Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-27
The War---Secession not the Issue
Free Government at stake.

We giveplace with pleasure to the follow
ing brief communication from one of the best
and ablest men in Tennessee:
NASHVILLE, August "a, 1861.
MEssRs. EDTToRs-There are a number of
men in the South, as well as in the North,
who take very imperfect view of the present
contest. They can see nothing in the issue
but Secession, and content themselves with
denunciations against that doctrine and its
original authors and supporters. They can
see nothing wrong in the policy of Mr.. Lin
coin, on the principles promulgated and
practiced by him and his advisers. They can
not realize Secession in its inception, as dis
turbiDg wave on the surface, but which has
been met and overwhelmed by one OF vaster
dimensions and more terrible and destructive
force. Secession was an issue six months
ago, and was condemned by a majority of the
people, North and South but it is not the is
sue now. 1t is merged in the great admitted
right of revolution-a right of resistance to
intolerable tyranny. Mr.. Lincoln is endeav-
oring to coerce the Southern States, and pro-
fesses to have the constitutional right to do
So In the Convention that framed the Con-
stitution of the United States, it was proposed
to invest the government with this power OF
coercion, but the proposition was rejected
The highest toned advocates of power in those
days, set up no such pretension. In the Con-
yention of New York, Alexander Hamilton
said-"T coerce States is one of the mad
dest projects that was ever devised. The
States can never lose their powers till the
whole people of America are robbed of their
liberties. These must go together; the States
as well as individuals are bound by these
laws; but the laws of Congress are restricted
to certain sphere, and when they depart
from this sphere, they are no longer supreme
or binding. 4 Laao Of Congress to eOeree a SOP
eTeign Stcte into submission sood be rod, because
tSoconstitutior.al'' This is the opinion of one
who had few equals in any age or country
who had most to do with making the Consti-
tuition; and what gives to it increased weight,
is, that he favored the largest views of i'm
piled powers. And yet the doctrine of to-day,
upon which this country is being deluged in
blood, was bravely and boldly denied by
him.
Among the extraordinary powers assumed
by the President in the beginning of this
struggle, was the blockade of the Southern
ports. Upon this very question in 1882, Mr..
Webster in his celebrated Speech at Worces-
ter said-'The President has no authority to
blockade Charleston; the President has no
authority to employ military force, till he
shall be duly required so to do by law and by
the civil authorities. a By the
force of reason; by the progress of enllght-
ened opinion; by the natural, genuine patriot
ism of the country, and by the steady and
well-sustained operations Of law-the pro-
gress of Reorganization may be successfully
checked and the Union maintained"
But this vast power Mr.. Lincoln usurps and
Yields for the purposes of coercion. To this
may be added his enlistment of soldiers for
three years into the Army and into the Navy
stopping the press, and imprisoning men for
mere opinions sake. All this and more has
been done, and yet We are asked to support
the Union-to night for the government, OF
we are traitors and rebels, and liable to be
hung and have our property coniscated.
IT Secession was bad in the beginning, this
military usurpation and despotism is a thou.
sand times worse. The Union is dead. Mr.
Lincoln has destroyed it. He has committed
q great crime, and for which he deserves
death more than Charles the First did. The
blood of every soldier who falls in this wal
will be on his skirts. 1t is now no contest
between the Government and Secession
but between the usurpations of the govern
ment and the people. The people every
where, North and South, ought to rise up and
resist sword in hand. Sectional as the aspect
of the struggle is, and may continue to be
it is really deeper and wider in its scope, and
embraces the whole range of free government
The people of Maine have as deep q stake in
the issue, as the people of Tennessee, and
ought to be found lighting on the same side,
The negro played part in the beginning OF
the scene, but he has disappeared and it is
now pure white mans dght-a fight for life,
liberty, property and honor. And predici
now, that if the war lasts twelve months. q
large body, if not majority of the people Of
the North, will join our standard and FIGHT
under our banners-and then wo betide the
President and his adyisersi We see already
the indications of movements in the North
against the war-prompted by the reasons
and the motives which form the real founda,
ton of our action. B.