Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-05-16
READ, REFLECT, ACT.

pendence of the government oil Great britain,
which had become, through the acts OF a
tyrannical King and subservient Ministry.
intoIerabIy oppressive to them, they asserted
the great principle which lies at the fOunda-
ton of all free government, in the following
words -
Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent
of the governed; that whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of thee
ends. it is the right of the people tn alt T or
10 abolish it, and To- institute new govern
mrnt laying its found atom on such priuci-
pIeS, and organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely TO eff-ct
their safety and happiness Prudence, indeed
will dictate that governments long establish
ed should not ne changed for light and tran
sient Causes; and. accordingly. ali experience
hath shown that mankind are more disposed
to suffer, while evils suff rable. than to
right them-elves by nbOlishiug The forms to
which they are ACCUSTOMED. But, when
long train of abuses and usurpatIOnS, pursu-
ing invariably the same object, eyinces de,
sign to 7, duce them under absOlu despOtism,
il is their right, it is their duty. To throw utf
such government. and 10 provide new guards
for their future security"
~ The colonies confrderated together to sus-
tain this declaration by force of arms, and
did sustain it. They knew, in making il.
they incurred the concentrated wrath of the
British realm, and the demonstrative hOsIiIi-
ty of all its power. They knew they were
making sa :rifice of personal comfort, ma
terial prosperity, individual happiness and
much of life !; but they accepted all, en-
braced all with joyous rapture in preference
to the absolute despOtism' with which they
were threatened by "a long train OF abuses
and usurpations,' and, in support of the dc
Iaration, mutually pledged to each other
their lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honor They staked everything on the issue
of the principle declared, as above set forth,
and achieved the victory.
They next proceeded ito institute new
government organizing its powers in the
form which seemed TO them most likely to
effect their safety and happiness That form
was the Federal Constitution, which had for
its foundation the great underlying principle
of popular consent, aud the grand and benef
cent superstructure was emblaZOned all over
with the symbols of Liberty. Equality, JUS
tice, Peace and Fraternity. Without these
the Constitution was nothing, the Union was
nothing. And thus it was transmitted to Us,
and only by perpetuating these, could the
Union, which was eDgrafted upon them, be
perpetuated. So long as these were uurtured
and cherished, we expanded and prOspered,
as no people ever fiourished before.
T., of IL
nisms in interest began to take possession of
the popular mind, and geographical discrim-
nations against which We were warned by
the parental voice of WASHINGTON, were en-
tertained- Upon these differences parties
were arrayed. and the Halls of our nalional
counseIs became the theatre of bitter and
angry debate, ami sometimes of personal col
lision. These discussions were continued until
the Republic was divided on a sectional line
one side embracing all the slaveholding
States, and the other all the nOn-slavehold
ing State II was as erIain that the la
ter under the general designation of L" the
North" had a prepOnderance of popular
strength, and the former under the apprlIa
ton of the South, ;" was in hopeless minori-
ty. Each section. as section, was equally
intent on carrying its point. and equally
earnest and industrious in efforts to that
end. In this state of things only one thing
was necessary to produce permanent alien
alton, and violent disruption of the Union,
and that thing was, a united Nnrth against a
united South. The element of fraternity
which entered 90 largely into the structure of
the Union was pracI ically destroyed, aud the
only cord lett to bold the warning parts to-
geih-r was the obligations of the Cunstitu-
ton which were Intended TO insure to the
citizens of all sections alike equality of
rights. justice in all respects, and to protect
them against wrong from every quarter.
This was the last bop of the Republic.
Aware of this state OF things, and toresee-
ing the inevitable and violent disruption OF
the Union, on the accession of the Northern
sectionalists to power, portion of the PEG
pie of the country made an honest aud earnest
endeavor to avoid such a Calamity by calling
into exercise the latent attachment of the
by our fathers, and thus obliterate tue Sec
tional line which had been drawn, and re-
store the Republic to its f'rmer estate ThiS
effort was put forth in the Presidential cleo
ton of $50, the first alter the arrayal of the
anti slavery party of the North as hostile
and determined political Organization. 1t
failed to demonstrate its own supremacy.
but partially succeeded in contributing ma
terially to the defeat of the Republican can
didate in that contest. In 1860, the same
element eyed the effort in opposition to
the prevalent sectionalism of the day. But
in the result, it and the whole South was ov-
erwbelmed by the triumphant success of the
yeritable author ofthe "irrepressible coniict-
in the person of Mr.. LINCOLN, who was the
personifcation of a platform hostile to the
property rights of the Southern citizen, and
fatally bent on a practical subEersion of the
Constitution, by conforming The public adj
ministration of the government to a sectional
idea. violative of the constitutional rights of
the South, and subyersiye of the fundament-
al principles Of equality and Justice.
But outside of this, precedent to it. and to
all which the election of Mr. LINCOLN was
the crOwning act, the South was vocal with
complaints, against the North, of bad
faith and Of systematic course of conduct,
both in their State and National action. in
consistent with the obligations of justice,
equality and friendship, and inimical to the
safety and happiness of the Soul bern people.
The South said; and said truihfully: For
more than thirty years party in the North
have assAiled our Institutions: They deny Us
common property in the territories Of the
Union, which were acquired by the common
treasure and blood of all the States: They
have passed laws in majority of their
States. nullifEing The nrnzisi.ns Of IL