Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-10
Interesting Scene in the Confederate
Court.

ment the sympathy and respect of all good
men and true patriots.
Interesting Scene in the Confederate
| Court.
We have heretofore noticed the arrival in
i our city of the distinguished and venerable
Judge Monroe, of Kentucky. and we also an
| nounced, a few days sicce, that he bad taken
| the oath of allegiance to the Confederate
| Government.
| The following are the proceedings as ex-
tracted from the records of the Court on this
| interesting occasion:
DISTRICT COURT OF The CONFEDERATE STATES
OF AMERICA FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER Sd, 1861.
Present. the Hon. West H. Humphreys
| Judge OF said Court. The Hon. Thomas B
Monroe, late of Kentucky, appeared in Court
and said:
sIf the Court please: 1t is agreed, we
| know, by all Jurists and men of common
| sense. that the obligations OF protection by
the Government and allegiance of the citi-
zens or subjects, are reciprocal and depend
ent, and that therefore, whenever the Govern
ment has ceased to afford the protection, the
obligation of obedience and support by the
citizens no longer exists, and the body of
the people have the inalienable right to re-
volt, and having accomplished the revolu-
tion may adopt the new government which
they believe will best insure the protection
of their rights and promote their welfare;
or any proper portion of the people may
separate themselves and the territory they
occupy-"secede" and form such new govern
ment within their own dominion as they
think proper; or any number of such OPP
pressed people may emigrate and adopt
themselves citizens of any other government.
The Government of the United States ceased
to afford protection to its citizens. In Ken
lucky every right of life. liberty and proper
ty has been thereruthlessly violated by both
lawless men and the government itself, and
a despotism avowedly established worse
than any heretofore known in the history of
the world. In the worst of the oriental and
Northern despotisms even the Autocrat is
bound at his peril to observe certain estab-
lished customs, but in Kentucky all usage is
ignored and the rights of men violated in the
most aggravated and insulting modes. In
this state of affairs l elected to expatriate my
self and emigrate, and L resigned the Office
| held under the government and departed
its territory. Indoing this, having the right
to choose the country of my adoption, 1
chose the Confederate States" was born
within their territory, l approve the Consti-
tuition and Institutions, admire their people
and their statesmen, and | believe that the
composition and character of their people,
and position and circumstances of their
country are such that it may be confidently
expected their public affairs will always be
administered by high, honorable and able
men.
l have unbounded confidence in their abiI
ity to maintain their independence, aud that
here will be performed all the duties of a
good government to its citizens. l am,
therefore, ready 10 take the oath to support
ba itutin Of fha fa1a Of
allegiance to it,
Whereupon the following oath was admin
istered to him:
/, Thomas B. Monroe, hereby declare that,
having renounced my citizenship of the
Omitted States" I hereby adopt myself a
citizen of the Confederate States of Ameri-
CA and solemnly swear that will support
their Constitution, and will true allegiance
bear to its Cover nment so long as am
citizen thereof.
The Court said: ''The Court receives with
she liveliest satisfaction your remuneration of
allegiance to the Uuited States and your
declaration that you will bear true allegiance
to the Confederate States.
You left the United States when the Con-
stitution established by our forefathers ceas-
ed to have existence within its limits. You
are welcome to the Confederate States, where
it exists in fullest vigor and most effective
operation.
The Court gives expression to the conf
dent belief that the day is not distant when
Kentucky, the theatre of your distinguished
usefulness as jurist, Kentucky, unclaimed
and free, will, by her unbiased sufrages In
the exercise OF her highest right, cast off the
despotism of Northern usurpeFs, and establish
herself as one of the members of the Confed-
crate States"
The Court ordered the proceedings to be
entered of record, and adjourned.
We are persuaded that there have occurred
but few scenes more interesting than the one
above described. To be appreciated proper
ly. the reader should bear in mind that Judge
Monroe had been for some forty years jnrist
of great eminence; had presided in the Dis
trict Court of the United States for Kentucky
for more than twenty-seven years with great
credit to himself and most benefcially to the
public-tha be had been driven forth from
his longcherished home by the most abomin-
able tyranny that the world has known, and
that be is now on his way to the State of
Virginia, where he was born, and whose hon.
ored soil holds the sacred ashes of dozen
generations of his ancestors. And what add
ed to the interest of the occasion, Judge
Humphreys. now here, presiding in the Court
of the new Confederacy, had for several
years, with like honor to himself, held the
same position in the Courts of the United
states III leDueSsee JuuSe MOufOe uelu III
Kentucky, SO that they had been for years
equal brother judges of the then one, but now
disrupted Government, and there were pres
ent several distinguished gentlemen promi-
nent in the late wonderful events of our
country. The whole scene was pathetic aud
imposing in the highest degree, and all pres
ent, together with the Court, were seen to be
deeply affected.
1t was a scene worthy to form one of the
most imposing and captivating pages in the
history Of the Confederacy of the South. A
dramatic historian, like MACAUIsAY, would IL
lustrate and adorn the progress of this great
revolution, with the picture presented by that
venerable jurist, just escaped from the blood
bounds OF the despot. who had driven him
from State in which he had lived, the light
OF tie law, irreproachable as man, beloved
by his companions, honored by his profession.
and venerable in years, voluntarily and
proudly abjuring an allegiance which no
longer returned to him the rights OF citi-
zen, but would have made him an obsequious
slave, and with all the dignity of one thus
honored and respected and conscious Of his
rectitude, appearing in that presence, and
with the pure eloquenoe Of truth, Offering tie