Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-04
LIncoIn,s DunItcitY.

q CAssIUs NJ. Clay, who was appointed to an i'm
portant foreign mission by the LINCOLN Administra-
8ton. made the following statement, which was pub
9lished shortly after its date:
= WASHINGTON, April 20 lS6l.-The undersigned,
s on all the responsibilities OF Kentuckau, patriot
4 and man. desiring the perpetuaton of the Union
land the liberties OF the people opposed dtcdys TO
d0qreSSire mar believing that civilization cannot be
8advanced By arms but that only pre-exsting ideas
Ecan be SO ixed-in favor of peaceful emancipation
by the will of the sOvereignties and against Serre
= p1T and insurrectiOn-asserts uDon his respcn
sibty the policy of the Administration TO be peace
ssif consistent with honor.
u l. lie re asserts the avOwals of President Lincoln
Gin his inaugural ad lress and late proclamation to
s make pdr upon safe mach less upon Virginia
lstse Border states. whose Union he would con-
ciliate and have as friends For this reason he re
: tires from Hsrper's Ferry as he did from Sumter
acting clearly Tie dgehsiUe that he might stand
z before mankind eutess Of this great frater7ad sui
eide For the same reason he refuses to avenge the
blood of American citizens shed in Baltimore in the
peaceful passage to the seat of the common Govern
s ment
y Q But the President will not, when pressed to
the wall fail to assert to his full ability The po1er and
sdfetu of the NdOTG Government. unless the people,
s whose servant he is, shall otherwise decree.
81 3. Any attack on the national forces or property
6 in the District of Columbia viii be regarded as q
declaration of aud fatal blow at all the hopes
,sOf peace
a
;Rany State. by false professions he will continue to
Z strengthen his position IN this plIce Of nltSoRdl e1
cusi'e jurisdiction at all hazards and by all the de-
fensive means in his power and this he feels abun
q daEtlv able TO do.
q s. Virginia and Maryland mdy keep the peace and
q give time the passions of to cool by GUOidjng
: jaUastoa of the District or obstructing move
ments Virginia mist confne herself TO her own
soil. c NJ. CLAY.
The intimate relation Mr.. CLAY sustains to the
9 LINCOLN Administration precludes the probability
athat he made this statement without consultation
with and full authority from Mr. LINCOLN. Here is
: positive assurance that Virginia would not be in.
9 Vaded, and that The (LNcOLY) will not deceive
Maryland or Virginia or any other State, by false
4 rofessions" Yet SC rce V month had elapsed be
fore an invasion of Virginia was. commenced al
several points, clearly indicating that at the very
time this assurance given. the Lis, DIN Admin
istration making preparations with all possible
i haste. to invade Virginia.
= The people were ar-ayed at the exposure of the
{ duplictY of the LINCOLN Administration in regard
Z 10 the evacuation OF Fort Sumter by Judge CAMP
: IL Here is another stunning evidence of The
utter UnrsliabIlity of that Administration. Il 8
private citizen should be convicted of cuplicity anC
3 falsehosd as the LINCOLN Admins ration has. hi
would sink beneath the contemptof honorable men
AMI be excluded from respectable society. The fat
that oveltakes individuals in such must sooner
o. later, be that of an Administrator Already
We see evidence Of the reaction this duplicity ID
k bound TO produce The National Iateliqeacer, whcf
b has hitherto supported LNcoLN's course of policy
nJ " takes ground against his invasion # Virgins
Fla its issue Of the 25th ult speaking of the invasion
81 Of Virginia, at Alexandria that paper says:
1 As the Administration il the conduct of its mill
sStsry movements naturally and justly practices
prudent reserve in regard 70 its purpose, are Of
8course unable to express any opinion with REGARD
Sto the motives objects which have prompted THU
5advanCe upon the territory of Virginia. The pro
gress of events will disclose whether the move
TEment has been made one of military strategy.
&havpg exclusive reference TO the better defense of
this capital whether II is the precursor Of larger
expeditions destined TO occupy still wider field o.
Ioperatons.
q When we consider the limited term for which the
SGovernment can confidently expect according 10 lao
Ito ret-in the services OF the extraordinary levy
(which have repaired to this city, we think it el
Extremely improbable that anything like 'Cam
Fpag" into the heart of the Southern States be
StseriOusly contemplated by the Administrator.
81 If however, the scope of the movement yester
@day made should be Grjdr to IRE hare been d to in
q fer and if it be the initiation of anything like re
7gular campaign, directed TO the suppression OF the
Ecivil revolution that has broken out IN the South
1--WE must say justice TO our convictions, that we
cannot bring ourselves TO preceive the expediency
xof any such policy. having regard TO the singh enc
sspropOsed-"the restoration of the Union" IA III
miltdry "SubJugatoH' of the South Is admitted on al
MINDS to be cgadNy impossible AND CONTRARY TO TIL
tURPOsEs or THE ADNINsTRA TON, toich, ace are as
~ sHtd by It's most accredited OrgS, simply seeks tC
Ereieve the Il MON men of the seeded States from
81 what is believed by many TO be the domination o.
-senergetic minOritIes favoring and uphOlding thu
lseceFsion movement. we shall at least learn from
the reception awarded TO the Federal troops in Nir
Mcinia whether this expectation will be realized
-MOur own impressions of the Southern character
Aand our convictions in regard to the unhappy unan
imity OF the people in most If not all Of the States
'Ethat have actually seeded are not of nature t
RperDl:t the indulgenc Of guch predictions.