Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-26

able aIh necessary consequence which, sooner OF
later, e4ch and every of the founders of our con-
federation felt and foreknew must overtake the
Union, IS now taking place before eyes in the
disfedeFatlon of the Republic. And though nothing
could be natural than the results to which
have aalEed, and yet to attain in the immediate
future9mtn will still stand aghast in stupid wonder
and aniazesle as if a miracle were being wrought
in their presence. Nothing less than the force OF
the war debt unpaid, the poverty of the country
and thts fet weakness account Of the pauclty OF
Inhabitants to repel foreign attack ever could haze
oyeree' ne the natural repulson between the North
and th South sufficiently to compel them in their own
despit to unite. The pressure, from these causes,
being SOW removed the centrifugal is stronger than
the ceatrpetal tendency. The Union, therefore, has
not bean much unlike the womb of the venerable
Rebecca and for very much the same reason that
caused such uneasness to the wife of the Patriarch
Isaac. And the Lord said unto her-two nations
are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be
separated from thy bowels" And the very fact is,
that jacob and Esau are no bad examplars OF the
North and South in more than one particular.
jamestown was first founded afterwards Plymouth
Virginia weak and faint from the war, sold herimpe
rial birth-1hght North of the Ohio for less than
mess of poktage viz: the satisfaction and good opn
ion of the North. And by tariffs and bOanties
fisheries, and alternate sections of the public
domain and enormous Federal expenditures upon
local interests, have they not cheated us out of
blessings which of right and natural Inheritance
belonged TO us? And, though supplanted and
cheated there remained also a. blessing for Esau.
Shall it not yet be ours? And Isaac, his father,
answered and said unto him: Behold thy dwelling
shall be the fairness Of the earth an the dew of heav
en- from above, and by thy sword shalt thou live
and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to
pass when thou shalt have dominion that thou shalt
break his yoke from off thy neck.o
"Poeta nIScitr non fit we are taught as axiom
attic by the highest authority So, also, of nations
they are not made; neither can they be laid Oft
upon the map, by rule and compass, to suit the
fancy, interest, whim of any man or set of men.
After all the wars in Europe for the last five hun
bred years, the boundaries assumed in the begin
ming of the natisnal lifehood are much the same
to-day. Napoleon /. did not level the Pyrenees,
neither could he. Spain and France exist
they did before Rome and Carthage. Nations, then,
are not made, but born born of identity Of race,
language interest; born of similarity of climate,
production pursuit; born of congenality of thought
feeling, habit, taste, religion born of treaties,
leagues constitutions born not Of man, but OF ma
ture and of God In nature similarity of substance
the condition precedent to Capitalization. ma
ton is natural crystal, and similarity, Also Is the
condition and law of its being.
Judged by this criterion, how could, how can
ever the Northern and Southern people unity :?
What similarity, pray, there. or will there ever
be between Plymouth and Jamestown between
Boston and Charleston Raleigh and Rochester, Nash
vile and Detroit Milwaukee, and Mobile, New Orleans
and Chicago? What attraction could exist between
Puritan and Cavalier, between Rev. Cotton Mather
and Capt. ohm Smith, between the Blue Laws of Con-
necticut and the perfect toleratisn of Maryland ?
What eongeniality is there between the productions
of the North and the South between the ice of New
Pond and the rice of Santee river; the enormous
granite monoliths of Quincy and the sacchsfine
iuiciness of the cane of Atchafalaya; between the
Jerome clock of Connecticut and the cotton bale of
Alabama Whom, therefore, God and nature have
put asunder, man cannot join together.
But you trumphantlyIpoint to the Union, in refuta-
nd bpen eighty
years; and why, therefore, cannot we agree to diff
fer for eight hundred years, eight thousand for
that matter if Dr. Cumming CT London, will let the
world exist for that short period J" "And why,
you ask, shall we not, as our Fathers did, live IN
peace, amity and good willT
Yes, those were happy tmes-the times of our
Fathers. We have occasionally heard them some
what discoarsed upon in our day. But when went
there by an age, since the flood, that this was not
so; was not Eden in the very beginnin?
