Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-02

practically encouraged this state CT feeling: IA
their personal liberty bills they Ease nuiaed this
Law and mace IL by their Legislation efectusy
imperative.
Whilst these various euActments a-e manifsatIv AZ
war with your constitutional rights, and purposelv
made in utter disregard of your guarantees thew
have been yet misehievous ia their effects IN
having fostered and encouraged fauatical bost;l;t
to you and your institutions which has culminared
in ncindiary attacks upon the peace of your sister
| States. And not only has the fugitive slave Law
been thus defeated but it is announced that vo.,
shall be forever excluded from the common terrific
ries and no more slave States admitted thus palma
! bv violating the compromise Of l850-and with The
avowed object of surrounding you with q Gordon of
| free States as with belt of FIRE, suifoeatinz the
| institution OF slavery to IFS death. Why is il that
/ this unhoy warfare is made upon your rights? For
long years, in the schooroom theimmorality Of sa-
very has been taught. and from the sacred house Of
God the language of the pulpit has been employed
ia denouucing its SIM political conventions have
condemned it as a twin relic With polygsmy and bar
barisn. The result Of which, you behold in divid-
ed churches and disrupted parties-broken compro-
mises violated faith sectional party organized in
disregard of the warnings Of the father Of his eonn
| try. And that organized sectional party IN open
defance of the decisions of the Supreme Court main
tanning the citizenship Of The negro, permits him to
exercise the elective franchise a3d presents the Ia
menable fact in the issue Of the recent Presiden-
s election, that the negro has contributed 10 the
selection of the authority that is to be naugurated
on the 4th Of March next whilst you were excluded
from It by ITS sectional character and in open de-
isnce of law, constitution, the character Of your
government and your views, assert the equality Of
the negro, AID in the ultimate extinction of slavery
labors to establish this ides and farther. in open
defiance of the constitution and laws Of Congress-
refuse to deliver up criminals, declaring that the
| theft of negro is no crime This party embody-
ing the Northern sentiment OF hostility to you aud
so organized, with exclusively sectional nominees
has succeeded In eiecting President apd Vice
President by overwhelming msjorities in the North
ern States. In its inception having declared that
'the Union was compact with death, and an
agreement with hell" in its growth taught for its
conscience law higher than the Constitution, now
denying its very spirit Gud trsppng upon your
rights imperiously proclams those traitors, who
dare ask them to pause.
You will agree with me, that these are attacks
aud threatened entertainments upon those great
principles of Z" liberty, equality and Justice" to
which fathers pledged their lives, their for
tunes, and their sacred honor and are szgressions
upen our free, equal and just rights. If so, it is
high, solemn and imperative dutY which we cannot
avoid il we be true TO the sacred trust of freedom
If we be true to ourselves and our children to re-
sist them with the spirit of determination and |
courage of freemen.
purposslY refrain from slluson to the discrni- |
nations made in the existing laws Of the Govern
ment, whereby your section Of the Union is charged
with the payment of onerous bounties and taxes, |
that favor and promote the wealth and prosperity |
Of the North at your expense. II is sufficient that
our attention is arrested by these persistent and |
alarming attacks upon institution, intimately
interviewer with the wealth, prosperity and social
and domestic happiness of our pe0ple-not warrant
ed by brotherhood, st with the spirit and
genius of our constitution, fatally destructive of the
harmony and peace Of the Union, and which, while
involving immediate loss to the stakeholder, Of mill
lions, ct the same time as directly and es in,
juriously affect ali classes of our people. Were
these mad mistaken fanatics to succeed urt5ld
millions Of wealth would be destroyed, cur people
for ages bsnkruPted, and plunge the large body of
them int hopeless poverty. To-day, as you know,
the poor Of State feel the effect of this unhoy
crusade in the deprecated value of his property
and in unrewarded labor. The uncertainty of the
value, present and prospective of this species of
property, and the insecurity felt in regagd thereto
has FRUSTRATED every interest of the State The
lsborer is without employment. The mechanics
busy hammer, plane and needle have ceased to
swell the tide Of wealth. The merchant and trader
are becoming rapid victims Of stagnated trade and
the too real picture Of an impoverished people or
depopulated State is before u.s. unless speedily our
condition is remedied Aud yet it is pertinent to
ask, shall the continued and recurring sgi!ation of
this question present, again and again, scenes like
these through which We are now passiugg Shall
our rights, our peace ana safety become the
football Of parties and the plsythng of seetionsi
Who that loves freedom and his kind il SO lost to
his duty and the amer, better feelings of nature as
to say yes! Gentlemen, the evil, the danger and
the lesson is upon us; Cannot avoid the respon-
sibiiy. We cannot submit unless we are eoutent to
acquiesce in 'fhe ultimate extinction of slavery
aud "the equality of the negro" the svowed and
uncontroverted wish and sentiment Of the now
dominant party and section OF the Union. 10 one,
am persuaded, in our midst IS tke advocate Of ac-
quiessekcs gee does net Submission in the present
position Of the question mean aedqieseences
And yet Mr.. Chairman, II, unhsppily, am mis- ,
taken, and there should be aLy who would, by !
