action they
cannot long remain members of the old Union. The
withdrawal from Congress OF ten or twelve South
ern Senator'S and forty or fifty Southern Represea-
tatives will leave that body always in the control ef
the prevalent political sentiment Of the North. A
handful OF Conservative Northern Congressmen,
unitAg with the entire South then remaining, will
not be efectual, as it -, heretofore been, pre-
vent aggressive sectional legislation. cessation of
the slavery agitation must then be sine qua 10
the remaining slavehoding States, and we have as
yet no assurance that they can obtain it. Then the
Supreme COurt-the last barrier against unconsti-
tutiona sectional injustce-will be constituted
20 represent the preudices and politics ohe North
The withdrawal of the States that have already Sc
ceded will necesstate the choice of several Judges
in the place of those now on the bench, and their
seats will probably be flied by supporters of Lin
coins administration. No more slave States viii
ever be added to the old Union-certain; and year
after year the preponderauce OF the non-slaTehold
ing States will grow and extend, while the political
power if not the area and population of the slave
States, will diminish. We will not assume that the
seeding States will agravate this unpleasant con-
dition of the border States by prohibiting the slave
trade with them. Perhaps the old Federal Govern.
ment may soon do that and thus cut on the chief
profit which Maryland and Virginia derive from
slavery!
These considerations in eur opinion, make fra
ternal appeal to cotton States, and Georgia partcu-
larly lust at this iuncture TO consult, and If posi-
BILE to cooperate before further action, with States
which will be left in such critical position by their
withdrawal.
The difficulties here stated, under which the Dor
der States will labor if they remain in the Union
after the establishment Of Southern COnfederacy
arc well worthy iof consideration. Not only will
Tennessee labor under the difficulties mentioned by
the Enquirer but she will suffer under others which
will not effect so seriously the other border slave
holding States The trade of Tennesseeis exclusive
" with the States South of All products,
corn wheat bacon, stock, -four, cotton, and every
thing else that we raise does and must forever
find q market in the cotton States. The people of
Tennessee are as deeply interested in the success of
the cotton crop as the people of the cotton States
themselves. They are the purchasers of all our
commodities, and separate them from us and every
interest in Tennessee instantly dwindles. How
many are the thousands in this State who have ties
of blood and affinity which bind them to the people
in the cotton States 1t is true that there also
portion of our citizens whose relationship binds
them TO the North. But independent of such con
siderations all the great material interests of Ten
with the Southern Confederacy, Our railroad frem
this city to Chattanooga passes through the territory
of both Alabama and Georgia, Our railroad run
ming from here to Memphis passes through the
Territory of both Alabama and Mississippi. All of
orr Railroads in East Tennessee directly con-
nected with the great network of Railroads in Geor
gia Our roads in Middle and West Tennessee are
directly connected with the roads in Alabama aad
Mississippi. Separate Tennessee from the States
South Of US and what becomes of the projected Uni
versty of the South, which would inevitably bring
i thousands and tens of thousands Of dollars into
our midst? What becomes of the Methodist Book
Concern Tthe Southwestern (Baptist) Publishing
House, the Nashville University, the Nashville Med
ical College, the Shelby Medical College, the Leb-
anon Law School, the Male and Female Academies
here and elsewhere in the State, which receive
their patronage and derive their sustenance al
most entirely from the Cotton States Who will say
that our rights will be less secure in eX-
elusive South than in a Union with an overwbelm-
ing Black Republican majority against US What ma
five of the South has less confidence in his Southern
brothers than in the LINCoINs, Stewards and Sun
NERs of the SoutL? If such there be- he is unworthy
of the land Of his nativity. Then, if our cGnEttu
tional rights will be as secure in Southern Con-
fedcracy as in a Black Republican Union, let go
where our sympathies and our interests lead us.
Place Tennessee in a Southern Confederacy with
her manufacturing, mineral and agricultural
sources and what limit can there be TO her mate
rial prosperity?