Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-30

and not from q nominal limitation and division Of
t ss. In the great Contest between the elder
.1oAna and Jefferson, the sans distinguished gen.
NSElSn published a letter TO friend in Virginia
r.iSn "as extensively circulated, in which he ar
EAleIe1 sAe Obey Of Mr.. Adams. and Of the Con-
gress under him, for the passage Of the military
Dhl ~ WHICH me power was transferred 70 the
President IN the event of a declaration of war. or
OF invasion oy any foreign power. to raise 10000
regular troops ana an indefinite number of volun-
teers. He considered the law Unconstitutional be-
cause the President was made the sale nd0a NJ the
necessities of raising the army.
Yet Mr. Lincoln, in = third proclamation dated
Nav 3d. alluding to the immediate exioenciea he
which he was surrounded, calls into the service Of
the United States 1884 volunteers TO serve for a
period of three years. unless sooner discharged: and
also directs that the regular army of the United
States be increased by the addition Of eight reui-
ments Of infantry one Of cavalry, and of artil-
lery, making altogether q maximum aggregate in
crease of % ia officers and enlisted men. He
further directs the enlistment for not less than
more than three years, Of $4,000 sesmen IN addi
ton to the present force for the naval service Of the
United States. This power belongs alone and abso-
lutely to Congress and there is no law In existence
attempting TO transfer it to the President II is an
open and shameless disregard of one Of the psinest
aud most sacred and vital provisions of the Constr
tubon. Where IS the use Of swearing President
to support that instrument, if it can be thus tram
pied under foot and rank usurpaton, which is des>
potsm, reared in its place? The only exclamation
have seen offered, is the ples of necessity. Can il
be necessary to break down the barriers of the
Constitution in order to preserve il Inviolate? Mr..
Madison, who has been justly called the Father of
the Constitution has furnished the best answer to
this miserable spology for Mr. Lincoln ami his Cab
met. q" ExhoFtations," says he. Ito disregard
domestic usurpation, until foreign danger shall have
passed, is an artIice which may be forever used,
because the possessors Of power, who are the ad-
voestes for its extension, can ever create national
embarrassments, TO be SUCCESSFULLY employed to
sooth the people into sleep, whilst that power is
swelling, silently, secretly, and fatally" But what
are all these mighty ornaments for to raise which
the Constitution has been troddeE down! Are they
to subjugate the Southern States and make them
conquered provinces? think know something of
that people, somewhat of the daring, intrepid
and determined spirit with which they have gone
into this matter, and sOlemnly declare that / do
not believe that all the power Of the North,
strengthened and cemented as it is by the
fanaticsi element against slavery, can ever
conquer them. l by no means underestimate
the bravery of the North. know that
they are brave, that they will fight gallantry,
that they have the prestige Of the stars and stripes
on their side, and that in all respects they have
greater resources; but a people imbued with one
spirit as the people of the South now are, fighting
as they feel they fighting for all that is sacred
to them upon earth, never be conquered. Mr..
Burke in his speech on Cancellation with America
truly says that where slavery exists in any part Of
the world, those who free, are by far the mo-
proud and jealous of their freedom. Freedom is
to them not only an enjoy ment, but kind of rank
and privilege. They are much more strongly, and
with higher ana more stubborn spirit attached to
liberty. In such people the haughtiness of domi-
nation combines VITA the spirit Of fPeedom fortlfes
and renders it nvipeIble." But if conquered. what
then? The organization of the General Govern
ment cannot be maintained without the co-op ration
CT the States. Can you compel this cooperation!
When you have conquered Louisiana any other
seeding State you compel her to elect Senators
or Representatives, and Il not what would be her
position? II the object Of embodying an army of |
two hundred aid fifty thousand is not 20 sub
jugste the South, what is 1t for? Is ii 10 recover
few worthless forts or TO Hreak the vengeance en-
gendered By sectional hatred. Is an ocean of blood
TO De shed ard the gulf between the sections to be
so deepened and wldened as to BE- forever impass-
ole in order to do what can do as well now. |
But for this horrible condition Of things, there |
would have been eight slaveholding States seeking
redress within the Union and under the Constitu-
ton. But four more have gone out, and four only |
including Delaware are left, with the iron heel of
military coercion on two Of them. Under these |
circumstances what ought kentucky 20 do. Ny /
solemn conviction is that the first and most mpOr- /
tant thing to discard all past party feuds, and
agree to unite on one common platform. If there |
be those who think that Kentucky ought TO with (
draw and unite her destiny with the South at once
and take her share Of the responsibility and danger
of the step, they ought 70 remember that the peo-
pie alone can decide such question, and that un-
der existing circumstances it is almost If sbso
lutely certain that il would give rise to civil war
among ourselves. On the other hand the people Of
the State have decided, by large vote, that Ken
lucky shall during this unnatural war maintain q
strict and impartial neutrality and stand prepared
to enforce it against either belligerent who shall
violate it. The refusal of the Governor to furnish
troops to fight our brethren Of the South hiss been
almost unanimously approved, and both parties
seem now to agree to the common platform OF neu-
atty.
During my absence from the State 1 was nomina- |
ted, and with eleven other gentlemen, elected BY
the people Of Kentucky delegate 10 the Border !
Slave State Convention. ! not in the State dur
ing the period of the stirring and startling events
which have covered the whole country with a pail |
Of darkness, ana have had oppOrtuni of ex- !
pressing my opinions upon them. Finding, how |
ever. an address from gentlemen composing the |
Central Committee Of the party which elected me,
approving in strong and decided teams the action of
the Governor in refusing the quota of troops de- |
manded by Mr.. Lincoln. and stating what should be
the present position Of Kentucky. am willing TO |
endorse that address, and IN my action delegate
conform to the policy there indicated. especially
and cordially agree to the following extract from
that address, "Whst the future destiny of Kentucky
may be, of course cannot with certsnty foresee,
but if the enterprise announced in the proclamation
of the President should at any time hereafter as
sumo the aspect of q war for the overrunniDg and
subjugation of the seeding States through the full
assertion therein Of the national jurisdiction by
standing military force do not hesitate TO cay
that Kentucky should promptly unsheath her
sword in behalf of what will then become the COM
mon cause. Such an event, if it should occur--of
which we confess there does not appear TO us to
be 8 rational probability could have but one mean
ing-a meaning which people jealous of their lib
erty would be keen to detect, and which people
worthy OF liberty would be prompt and fearless to
resist. When Kentucky detects this meaning in the
&C ion Of the Government she ought, without count
ing the Cost, to take up arms at against the
Government Until she does detect this meaning,
she ought to hold herself independent of both sides
and compel both aides to respect the inVolAbility Of
her soil.D
am no secessionist, and as is well known never
have been. l have treated j: always political
heresy without constitutional sanction, and have
deprecated as sincerely and truly as any other
man living ns dangerous tendency. But We ought
to remember that many of the best minds in the
country do honestly believe that It is right fairly
deducible from the Constitution. and whole commu-
mites have acted under that conviction. But, OPP
posed as / am to secession, whenever the cCntin-
gency happens alluded 20 tho foregoing extract,
agree with the Committee and trust with every
patriot IN the land, that Kentucky should promptly
unsheath her sword in behalf Of what will have
become the common cause. consider the subiu-
CATION Of the South the utter humiliation of every
material interest Of Kentucky. If the insane at
tempt should be persisted in fear that the pillars
of the temple of liberty viii be torn down, and that
all that ia now sacred to US will be crushed under
their broken fraRments
Respectfully, C. s. MoREBEAD.