Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-04-17
The Clouds Thicken.


to the arbitrament of arms at Fort Sumter
Yesterday we received the proclamation O
the President, commanding the armies of th
Confederate States to disperse, and calling
into immediate service a force of rs, 00'
armed men to enforce the command, if j
should not be voluntarily obeyed. To-da.
we have request from the President upoI
the State of Tennessee for two regiments u
Join in this mad crusade for the total over
throw of the Union, to prosecute this unnec
essary and inexcusable war for the sutJuga
ton of the South. This requisition is made
upon the Governor. We understand he Il
absent: but we imagine if he were present ID
would arepudiste the bill'-though it might
he uroper that he should submit the requisi'
ton to the people, to ascertain who are ready
and willing to march under the Northern
snti-slayery and unconstitutional standard
erected at Chicago last spring to deny prac-
ticalIy the equality of individual and State
rights, which were thought, and intended, to
he guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
We cannot speak for Governor HARRIS; but
we can for ourselves and for large proper
ton of the people of the State, in saying
that Mr.. LINCOLN ought not to, and will not,
receive aid from Tennessee in his insane et-
fort to reduce the Southern States to the
pitiable condition of conquered provinces.
Our people know that if he succeed in doing
50. he will overturn the foundation sills OF
American liberty and American institutions,
and thus open the way to any sort OF des-
potism which the caprice, the interest or the
ambition of those in power may suggest, to
any system or any degree OF oppression
They are not ready for this. They have
not been brought up to work in traces; but
they have been educated in the school of
freedom, and they will not depart from its
sacred teachings. When they entered the
Union, they entered it with the Federal Con-
stitution in their hands and its principles in
their hearts They will not join in any at
tempt to oyerturn it, whether from one Sec
ton or the other. They love it above all
names and above all price. But they are not
to be circumvented into an organized and
insidious attack upon it by any call, official
or unofficial, to make political platform,
an anti-slavery platform, the paramount law
for their government. While they indignant
ly, sternly and defantly refuse to take stock
in an enterprise of that sort, they will not
maintain policy of mastery inactivity"
Though they will not go into the arms of Sc
cession, and follow in the wake of those who
are led like sheep dumb to the slaughter,
they lciH take care of themselves. They say, for
the present, "hands off" We invoke you to
cease this strife; we see nothing in it but evil
and disaster; we have opposed both sides;
We adjure you to restore to US tine peace you
have so wickedly and uselessly taken from
US: when the Union was formed it was one
of peace and of consent; we want it so con
tinued. If it cannot be so perpetuated it i:
practically at an end, and Tennessee mus
take care of herself The manner and mean:
of doing this will, of course, be left to hel
own wisdom and discretion. If she is forced
10 take sides with the North or the South, she
cannot hesitate long as to which she will es
pouse. But has it come to this? Is she re-
quired to decide this question to-day? We
hardly think so, though she may be to-mor-
row. For the present moment it is enough
for US to say that We will not join Mr.. LIN
coin in violent and bloody crusade against
the South. This position, which we regard
as the result of both principle and interest,
may lead either to an espousal of the cause
of The seeded States, or to a declaration of
our independence and vigorous preparation
for sustaining that declaration. We cannot
foretell which. This question must necessa-
rily be left to the people who are to support
and sustain the decision. 1t may involve
the private convenience of our citizens as
we'll as their blood and treasure. On it may
rest, in either case, their ''liyes, their for
tunes and their sacred honor" Let, there
fore, the utmost power of their minds be
brought to its consideration.
But il is said that the events which are so
rapidly crowding upon US will not brook de-
lay; that we will have to reach our conclu-
sions per saltxm-at a leap. We have no
doubt but that the decision must be made
before long. But there are days and perhaps
weeks left to us yet. Let us improve them,
whether days or weeks, by patriotic effort
to come to unanimous and wise conclusion.
In the meantime we can receive the facts as
they transpire, and SO aid our judgment. 1t
may be of the greatest Importance to us that
we should not separate from the border
slaveholding States. This of itself is mo.
mentous question, for we regard it as essen.
tial that all the slaveholding States should
stand together in this great conflict. To eff
feet this let US participate in the Border
State Convention already proposed. We may
thus be able to bring to bear moral power
which will silence the confusion OF the hour
and restore order where chaos reigns, by
bringing about a cessation of hostilities, a
settlement of difficulties, or a peaceful sepa-
ration; or failing in this we may unite the
border States in one solid phalanx against
the sectionalism of the North. And to make
this effort effective we might demand of the
Governor a call for another extra session OF
the Legislature. Generally in the North this
course is being pursued, and it would seem
that such a course in this State would be
highly proper and expedient. Such a pro-
ceeding would, at least, be legal, ahd we
know of no other that would, under present
circumstances. We suggest this merely.
In thus giving our own views on the facts
as they arise in their great significance be-
fore US, we are actuated by no motive or de-
sire but for the good of the whole country.
We trust the people will give their earnest
attention to the subject.
Hox. 4. B. BorEIER-This eloquent ad-
vocate of the Union has, in compliance with
pressing request of the friends of the Union