Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-06
TheLaIest BrIIish- Argument In Favor OF
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The secession Asa- been contemplated sHd tlress-
ened for some thirty years past. It was defended
by arguments as good as have usually been ad-
vanced for national insurrectiOns, aud if was in
opposition to the dictate of political wisdom it
in conformity with the passions Of human nature.
The States Of the old American Union would per
haps have been more prosperous at home, aud GER
taInly more formidable abroad, if they had remain
ed united but the same may be said of the States
of all the empires which have fallen to pieces.
Union is strength always and every where, and the
larger the population that can be retained under
these conditions the, greater viii be the result
But it happens that these considerations NOT al
lowed to preyailRgsinst influence of a more imme.
date kind: The vision Of Independence Is more
attractive than the vision Of power. The people
Of the Southern States are only doing what the peo
pie ola hundred other STATES hare dane before
them They msy be mistaken but they know their
own minds. They may be wrong, but they are
ten Millions The Federalists themselves admit the
right Of insurrection. but deny that iusurrec6oa
can be justified in the present instance. That ar
gument, however; can never stand. It. is sbsurd
to say thatrebellion il asacred popular privilege
but thatiF only be exercised with the ascot OF
those agsinst whemit would be directed The En-.
peror Of Rnssiz might admit the doctrine as thus
stated aIfthe people have right 70 rebel against
governmen ts, it mnst when they think fitting
and not when the governments allow it,.
So loag as the insurrecrion of the South seemed
spiteful Rebeion against the results Of political
elecUOus we were O0aa DeiAel feg4fA as
upjustifabe it meant only, has beea asserted
"bullet7s gainst Hbalio We should look upon IL as
wicked and treasonsbls act for never could the
North be charged. notwithstanding Its commercial
bias with want OF consideration for the institu-
tons of the South If, again, the question could be
argued on pure grounds of expectancy, We should
here also though not so decidedly, pronounce
against the resolution o. by South to divorce
itself from the North. But the actual case is very
different. The last twelve months have shown that
Northerners and Southerners as irreconcilable
as Greeks and Turks, or Germans and Msgysrs.
This war Will but intensity and perpetuate snmosi-
ties which the very nature of things had long ago
created. Sectional antPathies have proved as stub
born national antpathies. They could not
be assusged BY compromise, and they will as
suredly not be abolished by conquest. The
armies of the North may overpOWer the armies Of
the South, but the South and North can never be
expected to Hmsgamste again. Tis for this reason,
and because territories prodgious those of the
Southern. States can never be retained by armed
occupation, that think the policy of the Federal
Government wrong, If the whole cause of the
war is to be analysed, we must needs say, the
NOrtherners have the right on their side for the
Southerrersi have destroyed, without provocation,
mighty political fabric, and have impaired the
glory and strength of the great American Republic
But, as they have chosen 10 do this as they have
shown themselves hitherto no less powerful than
their sn;sgon SIS Js the decision Of so large pop
ulatlon cannot be .cOntemned, aad we lnnot pre-
same ourselves that Eenui:ie peace Is likely to
spring from prOrractsd war shouts ri ice TO
see the pacifeaIiJn Of A neE!ca promoted BY other
means. 80. s.l.. - ~ u.