But let US not be misunderstood. Far be it from
us to sneer at or appear to sheer at the noble race
of men, coinpatriots of Washington Better, more
enlightened patriots and statesmen, never existed
They cid all that was possible for men to do TO unity
the people whose independence their valor and sac
rifce Dad achieved. And the Union and the Consti
tuition yhirh they established, is the most glorious
monum> nj of mans wisdom ever erected. But
&c There's Divinity thst shapes our ends
Rough hew them how we will"
The government which they founded has served it;
purpose. In the very nature of things it TEN.
pOraryE and provisional. And this, also, Fathers
knew I'D telt must be so. The gestative period Is
passed. the days of our glorious old mother, the
Union, Are fully accomplished and the whole coun-
Try is ig the agonies and commissions of delivery
Ere long nature if let alone, will have ended the
struggle and the cOngratulatory remark will be ut
tered by all" they doing as well, nay. great
deal better than could have been expected"
A brief historical resume may not be without use
to keep from wringing hands in impotent repin
igns overthe necessary, the inevitable, nay the de-
srable results to which fast Fastening. viz
the dsfederaon of the States to the end that they
may refederate upon more solid and enduring basis
The end, then las been from the beginning
that is what we shall attempt to demonstrate.
The struggle for American Independence com
menced at jamestown and Plymouth. Independence
therefore. was also from the beginning. After one
hundred and fifty years ceaseless progress the Revo
| luton begun at Jamestown was finally consummat
| ed at the adjoining village of Yorktown.
When then, did the Union begin? On the 2lSt day
| of July, l775 DIR. Franklin submitted to Congress
| plan entItled-'Artice of Confederation and per
pettal Union of the Colonies" This formed the ba
sis of the plan of Confederation reported by the
committee, of whom Mr. Dickinson was chair
man, On the 18th of July, lf76. And when
| did disulion begin? In th2 very first debate
| had on the report of the committee-on the 3Oth
| and 3lst of the same July, whose fourth day will
| ever be memorable for the Declaration thereon
made Article xI read as follows" All charges
of war and all other expenses that shall be incur
red for the common defence or general welfare anC
.aowed by the United States assembled shall be de
| frayed out of common treasury which shall bt
supplied by the several colonies in proportion to the
number of inhabitants of every age, sex and quail
~ except Indians not paying taxes, in each coonyT
| q true account of which, distinguished the whit
inhabitants shall be trennually taken and transmits
ted to the Assembly of the United States"
Mr.. Samuel Chase, delegate from Ma
| of fha fnfa chDulA NJ
paid not by the number of inhabitants of every
condition but by that of the ,1kite inhabitants. He
insisted in support of his amendment, there is nc
more reason fop taxing the Southern States or the
| farmers head and on his saye's head, than thi
Northern ones in their farmers heads and the heads
of their cattle That the method proposed would
tax the Southern States according to their numbers
and their wealth CON unctly ! while the Northern
would he taxed Oh numbers only that negroes II
| fact sh0lld not be considered as members OF thu
State mare than cattle, and that they have no NOR,
| interest in it'n Mr. John Adams, of Massacku
sets, lr"sted upon the plan as reported by thu
CommiL,ae and so also Mr.. Wilson. OF Pennsylvania
who SAD " If this amendment should take place
the Southern Colonies would have all the benefit o
slaves whilst the Northern ones would bear thu
burther. That slaves increase the profits of a
State which the Southern States mean to take tC
themselves that they also increase the bprthep o.
defence, which, OF 'eoQrae, would 1all go ntuel
heavier on the Northern States that slaves oocu
|
YOUR slaves and freemen will take their places
1t was wittly replied 1T has been objected tina
negroes eat the food of freemen, and therefor
should be taxed-horSes also eat the food of free
men. therefore they also should be taxed p Nh
Benjamin Harrison Of Virginia, then came forwar
with bis compromise, Wig: that two slaves shoub
be counted as one freeman" And, in passing. lie
it be reIlarked, that every compromise has bee
proposeGsby the South neper one By the North. Wit
ness the sne called the Missouri Compromised
Compromise of lS32-the Compromise Of 1859
and now the proposed adjustments OF Boteep, Q
Virginia--of Powell and Crittenden of KY. And ar
mother noticeable fact is that in all the compromises
the South for peace has always yielded her rights an
given up ali except her honor. But the day of com
promises has finally passed-"hitherto shalt tho
, come and no further" is now the motto of ever
true Southron But let US look at the vote upon tn
first Con, promise. 1t was rejected by the votes
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode island, Cor
nectcut Jew York, New Jersey and Pennsylvani
-agains: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Mort
Carolins :.south Carolina and Georgia, So thRsg
unlike s.ife politicians of today, who tell us the
"know ne North no South, no East, no West on
forefatheSs seem most distinctly TO have know
both the North and the South, and the fixed, immu
I go e. 10 how