Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-31
The Two Governments.

The Government at Washington claims to be that
of the old Union, while it refuses to acknowledge
the new Government of the Confederate States as
any Government at all. Many Union men, allured
by the same idea and actuated by their natural
antipathy to revolution, and their long cherished
attachment to the American Union, revolt with
horror, at change of allegiance 1t is well to in
quire whether this notion is not founded in gross
After the election of LNcoN, CHARLES SUMNER,
one Of the chief Senators of the Black Republican
party, boosted that the accession of the President
elect to power, would not merely give the country
a new Administration, but would inaugurate " a
netc Goyernsnend" During LINcoIN's hegira to
Washington, he endeavored in his speeches to the
crowds that greeted him. to break down the political
distinction between State and county, speaking
with contempt Of the rights of the former as COM
pared with those of any other district, having the
same population and territory. This was q
daring and dangerous innovation upon the charac-
ter of our Government, an assault upon the rights
of the States and initiative step towards conso>
idat;ng all power in the hands of the Central Gov
eminent Not content with this in his inaugural
address, he assailed the decisions of the Supreme
Court and recklessly proclaimed that controversies
relative to the powers of the Government, not ex-
pressly determined by the Constitution, must be re-
ferred to the people of the Union and the decision
of the majority must prevail; thus again striking
directly at the expressly reserved rights of the
States and the people, and paving the way for the
unlimited rule of the dominant North, over the de-
spised numerical minority in the South.
And again, we see this new Government, elected
entirely by the votes of section, distributing the
foreign appointments among the men who have
made themselves the most odious to the Southern
people, by their blatant and disgusting revilement
Of. their institutions, the CAssUs CLAYs GIDDNGs
ADAMS, Webs, DAYToNs and CoRwINs, and calling
into the Cabinet Council such men as SEWARD and
CHASE, whose names are a synonym in the South for
foemen.
The party, which elected this Administration to
power, have declared in their platform that they
will forever exclude Southern men, with their
slaves, from all the Territories purchased with the
common blood and treasure They have encOur>
aged the fanatical sentiment which deprives the
South of its property and promotes raids into its
Territory, to slay, burn and poison.
Is such a Government as this the same that was
founded by WASHINGTON and his compstriots, and
that was presided over by JEFFERSON, MADISON
JACKSON and Polk?
is Gov eminent that denies State rights, asserts
the supremacy of a majority in all cases when the
Constitution does not by IFS letter, decide conro~
Versy denies the binding validity of the decisions
Of the Supreme Court, and that owes its existence
70 highly stimulated geographical party, hostile to
one section of the Union-is such Government the
one Tor which WASHINGTON fought and DE KALB fell
ana JEFFERSON toiled? Let every man who wishes
!" ArrlVe at the truth, calmly and dispassionately
consider this interrogatory, and then ask himself
u'ee 'od' not rerohaioR in The Gorennenta mighty
ana fearful revolution, on the very day that LIN
coins election was proclaimed to the people,
resoluuOn. proclaimed by the Republican party +?
And then let him decide which of the two he would
prefer revolutionary Government such as this, |
or one IKE that of The Confederate States, which
secures all his rights preserves the honor and self
respect OF his section and people, establishes stab
tyand exemption from long and criminal agitation
promotes public Justice and domestic tranouiIitv
and secures civil liberty to himself and his posterity
forever!