Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-08-31
A VOICE FROM rHE ADMINISTRATION.
speech CT Hon. Caleb Il smith.

At the mass meeting held in Providence, Rhode
Island, en- Friday evening, the Hon. CALEB B. SMITH
Secretary of the Interior, addressed several thou
sand people. The substance of his speech is as
I follows:
1t is idle my friends to indulge in the hope that
if we cannot sustain this Union we can sustain re-
publican institutions; for, let assure you to-
night, that if cannot preserve cur present gov
eminent in its present form we cannot sustain free
! government in any form. There is great truth
there is great force in the sentiments SO eIOquently
! pronounced by the immortal statesman of Massa>
chusetts, Liberty and UnIOn now and forever, one
and inseparabe." Why is it, my friends, that this
/ discord prevails among US? Why is il that por-
ton of citizens laundering the very door
of the Capitol with hostile artillery? know there
4 is element of discOrd IN system; and | in
tend to speak plainly in all that have say. 1t is
/ the question Of domestic servitu1e that has rent
asunder the temple of liberty. What is there in
this question of slavery that should divide the peo
/ pie? Why, my friends. when this government was
formed, when we marched from the battle fields of
the Revolution, every State of the Union with a
single exception acknowledged the institution of
slavery. 1t has been abolished in New England. in
New York and Pennsylvania; and our States of the
West have grown in their present stature of pOpu-
lation and magLifcence free States But for the
| last ten years an angry controversy has existed
upon this question of slavery. The minds of
the people of the South have been de-
ceived by the artful representations of dema-
gsgues who have assured them that the people
of the North we're determined to bring the power
of this government to bea: upon them for the
purpose of crushing out this institution of slavery
/ ask you, is there any truth in this charge? Has
the government of the United States, in any single
instance, by any solitary act. interfsrred With
the institutions of the South? No, not one. The
theory of this sgOYernm n5 Is thIt the States are
sovereign within their proper sphere. The govern
ment of the United States has more right to in
terere with the institutions of slavery in South Ca
rolina than it has to interfere with The peculiar in
situations of Rhod: Island whose benefits | have
enjoyed to-day But, my friends, during the last
summer, when the great political contest was raging
throughout the land, then it that designing and
dishonest men, for the purpose of accomplishing
their Own selfish schemes, appealed to the prejudi-
ces OF the Southern people, denouncing those who
supported Mr.. Lincoln as abOlitonists--as men who
would disregard the constitutional rights of the
South and transcend the powers of the government.
Excited By means of these iniquitOus appeals they
were ready TO take arms to prevent the Inaugural
ton of that President whom a majority of the peo-
pie had declared TO be the man of their choice. Ny
friends, have known the President long and we'll
It has been my fortune to be selected of his
constitutional advisers. | have had the honor of
being connected with his administration since its
commencement, and l tell you tonight that you can
not find in South Carolina man more anxious re-
ligiously and scrupulously, to observe all the fea
lures of the constitution relating to slavery than
Abraham Lincoln. Had the people Of the South
been willing 10 wait and see whether he would re-
gard that oath which in the presence Of the assem-
bled nation, he had taken, they would have found
that no administration ever organized in
this country would have more cOnscisnti
ousy regarded and protected the rights OF
the South than this administration would
have done. l know that L speak the senti
ments of the President aud his advisers-of those
who have controlled his administration But those
people however were not willing to wait until this
test cOuli De applied and no sooner was this Pres
ident inauguraed than the tocsin ofwar sounded
through every Southern State, and the armed
strength of the people was summoned to drag down
the admnistrarGn-tO undermine the foundation
of the government and to crush in ruin thisair fab
rIc Of republican Institutions. What, ask you
could the administration have done One after To
another Of the forts of the United States had beei
taken after another had the possessions of tn
government been seized State after State had re
nounced its allegiance to the federal Union in