Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-13
Our Humiliation.

There is something painfully humiliating in the
position which the border slave States must here
after occupy, should they maintain their present
political relations with the Abolition States What
though we are still permitted to send Representa-
tives to Congress? What though we are still to be
furnished with our usual mail facilities! What
though the Federal Judges still hold their courts
among US! What though we shall in all things occu-
Ry position Of nominal equality with the citizens
OF other States? We shall nevertheless in point Of
fact be but so many outlying provinces, degraded
and dishOnored by virtual exclusion from all real
participation in affairs of Government No man
from slave State whatever may be his talents his
moral and intellectual worth can ever hereafter hold
any position of honor distinction in the general
government, except upon the humiliatng condition
that he viii lend himself to the unholy purposes of
abolitionism.
We speak what every man, North and South,
knows to be true. The present is but the beginning
of what is to be in all time TO come. If the Black
Republican party every ceases to be sectional, it
will only be by the conversion of the Southern
States to the principles of that party An opportu-
nifty viii be afforded, under the guise of the popular
party name of Union through the instrumentality
of leading spirits North and South to initiate us in
to the first degree Of abolitionism.
Under the popular cry of the Union, we shall it is
hoped by SEWARD & Co., be lured step by step into
the embraces of those who would WOO us to our
Obstruction. This indeed is virtually already avow
eddy that great arch deceiver the present premier
Should we yield should we consent to all the aims
of Black Republicanism we may then hope to come
In fer share, small share of the honors and re-
ofE
expect, for all time to come to stand where we
stand to day, practically excluded upon the ground
Of our untness for association with the moral up
right, and humane citizens of the North in the ad
ministration Of the affairs of great Government.
1t 10 so now. Upon what grounds will any
one undertake to say that it will be otherwise
in the future. Does any man in Tennessee not
already contaminated by the embrace Of SEW
ARD. GREELEY- & Co., feel that he has any
cart or lot in the Government, except simply to
obey the ehess of the powers that be? Does any true
heartod Souherner feel that he is part and parcel of
of the governing class in the United States? Should
we not almost blush to confess in foreign land 10
one familiar with the events OF the lastfew months,
that we are citizens Of Southern State Of the
Enion. Through our legislature, through our MEM
bers of Congress through our Peace Conference, by
every form of expression we have complained of the
xrones and insults to which we are subjected, by
the Black Republican States we have appealed to
20 their magnanimity, their generosity, we have
humbly ig,plOred them to concede only
.o much as would save our honor, and
we are answered by military organizations,
,vb,ch admouish us to be satisfied with the
the proud honor of belonging to Sle same Union
with Hbgtgloving, slavery-hating Republicans.
Thew will see that we shall have all that slave OVID
ers are entitled to. But we must be content with
what Rey regard as our rights, but hope no longer
20 Gil places of honor at home or abroad.
Such Is at present the humiisting position OF once
nropd Tennessee. Denounced at home, denounced
by our own representatives, throughout all the ma
tons of the world for our poverty, eur ignorance
our jnhumanity, our simi-barbarity. And still we
cling as mere dependents upon the skirts OF our
trdueerG and shout hozannahs TO the glorious Union
through which we are thus degraded.