Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-24
For she Daily Patriot


action before the 18th of March?
We find Wings and Democrats comming-
ling on common side II Wings be assa,l-
ed for going with Gov. Harris. can they not
pertinentiy ask whether Gov. johnson has
become Hhig, and whether the same men
are now following him who by them elves in
other days bss been the most abused of all
| Democrats
| / know an effort is being made to keep up,
| even upon this, the greatest of questions,
! party lines; but it will prove failure. The
! interests of Tennessee are above all Wing
| gerry or Democracy. Parties can die, and
| party leaders pass away; but every loyal
| Tennesseau will pray that our State will ev-
/ er advance in prosperity, in usefulness, In
| the paths of honor and true glory.
Few men prefer a dissolution OF the
Union; few are disunionists per Sc. The ques-
ton is-ought the men of Tennessee to sub
/ NIT to Lincoln aud Stewards administration,
or ought they, all remedies failing to attain
the desired end, to withdraw from the North
ern States aud assert for Tennessee, her in-
dependent sovereignty?
/ would be satisfied if the amendments
Just passed by the Legislature, and proposed
| TO be added to the Constitution, were incor-
| porated in it before the assembling OF our
Convention; or if matters had so far pro-
gressed. by the time il assemblies, as to leave
no doubt. that all our Constitutional rights
would be fully guaranteed before the in
auguration Of the Lincoln-Seward dynasty.
Let the proposed Southern Convention meet
| at Nashville or Montgomery on the 4th of
February, let all the Southern States, with
| q sufficient number of the Northern States.
| as will agree, meet on or about - day
of February, at Richmond, and adopt the ul-
Iimatum settled at the preliminary Conven-
ton. If this programme be carried out, the
necessary amendments, doubtless, will in
III, 10, and ha nfrrz l.s
| in a condition of salvation: either the aboli-
| ton States will be tHrned out of the Union,
| or they will all come into the new Union.
| Or, if Congress should pass the necessary
| amendments to the Constitution, and the
| different States commence the work of rati6.
| cation, and go so far before the assembling
| of our Convention as to make it certain that
| the requisite majority will ratify them; then
| the question is settled. 1t must be said,
| however, that for one despair of any thing
| being done by Congress. l think further,
| there is a little probability that the pro-
| grsmme laid down by our Legislature will
| be carried out. Should all these eXpedients
| fail, what shall be done when the Tennessee
Convention assemblies? l say we ought to
| discover our relations formally with the
States of the North, and resume the powers
| by ua delegated to the General Government.
[ need not argue the right of secession. 1t
| matters little. practically, whether there be
much or any difference between secession and
revolution. Our ancestors seeded from the
\ domination of England. The thirteen seced-
! ed State by State, from the old Conf dera-
| ton. Washington and his CO patriots. in the
| Convention that framed our Federal Consti-
| tuition. set up government in opposition to-
| OF in lieu Of the old Confederation; Rhode
| Island and North Carolina still remaining.
for some time afterwards, under the former
| government. Those who formed the old
| COnfederacy, declared it perpetual and not
| dissoluble, except with the consent of all the
| States.
| If the doctrine of State Rights be
| true, it would seem TO follow, that peaceable
| secession may be resorted to whenever a
plan. palpabLe and direct violation OF the Con-
| stitutional rights of State are invaded.
| Mr.. Jefferson said, that the States were sole
judges of the infractiOns of the Constitution,
| and the measure and mode of redress. So
| thought others OF our early fathers. If in
| seeding, war arise. secession may then give
way to, or end in revolution. Our own Bill
| of Rights, has set forth the correct doctrine.
SEC 1. That all power is Inherent in the
! people. and all free governments are found
ed on their authority, and instituted for their
peace, safety, and happiness: for the adva ~rH
| ment of these ends. they have. at all t.licu,
| an unalienable and indefeasible right to al
/ ter, reform or abolish the government in
such manner as they may think proper"
SEC 2. That government being instituted
/ for the common benefit, the doctrine of nom
| resistance against arbitrary power and op-
preston, is absurd, slavisb, and destructive
| of the good and happiness of mankind"
| The right Ito alter, reform, or abolish gov
ernment' looks to secession; "non-resistance
against arbitrary power" indicates revolu-
tion.
1t must be recollected that Ten
nes<ee was received into the Union
with this declaration of rights and
upon these conditions annexed. To
stay In the government without addition
al guarantees (snd these should be such as
to settle the negro question forever would
in view of the insult offered to the South by
the election of Mr.. Lincoln-his avowed
opinions-ihe premiership of Mr.. Seward,
with his known wishes and struggles for uni
yersal suffrage-the declarations of the lat
ter that the downfall of slavery was TO be ac-
complished by Lineoln's election-his known
policy coiuciding with that of his chief in
working for the ultimate extinction of slave
ry-I say all these are enough to justify us,
as a last resort in taking the steps suggested
in our Bill of Rights; and not TO do so is
obstructive Of our ''good and happiness"
In the language of Mr.. Bell:
The question is not whether the States
shall continue united according to the letter
of the covenant by which they are bound
together. 1t is whether they shall continue
to be practically and efficiently cooperative
in carrying out the great ends of the associa-
ton. The question is whether mutual trust
and confidence shall continue to animate
and encourage mutual efforts in promoting
and multiplying common benefits; or wheth-
CT mutual Hatred and diStrust shall step in
to check all progress; to distract and con-
| iouod all joint endeavors for the common
welfare; in fne, to entail upon the country all
| the evils of endless discord. That is the ques-
ton. Aad tOlen you present that issue TO me, L
say gi0e SEPARATION, 9ire me dts,anion; ype me
anytJiiHq IN preference 10 union sustained only
6y Jo,ger By Constitutional aud legal ties, NTH
out reciprocal trust and confidence. If our future
career Is 10 be one Of eternal discord, of angry
cTiBtil1tIon termination, gue me rather sep
arafioH t1ith all us consequences. If am to be
at peace, let it be peace in reality; and if /
am TO be at war, let me know it at once,
| that may put my house in order and be
ready TO meet the Consequences John
Bell in the Senate in 1850.-App. to Cong.
Globe. LIST Sess. 3lst Cong. page I10I.
am asked what will Mr.. Lincoln, or rath-
er what will the actual President, Mr. Sc
ward do2 His policy will be this. Take Ten
nessee for example. Postmasterships, mail
agences and government contracts of every
sort will be given to those editors and others
| III 1eUueSSce huO dfc uOct Ou the
slavery question. At first this will be the
character of the men appointed. Step by
STEP and imperceptibly, these will be re-
moved, and in their places will be seen the
suppliant tools of power, men who though
not openly protesting it, yet, in truth, will
be abolitionists. Gratitude exercises con-
trolling influence over human actions. Men
who get bread and meat put into their own
mouths and the mouths of their wives and
-: IIrh he al TO
pathize in the fortunes of those who bes:ow
these gifts upon them. There are, or will
be during the incomining administration,
about one thousand recipients of govern
ment bounty in Tennessee, should our State
continue to stay with her Northern allies.
1t is q law of human nature for kindred and
connexions to feel a deep interest in our