Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-06
CIRCULAR OF
w. S. FLIP PIN.
FeIlow-Citizens OF the COMMITTEES of Rob.
ertson, Davidson, Cheasham and Mont
g0mery:


Having been recently nominated Tor the Conven-
ton take this opportunity of presenting my views
on the State of the country,
The crisis is unparalleled. The country is in the
greatest danger. The question is, what is to be
doneg Are we to keep quiet--do nothing-or must
we prepare ourselves for decided action before the
4th of March.
We find Wings and Democrats commngling on a
common side IF Wings be assailed for going with
Gov Harris, can they not pertinently ask whether
Gov. johnson has become a Whig and whether the
same men are now following him who by themselves
in other days has been the most abused of all Demo-
Gratis?
know an Efforts being made to keep up, even up
on this the greatest Of questions party tics; but it
will prove failure. The interests Of Tennessee
are above all Whiggery or Democracy. Parties can
die, and party leaders pass away; but every loyal
Iennessean will pray that our State viii evsr adj
vance in prosperity, in usefulness, in the paths of
honor and true glory
Few men prefer dissolution of the Uuion; few
are dsunionists per Sc. The question is-ought the
men OF Tennessee to submit to Lincoln and Seward S
administration ought they, all remedies failing
to attain the desired end, to withdraw from the
Northern States and assert for Tennessee her indie
pendent sovereignty?
Iwould be satisfied if the amendments just pass
ed by the Legislature and proposed to be added to
the Constitution, incorporated in it before the
assembling of our convention; or, If matters had so
far progressed by the time it assemblies to leave
no doubt, that all constitutional rights would be
fully guaranteed before the Inauguration Of the Lin
coln-Seward dynasty. Let the proposed Southern
Conventionsmeet on the 4th of February, let all the
Southern States, with sufficient numter of North
ern States as will agree, meet on or about =
day of February, at Richmond, and adopt the ulti-
matum settled at the preliminary convention. If
this programme be carried out the necessary
amendments doubtless, will in that event be passed
and the country be in a condition of salvation;
either the abolition States will be turned out of the
Union, or they will all come into the new Union.
Or, if Congress should pass the necessary amend
ments to the Constitution and the different States
commence the work of ratification and go far be-
fore the assembling of conventon.as to make it
certain that the requisite majority will ratify them;
then the question is settled 1t must be said, how
ever that for one despair of anything being done
by Congress- think further, there is a little pro-
babIly that the programme laid down by our Leg
islature will be carried out Should all these expe-
dients fail what shall be done, when the Tennessee
Convention assemblies? say we ought to discover
our relations formally with the States of the North
and resume the powers by us delegated to the Cen
eral Government.
need not argue the right of secession. 1t mat
tiers little practically, whether there lie much or
any difference between secession and revolution.
Our ancestors seeded from the domination of Eng
land The thirteen seeded, State by State, from
the Confederation. Washington and his co-patriots
in the Convention that framed our Federal Confed
manning, for time afterwards, under the former
movement Those who formed the old Confederacy,
declared it perpetual and not dssoluble, except with
with the consent of all the States.
If the doctrine of State Rights be true, 1t would
seem to follow that peaceable secession may be re-
sorted to whenever plain palpdbs and direct viola
ton of the Constitutional rights of State are IN
vaded Mr. Jefferson said, that the States were sole
Judges of the infraetons of the Constitution, and
the measure and mode of redress. So thought
Il
arise secession msy then give way to, or end IN
revolution.
But our own Bill of Bights has set forth the cor
doctrine
"SEC l. That all power is inherent in the people,
and all free governments are founded on their
authority and instituted for their peace, safety and
happiness; for the advancement OF these ends, they
have, at all times, unalienable and indefeasibe
right TO alter reform abolish the government in
such manner as they may think proper"
'.SEc 3 That government being instituted for the
common benefit the doctrine of non-resistance
against arbitrary power and oppression, is absurd
savish and destructive of the good and happiness
of mankind
The right ITO alter, reform, or abolish govern
ment looks to SECESSION resistance against arbi-
trary power indicates revolution.
