Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-02


their value. We had better think of that
aud act prudently and for our own interests.
If Tenuessee secedes and unitss her dessi-
MES with this Southern Confederacy, what
fs the consequence. Here Is an army to be
created aud sustained. navy to be bniit,
and all the Institutions of new. government.
to be established aud set on foot, with its eA-
pensive machinery, its foreign ministers, its
ten THOUSAND Office holders This would re-
quire an expenditure Of untold millions
which must be raised out Of the pockets OF
the people. Il would greatly diminish the
value of our slave property and affect iuju-
riously all our material interests.
And why should we do this? Why shall
Tennessee be thus driven ''lrom her proprie-
ty," and rush precipitately into the vortex of
reYolu lion? III other States have '.shot mad
| ly from their spheres, without deigniug to
consult With her and to ask her advice and
cooperation, must she blindly follow, or
should she act with reference to her own
| high character and positiopl Certainly the
| latter course is that of wisdom.
| But then our rights have been violated.
grossly, shamefnlly violated, and the Censti-'
| tuition itself attempted to be broken down by
| this Black Republican party. This is true
Butidoes that require us 10 go out the
| Union and embark in that untried expert
| ment. a Southern Cohfederacy. Certainly
| not. Our injuries have been received with.
| in the Union=let them there be redressed.
| There is no point of honor that. requires us
to go out In private life it is admitted that
the best security fer mans rights, is to
| stand firmly in their defence. This is also
| the best policy for State. If the old Hero
of the Hermitage could re-appear upon the
| stage, wbs. would be his course? We thin
| you would hear him, rafting his voice above
| the storm, exclaim in tones of thunder. that
no Abolitionist, Black Republican of the
North, nor fire-eating disunionist of the
South, should drive him ont of the Union.
but that "the Union must and shall De pre-
| sersed. Ped ssl p 2 ltaiA ~ --'-i p
| The course then for Tennessee to pursue is
not to secede, not to unite herself to any
Southern Confederacy, but to stand firmly
| upon her rights within the Union. Let her
| and Kentucky. Virginia aud North Carolina,
| Maryland and Missouri. present their ultima
tuni founded upon The basis Of The Crittenden
Resolutions. TO uon-siaveholding States
give the people of those States full time
to deliberate and act upon them and they
will be carried by an overwhelming majority,
let The result of the attempted paciicat ton at
Washington sen the 4th of next month be
what it may.
1t is perfect farce aud mockery TO hold
out plan of adjustment to these States, and
yet couple it with Il condition that must of
necessity defeat fit7-to say that unless GER
tain amendments are agreed TO he made by
these States TO the Constitution, by the meet
ing of our Convention on the 18th of next
month, that Tennessee shall at once secede.
These amendments can only be made through
their State Conventions, or Legislatures in
certain event, which of necessity must take
a reasonable time for such bodies to be call
ed, aud these amendments to be agreed
upon.
These middle sl2Feholding aud border
States by not seeding, will be in a condition
most certainly TO effect an adjustment, by
acting as mediaiors between the non-slave-
holding and seeding States. The States
that have seeded will make no proposition
for adjustment, nor can We after we have se-
coded with them. But until that time we
can present our plan Of adjustment to all the
States, and say to those of the North unless
these amendments are made, we will unite
with the seeding States, W hich would be an
irresistible argument in favor of their adop-
ton; for if they shall be refused and all the
slaveholding States unite in Southern Con-
federacy, or if Tennessee alone shall be added
to the Cotton States, we fear reconstruction
of the Government will be impossible.
What danger can result from this course
if the delay should be beyond the inaugura
ton of Lincoln on the 4th of March? None
whatever. Tennessee and Kentucky (and we
believe yirginia) have spoken nobly and as |
one man, and have said that any attempt to |
coerce the seeding States would be resisted |
by them at all hazards aud TO the last ex-
tremity, and such will b. The unanimous /
voice of the Tennessee Cons But by |
precipitating our dissolution we become pow
eriess in Inc reconstruction of the Govern
ment, and are bound hand and foot. TO the |
Southern Confederacy.
We have said these amendments would be |
carried if presented to the people of those |
States. All the Indications are that way. I
Lincoln is a minority President. There was
a majority of mere than one million in the |
popular vote of the Union against him-and
that would be now, from all the indications |
we have, one million and half, perhaps two |
millions. Indeed, his Administration is over
thrown before ii has commeiIced. His elect
ion was mainly the result Of our own divis-
ions which proved that the spirit of party |
was too strong for the spirit of patriotism
Nor was his election upon the question of
slavery alone; but many other questions,
such as Che Tariff, &C.. together with the un-
popularity of the present Administration,
all entered into the canvass But go before
the people of the North upon the question of
the equality of the States and the protection
of Southern rights within the Union and a
fair division of the Territories, without which
no adjustment can or should be made, and
the repeal of their hostile legislation, the re-
suit would be very different. There is vast
array of noble men in allthose States who
are true to Southern rights within the Union,
who would make themselves heard upon
such aquestion. when the restoration of the
Union or the disruption of the whole Con-
iederacy depended upon their efforts. who
will be utterly powerless If the Union is
wholly broken up by The secession of,aIl the
States. - - q e ! "A .es
But if right and justice are still denied us,
then it will be time enough for MS to act
finally aud see what new relations we shall
form with other States, and If need be, unite
IN a. Southern Coufederacy. 49,
1t took years of toll aud labor and suffer-