intentional failure to meet the responsibility of the
occasion, or directly counsel submission, then ,
charge him to prepare for the emancipation snd re-
moval of the negro FROM our midst. And this ia I
the question, submission is emancipation; let Us
look it boldly in the face, and if acquiscence is tina
policy, deal frankly With the people, and make 9
your statesmen Who counsel it, proclaim the effect
OF it. And shall We be taxed for his removal, it
will hopelessy bankrupt us. Who viii take him |
What cline or country? viii not necessity and
force keep him here! And, if go, is he to become
the equal and and tbs competitor of the freemen Of
Tennessee No, sir He cannot be removed he
cannot be the equal Of Teauesseaus, he must be
their slg7e. TAeh, being cur slave, we are forced
to meet the igspe presented by the North frankly
decisively, firmly, so to have security lor our
peace, safety and happiness, Congressional com !
promises and State legislation will not do. This
mode will give No effective and permanent pesce; I
IL Will Full eSVe the question open Tor renewed ag- i
ltstion, which we are too well assured by the sad
perieuce of thsPast, will follow. Revolutionary a
besides being of doubtful constitution
Atty, are but irrtsnts, and while they may piUre
The North, it is reasonably argued, in the ssme ,
proportion, the south would Likewise BE iAjuei; !
lnd indeed it is supposed that they could not be
effectively inaugqrstea Eithsut the cooperation Of
adjoining States and Ger OUn people. il
How, then shall We meet the conflict? l sm one Of a
hose WHO looked forward to the assembling Of the
Congress of the United States with confidence and
nope; indeed knew that 1t was the only body of :
men. that could provide the whereby such i,
additional guarantees to the Constitution, our \
'nurO peace and safety required In The iullness 3
If my devotion TO the foFp end machinery Ct the O
oresepE form OF Government, ! advised such | Y
'oqrse with the fond trust that something might h
De done to preserve the principles Of Free Govern
nent. | saw with pleasure the efforts of Southern n
men made to this end, and believed that If there r
vas voice, that rising above the mad fanaticism v
If the hour, would command respect, and ensure h
'eacc, 1t was the voice Of tbat venerable sestos-
lie ffthsr Of tie Sen4te-Ehoss life and services, D
Whilst do rot agree With him in his political SEN
imsnts, am free 10 say, has established him in q
he hearts Of his countrynen, as loyal, conserve Il
i've patriot Do l rot in this, gentlemen express a
he feeling Of all of US ? 81
Week after week of the session of Congress has e
sssed away, mouth has succeeded month aiece the q
lection Of Me. Lincoln, and whilst sister State g
o9V4n9 slster SLste nave oeCiaEsq Ihelr lnAepen-
ence Of the General Government, and hour, after
auF betokeRsthe approach Of civil war We have o
ppealsd fer redress have supplicaeed fer q
djustment. We have besought the North, in the tt
sme of the Union, protesting our loyalty for JUS q
ice. How has the North responded? Not single Ii
tate; not an official Of the dominant party; not 81
Meeting of its followers, or of its recognised Ia
.aders, have heard you fsvsrably. To your prof c.
ers Of adjustment they have given seorn; to your d
ppefts tHek hays si'eF eOntsmpti 10 ggEr PTayeEs
or Justice they have giSeR threats. The very pro CT
sstatiops fthe loyalty and devotion of your SOFAS
o the Union is received by them evidences of Y
ogF tFessq1 tn she South. In vain are all these. h
n vsiR the patriotic warnings OF your venerable D
tstesmen. And nov, when despair has driven m
ope from the human heart, and naught but faith Il
a Gsd is left US, we have it announced tina: the O.
of the South, the sworn foe of do p
nestle institution, the great apostle Of the irrepress
ihle conSict, W, n. Seward, IS to be the premier