Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-01
Address of Felix Robertson and other
Union COMMITTEES.

I CoNN
phrases we have at last faint premonition, q
much perhaps, as public sentiment would CONVEX
iently digest without revulslon at the present me-
n1eut Of the real purposes of the heterogeneous 8
called Southern Rights Union party"
THE CAT IN THE MEAL TUB.
No man can read this document carefully withou
perceivng that the real purpose of the committee
not The reconstruction Of the Union upon basis sat 4
factory to our sister States, Georgia. alabama and MI
sissippi nth suho7n or people are identified alike
sympathy and IN interest," but to patch up somethin
that win satisfy what they conceive to be the les
decidedly pro-slavery sentiments Of the horde
slave States and ,c the border abolition States tofor,
a middle COrqedeucy.
cRlTTEHDEy AMENDMENT.
To this end it is proposed, not with the remotes
hope of saving the Union, to adopt as a basis O
settlement, the CRrTTENDES or border State amend
ments, as they are sometimes called These it i
known, not one of the Atlantic or Gulf States vii
for moment think of accepting This every on
knows These gentlemen do not, therefore, look 70
nloaeat, for reconstruction Of the Union, if we ma.
make a fair inference from their course of argu
ment.
WHAT WILL TENNESSEE SAY?
Tennessee, if TIE present Legislature speak thu
the sentiments of the State, will no more accept
the CRITTENDEN resolutions as basis of settlement
than Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
As explained by Mr.. CRr1TENpEN himself they are
worse than worthless, for they give up three
fourths of the territory to the North to secure a
new promise from them, that the present status o.
slavery shall not be disturbed in the oiherJourth.
HOW THE BORDER ABOLITION STATES UNDERSTAND THEM
And it is with this distinct understanding alone
that the border abolition States would accept them
that is, that while excluding slavery North of 81
deg 80 min it shall be left to the mercy of the ter
ritoria legislation South of that line. Call you thai
standing up for Southern rights? If these gentlemen
attach any Importance to the phrase which they
have borrowed to give lustre to the party name by
which they would like to be called, Southern
Rights Union men," why did they not at least gel
up as high as the Tennessee Legislature resolutions
adopted in the House by Jfy-seven to seren, and IN
the Senate by fifteen to nine.
ALARMING TAXATION.
The committee ara almost terror-stricken at the
enormous taxes that must be imposed upon the dear
people in sustaining confederacy of the Southern
States
And this too with the fact staring them in tbs face
that the revenue from imports based upon the ex-
ports of the South, poor are, is full two
thirds of all the revenues of the present govern
ment. 1t is moreover fact, which no statesman
will dare deny, that an adjustment of the tariff
upon strictly revenue principles, having reference
to the protection of Yankee interests would upon
the Imports of the South alone, an independent
confederacy, yield larger revenue than the whole
amount of duties now received by the general gov
ernment and with far far less real detriment to the
South.
TAXATION THAT DON'T ALARM.
Is not little singular that while taxation looms up
fearfully before the mind of the committee when
confederacy with our more Southern brethren is pro-
posed, their fears all vanish in looking at middle
confederacy, provided only it embrace few of the
border free States at least they express no fears in
such contingency. 1t would almost seem if the
arrogance of the abolition States and the long and
patient endurance of the South had led some men to-
believe that Northern pilots are indispensable to
navigate our ship of State. Out upon such humlli-
atng confessions!
PARALLEL OBJECTIONS.
Let the candid reader, after noting carefully all
the objections to Southern Confederacy, test them
by application to the pet scheme of certain old fogy
politicians, who have always looked with ayerted
eye towards the South, and he cannot but see that
these objections would apply with fourfofd force to
this pet scheme of Border State Confederacy, into
which, under the deiusve cry of Union Union, 1t is
sought to decOy Tennessee.
FINANCIAL ABILITY UNPRECEDENTED.
We will not allow ourselves to doubt for a mo-
m.nt, that the respectable gentlemen who have I'M
dertaken to engineer Tennessee out of the mOrasses
Of Southern Confederacy, have given US the best
results of their united Judgment to the probable
financial resources of the Southern States. Leav-
ing out of view the exaggerated estimate of our ex-
enses, they say shat our resources from customs
will yield only about eleven millions of dollars"
With all due Difference, we beg to suggest with be.
coming modesty, that political economists, so far
Is weknow or have ever heard, are agreed in this.
hat the imports of every State must of necessity
equal its exports; if the proceeds do not come back
n the shape of metal, then Of course in merchan-
Iise. Now the home valuation of our exports may
De set down in round numbers at two hundred and
fifty millions of dollars An average duty of twenty
Der cent upon this amount would be according to
When we refer to the exports of the South of |
course the present coastwise exports to the North
IN States are included inasmuch as they would in |
Southern confederacy, become foreign exports.
PROTECTION TO SOUTHERN MANUFACTURES.
Nay, more; whatever incidental protection such |
tariff would afford, would enure &c the benefit of
he South, instead Of now, to the Yankee States.
QUESTION ANSWERED.
1t is asked of the Southern rights party do they
gree to the compromise proposed by Senator
KITTENDEN, to any other ike proposition
substance We undertake to answer for
-irginia, North Carolina South Carolina, Georgia,
lorida, Alabama, Mississippi louisiana. Texas,
rkansas and Tennessee, emphatcally no. Nothing
SIS, certainly than the resolutions Of She Legisla
Ire of Tennessee. These are the platform of the
Davidson county Southern Rights anti-CoercIon
arty."
DIRECT TAXATION.
The Union Committee estimate the direct taxation
which Tennessee would be subject in Southern
at five millions of dollars or there.
,outs. Why not wei make it ten cr,,twenty. The
cures would brighten the people all the more, and
ould be just as likely to be realized as your more
eldest estimate!
We venture to affirm, and let our estimate be re-
side Ey side with that of the committee,
at Tennessee will never have one dollar of taxes to
y in the Southern .Confederacy, either direct or
direct, more than she has paid to our present
,deral Government.
Glorious NSWS.
Telegraphic dispatches announce the glorious /
VS. that in seven days our difficulties will be all
ppily adjusted. Garrison and Rhett are to be put
bed together. The fanatics of Massachusetts and !
e-eaters of South Carolina are hereafter to be :
,I.nd tnrnal erahrace The 1,hIin r,,nrr rnI 4 I