Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-28
Che Union and Constitution.

In urging that the central States Mort. .-.G
South remsin loyal il the Union and true to
the Constitution. as jHdicialIy expounded
rmid~i the storm of dissffeetion on cur bord
as. It was far from my intention to counten-
fnce the QIix0tic and absurd idea of seiZing
thc government hy violence, and for no other
pUrpDss than 10 pTvent the Inauguration of
IN obnoxi ,Us hut constitutionally elected
President, for this would plunge US into rev.
oluii-n. the most bloody and disastrouS-a
fraud snd enOrmiiv too gross TO find favor in
sober and well ordered minds. Far be it
from me to hold out such lare to the wild
fancy of turbulence aud discomfort which
lad no rest bat in the jostle of disorder and
chaos. What proposed was a course OF ac-
ton pacific and law-abiding with a view to
calming cOmmotion and winning back the dis
affected States if possible. or. if falling in
this, to preserve intact the form and substance
Of our Republic.
If any compremise can be effected in way
of amendments to the Constitution, not at
fecting its obvious import or impairing its
force. so rs to satisfy the extremes, no one
should otirct, but rather rejoice, although
unnecessary tampering with this reycred in-
strument is hazardous. But if such amend
ments do not prove acceptable to the disaf-
fected. we have only to fall back upon the
Constitution AS Is, and remain in the Union
with all the States that will adhere to it in
good faith. The Constitution as il is, is am
MA md ffia-anf for = .ar medication Of Of
rights and the redress Of all grievances. II
has been the sheet anchor of our safety and
prosperity. Wherever enforced it has been
abundant protection against the aggressions
of individual persons and individual States.
It has been the only protection and an effec-
tual protection of the institution of slavery
against the assaults Of fanaticism in the free
States AID against the Vaccinations of the
whole aboi;iouized world. If the property
of some persons has been lost in spite of it.
it only proves that evil doors abound and
that therefore this shield against them should
be more siernuously supported and efficiently
used If lawless individuals in Tennessee
sometimes commit crime and violence and
thus disturb society in despite of common law,
il does moi, therefore illow that common law
broken up and new code of law and form
of society constructed. If mobs in the free
States have sometimes assisted the escape or
prevented the restoration of slaves it does
not follow that the Government under which
we all live shonld be overturned, and the
-
pred1iions-be broken down.
Ou: Constitution alone has made us the
great aud happy people that We are. States
men have reVered the wisdom which framed
it. All civilized nations wonder at and ad-
mire IFS profound mechanism and its harmo-
NOUS workings. Monarchies look on with
amaZement and awe 10 see how il confers
such large liberty upon the people and yet at
the same time makes Us sach great nation.
l would not see that sacred instrument Sc
siously mutilated. even 10 appease reyolu-
;ionists. Heaven forbid it should ever be
destroyed to give place to another born in
the storm of passion aad excitement!
We ought not to submit TO that ilI-consid-
cred diciaiion which would hurriedly force
Us 10 insist upon The accept of amendments
as the alternative OF dissolution; certainly
not, without giving time for thorough con-
siders ton on the part of those to whom they
are presented as an ultimatum. 1t is indeed
urged that additional guarantees," not
hitherto deemed important, have become ne
cessary at this particular jancture, since SO
much alarm prevails in the South, but if dis
quiet politicians had not dealt so largely in
infammatory and hyperbolical representa-
lions, such alarm would not hate prevailed,
and then no one would have regarded these
new guarantees as Indispensable to the perpe
tuiiy of the Union. If the extreme Southern
States are not -inclined n accspl ,hern ne