Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-03-26


part Of the Federal Government to avoid all
possible occasions of offence, as far as may
be compatible with the national safety,
which, in the present attitude of cur civil
relations. can better be subserved by concili
alton and forbearance than by the summary
processes of executive rigor-i
And, as in the case Of the public revenues,
SO also in the case of the public property
seized By the seeded States, we entirely dis
approve the policy of attempting its recap
ture and occupation By military force The
wrong committed by such seizure would not
be remedied by such proceeding, or the
remedy might prove worse than the wrong.
In regard tn the retention of the forts oc-
cupid by the United States, that is question
which is now brought down to- the simple
point of holding or abandoning Fort Pick
ems for we assume that Fort Sumter will be
evacuated at an early day, and Forts Jeffer-
son, at Tortugas, aud Taylor, at Key West.
lying far out at sea, and being obviously of
national Importance, are not included in the
number of the posts which the State of Flori-
da is entitled to claim on the ground of any
necessity for her local defence. Forts Jeffer-
son and Taylor were built with paramount
reference to the commerce of the United
States, aud should remain in the hands of the
Government which bulls them in the interest
of its commerce. The Key West naval coal
depot and wharf. the marine hospital, the
army barracks, the admiralty courts and
wrecking organization. and the series of light
houses Loggerhead, Tortugas, Key West,
Sandy Key, Sombrero, Carysford. Cape Flori-
da, Jupiter. and Cape Cauaveral-will not,
we take it for granted. be abandoned TO the
State which has least interest in them and
least capacity to hold and maintain them
Let Florida have Fort Clnch to guard the ap
proaches to Fernandina; let her have the Pen
sacoia Navy Yard and the triple fortifca-
tons there; let her have what concerns only
local interests; but the commercial United
States cannot be Justly called to surrender
to uncom nercial Florida what belongs to
aud concerns only the commerce of the ma
ton.
From first to last, as an intelligent writer
has already said in our columns, all the APP
preparations made for the works at Key
West and Tortugas have been asked officially,
and by their advocates in Congress, on the
express ground of their national Importance,
and not at all because of any local value
The Florida Senators and Representatives
are forever estopped from claiming them rs
local, by oft-recorded assertions of their ma
tionality as the sole reason for apprOpria-
lions in their behalf. Key West and the
whole line of reefs and keys have only COM
mercial and naval significance. They are
widely separate from the Florida mainland
in geography, interests and vocations. They
should be considered and occupied as nation
al not local.
The question of military posts in dispute
between the Government of the United
States and of the Confederate States" being
thus narrowed down to the retention of Fort
Pickens by the former, or its occupation by
the latter, it seems to US that the matter in
controversy is so small that either Govern
ment may waive its claim with entire pro-
pTiety. and that in no event can ii be made
81. - IL, . ha
entirely prudent for our Government to
withdraw the garrison now holding it, and
while this is the step which, under all the
circumstances, we would advise, yet we are
free to say that should the Government OF
the Confederate States initiate hostile pro-
ceedings for the summary capture OF this
single Federal port, it would Indicate an
alacrity for war such as would do discredlt
to its Tepute for humanity throughout the
civilized world. For what. at present, is the
admitted character of that Government? The
provisional creation of body meu, appoint
ed by State Conventions whose members
were elected without the least reference to
the formation of any Federative Government
whether Provisional or Permanent, it has
not sufficiently ascertained basis in the popu-
lar will to ensure for its edicts an unquestion-
ing and immediate assent at the hands OF
other Governments, whose popular legitima-
vising forbearance on both sides, we would
have the Federal Government take pre-emi-
hence in the way of Cancellation, it is because
by so doing it can best defeat the ulteriOr
purposes which might be subserved by a
different policy.
In view of the difficulties which surround
an adjustment of the questions raised by the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Union, we have come to
the conclusion that no authority less final and
COMMUNICATIVE Than a General COnVpniIOn Ot
the States still remaining loyal to their Fed
eral allegiance can be successfully invoked
in the premises. We take il for granted that
if the separation of the Seeded States is to
be permanent the questions now outstanding
between them and the Federal Government
are to be settled IN some authoritative man.
ner, and we know Of no way in which this
can be dona so appropriately and effectually
as by the arbitration of National CoGfer-
ence. 1t would be the duty of such Conven-
ton to revise the Constitution of the United
States, and this might be done in such way
as to bring about re construction OF the
Union or, if this should be found imprac
ticable, provision might be made for contrac-
ting the limits of the Union so as to comprise
only the States acceding to the project of a
Constitution submitted as the fruits of its Ia
bors. In the propositions of the late Peace
Conference we have already the basis of Con-
If not in form, might be taken as the general
rallying cry of conservative men in proceed
ing to the election of delegates 10 such
Convention from all the States. The work of
the Peace Conference, so far from falling to
the aground, might thus be made the means
of assuring the return of majority of the
delegates committed to its general principles
and thus the proceedings of the National
Convention would be restrained within just
limits, without diverging into the contrarieties
of opinion springing from the predominsnce
of sectional antagonists over the spirit of
concession and compromise.
As no one proposes the subjugation of the
Seeded States, it follows that the adjustment
of their relations to the Federal Government
turn to the Union, or by the definite recogni-
ton OF their independence out of it. As
soon as it shall be made apparent that the
people of the Seeded States desire q perma-
nent separation from their former confeder-
ates, it would seem to be the part of wisdom
and sound policy for the people of the United
States to acquiesee in that desire. Nothing
can be gained by the interest of peace and
dignity, or good neighborhood or reciprocal
trade, by a persistent refusal to ascertain and
Tx disputed relations which must be adjusted
in the end, and which can be more satisfacto-
rily adjusted by negotiations before war than
by negotiations after war.
And this leads us to remark that the people
of the loyal States have an interest in the
adjustment of this question at an early day.
so soon as it shall be satisfactorily ascertain
ed, (if it should be SO ascertained,) that the
secession of the Confederate States is defni-
4 in no inf onau SIC in