1t must be recollected that Tennessee was reeelV-
cd into the Union with this declaration of rights,
and upon these conditions annexed. To stay IN the
government without additional guarantees land
these should be such to settle the negro question
forever) would, in view of the insult offered to the
South by the passage of the personal liberty bills
by the election of Mr.. Lincon-his avowed opinions
the premiership of Mr. Seward, with his known
wishes and struggles for universal sufrage-the de-
csration of the latter that the downfall OF slavery
was 10 be accomplished by Lincolns electon-his
known policy coinciGing with that of his chief in
working for the ultimate extinction of slavery
say all these are enough to justify US, as last re
sort il taking the steps suggested in our Bill of
Rights: and not TO DO so is destructive of our
good and happiness" In the language of Mr.. Bell:
The question is not whether the States shall con-
tnue united according to the letter Of the covenant
by which they are bound together. 1t is whether
they shall continue 70 be practically and efficiently
cooperative in carrying out the great ends OF the
association. The question is whether mutual trust
md confidence shall continue to animate and en-
courage mutual efforts in promoting and multiply
ing common benefits; or whether mutual hatred and
distrust shall step in to check all progress; to
distract and confound all joint endeavors for the
the common welfare; in fine to entail upon
the country all the evils of endless dis
cord. That is the question And lohen you present
that issue TO me- say gire SEPARATION gtue me dis
union qiue me anything in preference to Union S1ts
tanned oy by poioer, By Constitutional and legal ties
rih0ld reciprocal trust and confidence II our tt4re
career is to be Of eternal dtScoTd, OF angry cril
nation and Tecrimindon, gtre me rather sepd di0n
1rih all its CONSEQUENCES If am to be at peace, let
it be peace in reality and if to be at war, let
me know it at once that may put my house IN or
der and be ready to meet the consequences."-Joh
Bell in the Senate in lS50-App. to Cong Globe, LIST
Sess. 3lst Cong, page 1lOl.
am asked what will Mr.. Lincoln, or rather what
will the actual President, Mr.. Seward, do? His
policy will be this-take Tennessee for example
Postmasters, mail agencies, and Government con-
tracts of every sort will be given to those editors
and others in Tennessee who are most moderate on
the slavery qudstion. At first. this will be the
i sd Cfan veto and
imperceptbly, these men VIII be removed, and IN
their places will be the suppant tools OF pow
er, men who though not openly processing 1t, yet
in truth, will be Abolitonists. Gratitude exercises
a controlling influence over human actions. Men
who get bread and meat put into their own mouths
and the mouths of thsir wives and children, will,
be inclined to sympathize in the for
unes Of those who bestow these gifts upon them.
There are. will be. during the coming admin
istration, about thousand recipients OF Govern
men bounty in Tennessee, should our state contln-
ne to stay with her Northern allies 1t Is law
of human nature for kindred and connexions to
feel deep interest in our promotion. Creditors
also have peculiar sympathy for their debtors. 10
these natural causes we may expect the already
co nsiderabe freeso element in our State to minis
ter Besides there is secret service fund, ordlna-
ry at the command of the President, and for which
he is not responsible to Congress- Can any man
doubt that man of Mr.. Stewards tact and abilities,
will not be able in four years to build up large
abolition party in Tennessee! and the same causes
operating in all the border Save States? Will any
doubt that in the Presidential election there
will be Black Republican ticket run in Tennessee,
and in all the border slave States? You may here
be reminded that Mr.. Lincoln had ticket in Nlr-
gina. Missouri. Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware,
and got large vote in Missouri; and besides num-
per of votes in Kentucky, Delaware and Mary
land
II Black Republican ticket be openly rH1 in Ten
nessee and advocated upon the stump, and then
for by that time public sentiment will begin to war
rant it-openly through the public prints, what will
negro property be worth Does not every man
know that all the negroes among US will, as matter
of sef-preseryation. have 10 DE carried South and
will we not, before aware of it, be in condition
for abolition outright? We must, also, remember
that under the appointment of members to Con-
gress we will gain comparatively little; whilst the
North will gain largely; SO that considering the
of the eight Cotton States fixed fact
the Representatives in Congress of the border slave
States will be about fifty members. The North
ern free soil States will have about two hundred
members. Should Tennessee and the border slave
States stay in, under the circumstances upon
which this argument is based, would it not be, In
eject saying toaincoln and Seward-"we will stay
in anyhow "dO as you, orr masters please" i
10 avoid immediate trouble they should wait unhl
L. Of Nv Cavrard Tinp0lns