Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-03
card fro,. uansan m. witt.
Ftlioo- Citizens of he E0se,ss esa9ressio,aas Dis
fr;rf af Tsutessss-

ft1to,o-Caizen of he Eosrss. 6sa9ressio,las Dis
tfict Of Tennessee:
Having been solicited By many of you to
become candidate for seat as your Repre-
sentative in the Provisional Government of
the Confederate States of America. and see
ing that the Governor has issued his PrOcla-
nation for an election of delegates as provi-
ded by law, L have finally yielded to your
desires, and am now a candidate for that
high and responsible position. 1t is true,
fellow-citizens, that up tn the time of Lir
| coins proclamation for troops from this and
other Southern States, to fight against aud
conquer the South, had persisteutly adheF-
ed to and advocated the preservation of the
United States Government upon principles
| of equal and constitutional Justice to all the
States. Because | was not then willing to
against the South by Lincoln, such as would
justify revolution on the part of the South
in resisting the unwarrs nted usurpations of
the Fedtral Executive, when l saw Lincoln's
said proclamation | admit l lost all hope of a
reconstruction of the Government, and de-
termined at once that if the contest between
the North and South was to be settled by
shedding blood, as required by Lincoln, l
would never consent to it. could not agree
to see Southern men imhue their hands in
each others blood, to crafty the wicked
malignant and reckless policy of such a Pres
ident, Hence, without hesitation on my
part, upon the first sight Of that proclama-
10, I H.,
struck for her liberty ard success; and | will
continue to do so against her wicked, I'M
principled and reckless invaders. felt upon
this last conclusion that although there were
many OF my fellow-citizens that would then
differ with me honestly. still, upon full re-
alization of the facts and mature reflection
upon the impending consequences, believed
they would. aud still think that they will
concur with me in the policy which deemed
best to be pursued upon the part of Tennes-
see and the whole South, so as to give us a
proper and honorable status in the future as
pect of national affairs. Gentlemen. | am
now, as | was on the 6th of June last, both
for and with the South, and the whole South,
in all her struggles, botn civil and military,
Tor her independence, and do not desire an
election upon any other understanding than
firm pledge on my part that will do all in
my power to promote every honorable agency,
enterprise or policy that will conduce to the
speedy accomplishment of the triumph, glory
and honor of the South. l need not say that
| have always opposed the doctrine Of coer-
cion. The South stands upon the great prin-
ciple of selfdefense, given to man by God,
out of which springs the right of revolution.
And the South, in the exercise Of this right,
stands justified before God and the nations of
the world; and having sOldiery in her
midst composed of the best blood Of earth,
she will soon take her stand among the ma
tons of the earth as one of the most power
ful and glorious Governments ever cOntem-
plated by tie genius of liberty.
WIN. Ii. DEWITT.