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

without representation il enforced over US;
They have proclaimed that there is higher
| law than the Constitution and laws OF our
/ country. and they will disregard their oaths
| and trampIe upon our rights: They have
! formed associations to steal our slaves and
nrevent their recapture. and have murdered
their masters in seeking to recover them:
They have invaded Southern soil and mur-
dered our unoffending citizens-while the Ex-
ecutives of several of their States refused to
deliver parties implicated in these crimes
| upon legal T, quisitions, and men high in fo-
sitiOn aud Office have bestowed praises and
eulogiums upon the assassins: They have
sent seditiouS pamphlets and papers among
us-while sixiy-eight of their members OF
| Congress Endorsed Helpers Impending Cri-
sis,'an incendiary book, utterly subversive of
Southern rights: They have sent emissaries
among Us to burn our towns, and distribute
arms and poison amongst our slaves. to desc
late the South: By their intolerance and IA
naticism, they have compelled US to separate
| from them in our churches and other religi-
GUS institutions. Among the Southern peo-
pie there was no dispute. no debate, no ques-
ton on the truth of the counts in this indict-
ment The facts were established by cur
rent history, and were universally conceded
in the South.
Such is fair exposition of the state of our
public affairs, and the sentiment of the peo-
pie when Mr.. LINCOLN was elected. The re-
suit of the election, however, showed that
the Northern people, whatever might be
their vi ews of the institution OF slavery in
the abstract, were not prepared to array
themselves in body against the rights of
the South Out OF about 3, 400. 900 votes in the
North, Mr.. LINCOLN received little less than
l 900 900, While something more than l,50O,-
600 were cast against him. The South went
in body against him, which, united with
the million and half of the North, made
clear majority of about 100000 against him
in the country; yet by the system OF voting
for President through the electoral colleges,
he was elected by a considerable majority
This election was constitutional in form,
and ia itself constituted no just ground
for violent resistance. But when the re-
suit was announced, it Instantly be-
came a serious question with the people
of the South whether it were better,
in view of their safety and happiness ito
throw off the government or seek for re-
dress of their just grievances within the
Union. Upon this grave question the South
ern people divided. The Gulf States of the
South. giving up all hope of justice and
equality from Northern majority which had
deliberately announced its purpose to repress
the further extension of the institution OF
African slavery. and evidently looked for the
day of its final extinguishment, resolved to
separate from the Union, and institute new
government wherein they could have salts
factory guarantees for their safety and hap
piness' They, accordingly, took steps to ac-
com lish this object, 6y calling conventions
of delegates elected by The people and rep
reseBting their State sOyereignties respective
Iy. Conventions met 10 seven of the fifteen
sIavehOlding States, and put into practical
effect the doctrine of Secession"-which
had already strong foothold in those States,
having been previously much discussed be
fore the people. by able advocates. 1t was
represented as in perfect keeping with the
Constitution, or with the spirit and circum-
stances of its formation, and as the only
peaceful exit from government which had
departed from its original design, and as the
only mode of redressing grievances. other
wise irremediable aud intolerable. These Sc
ven States accordingly ''seceded" from the
Union-withdrew their representatives. from
the Federal Congress, took posses ion OF the
forts and arSenals and other public property
within their respective limits, instituted
new government, entered into new and in
depend,nt confederation of their own. es-
tablished Provisional Government, appoint
ed the necessary agents and officers TO carry
it on, and sent Commissioners TO the Federal
Capital to enter into negotiations respecting
the publ property lately in possession OF
the United States, and to arrange for peace
full settlement of all the then outstanding dif- |
ferences on terms satisfactory to both.
Cd the other hand, the eight remaining |
States, acknowledging the exis-
tenc, of The evils complained of by their more |
basty sisters of the South, but hopefully look |
ing forward 10 redress within the Union, re-
fused to .'secede." They saw in the result of
the Presidential election that majority OF
the American people were opposed to the
ideas and doctrines upon which Mr. LINCOLN
had been elevated to the Chief Magistracy.-
Tney trusted to an effective concentration of
that opposition through the instrumentalities
OF Congress and the ballot, and relied upon
The patriotism and the sense of justice of the |
Northern people, and their own appeals to
the Constitution and its guarantees to obtain |
justice. They appreciated the value of the |
Union, were 10th to believe that the intelli |
gence of the Northern people would permit |
deliberate subversion of the Constitution and |
still sustain the instruments of its violation. |
They, Furthermore. repudiated as unsOund |
and untenable the doctrine of "peaceable Sc
cession'' from the Union. by any cOnstItu- |
tional right, express or implied. They held |
that there was but one mode of severing their |
relations with the General Government, and |
that was the same as laid down by our fore |
fathers in the immortal terms of the 'Decla- |
ration above quoted, by an act of revolution |
They regarded this as the last resort. They |
believed that prudence dictated that a gov |
eminent long established, should not be |
changed for light and transient causes
and were more disposed to suffer, |
while the evils were sufferable, than to right |
themselves by abolishing the forms to which |
they had been accustomed Hence they re-
tanned their representatives il the Federal |
Congress. They appealed to that body to |
propose amendments to the Constitution |
which would render that instrument certain |
in those provisions out of which had risen |
dispute: They appealed to the North through |
I.agisIafile resolves. They arrannad for q |