Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-08
GO TO THE POLLS /!
Freemen of Tennessee, GO.
to the Polls and Vote for
CONVENTION, 2 andfor
ANTI-CoERCIoN c CANDIDATES..
rAe threatened p..rup.lon in the united


T
From the London Times.
The news just received from the United States is
the most important that has come 70 since the be-
ginning of the present troubles. No one could read
the intelligence from Washington and the letter OF
our New York correspondent, without feeling that
the present month is big with the fate Of the Amer
lean Union. We are almost afraid to give publhlty
to the apprehensions which prevail. The excessive
confidence of the Northerners that all would end
WELL is giving place to sharp anxiety. and, though
they seem still to expect the preservation OF ne
Union it is evident that they look for events which
must be most disastrous to American society me
first step towards what the Southerners and their
friends speak as of civil has been taken by Pre
dent Buchanan Reused by tie disapprobation with
which his message had been received all through
the North, he has adopted more vigorous poEce
and declared his intention of executing the law i
unfolding the Federal authority. When the Char g.
ton convention decreed the secession of South Cas-
lina commissioners were dispatched to Washines.a
to negotiate for the peaceable recognition OF s2e
new nationality. At first there were not want9g
symptoms that the President would yield to tlta e
treassnable emissaries. He received them, and :sl
manner entered into negotiations with Them tho sl
protesting to consider them only as "dis tE
gushed citizens of the United States II ~
South Carolina. However, the prelimin II
demands of these gentlemen have been rejected ~
the President. The Federal Government will ~
evacuate Fort Sumter it will persist in collecA a.
the customs in the port of Charleston, and for st
purpose has appointed a collector, who will T.
charge his duties in a revenue cutter, under ~
protection of United States frigate-the BrocLH y
which was ordered to be in readiness to star D.
Charles "a at once The Commissioners conseqn!S :
ly teleg sphed to Governor Pickens to put the Sae
on wa footing and to concentrate all its torct III
once. Isis also said that the secession leaders, -
ing disc!sered that the Brooklyn ard another Is
sci weresabout to leave Norfolk for Charleston d
telegrapsd to their sympathiZers to have the MI
ute Men in readiness to seize them The ADM Ms-
tration wss on the watch to prevent the act. Sn
short MI: Buchanan seemed likely to act vigorously
in defence of the Unon-so much so that Mr. Floyd,
Secretary of War, and Southern partisan, had re-
signed. On the other hand, there could be no doubt
that all the cotton States would secede within three
weeks al IS little that if any attempts at coercion
were mage, the border slave States would give &C
tive help: to the seceders. and probably join their
Confederscy.
But for much of this we are prepared. That
Georgia, Alabama and the rest would follow the
example of South Carolina certain and 1t could
hardly be supposed that the President would at
length make some resistance to the demands OF the
seceders. What is most important in the late news
is the rising spirit of the North. and the growing
determination to act with vigor against the dsunon-
lists. The Government Of the two great States OF
New York and Pennsylvania had delivered their mes
sages at the opening of the session OF their respective
Legislatures, and had denounced secession IN the
strongest terms ITO permit or acquiesce in trea-
sonabe conspiracy against the national authorities,
is to confess that our Government is an absolute
failure" says tie Governor of New York" " The
people of the State of New York In my Judgment,
are not prepared for such On admissloa on the con
trary they will give to the Federal authorities, in
all necessary measures for the enforcement of the
| laws, their just earnest and faithful support"
Jenator Spipola had Immediately offered Q resolu-
ton authorizing the Governor to- tender to the Ma
tional Administration 10000 militia ito put down
| insurreetion in one part of the country" 1t
is probable that Pennsylvania will be equal
| ly epgstia. The West will certainly take up
| the question still more warmly.
We cfn now understand the anxiety WHICH pre-
walls in the South, and imagine how denqnciaton
of the Northern project of civil war, like that co-
tanned in the speech of Mr. Benjamin. the other day,
should work on the feelings Of the galleries in a
| Southern city like Washington. But what is the
| great danger-what IS the temptation to violent
eo4gse agsinst which this gentleman thought 1t ne
cessary to warn the North? When the President
has solemnly declared that though South Carolina
is not consdsotionslly entitled to secede, yet she
cannot be b dered in the revolutionary exercise OF
her sover,,2 rights when the House of Represen.
tatives hageSoted, by isr1e majority that the en-
poyment # force to eoeroe the seeding State IS
| impracti ale; when the Custom House and Post
Office ar :: tually worked by Carolinial officials;
| when thgss lew York Press heads the news from
Charlsstorz 18th the title Foreign Intelligence"
what can "a the chance of civil war, against which
the SenatIS rea I.ouiseua thinks it right solemnly
to warn I1Afellows This is queStiGp 70 which NO
certain sEwer can be given at present, even in
! America Nh leh less in this country. The minds OF
men acroEthe Atlantic are agitated by occurrences
| 10 which II hing similar is recorded in the history
| of this Co.'S 1g When the British feet mutinied at
the More, Ehen Ireland was in open rebellion when
| Bonapart4sSwas at Boulogne, when England stood
| alone agat%st the consolidated French Empire-at
| any of use periods people might be anxious
alarmed. Expressed; bgt they had confidence in the
future ne they felt that nation can never be de-
| b1,i Thinking men in Amer
| lea are n bably more discouraged than We we're
| when th.s sword OF G military despotsm was
at our breasts. They feel that their country runs
the greateS of all dangers-that of being ruined
| by itself iSo foreign enemy, no European tyrant,
I no base G Srcby threatens them. The fabric OF
Democratic Government is to be rent asunder u loe
name of Ptpular right, and By Lasans Of universal
suf1ress ,jaricatures represent the iueiiatioa pi
| the Eurof@aa soFeTeigps at the event SermoFs
are full Ct >iespondency. Public sPeeehes "a tae
North haU generally affected TO deGSt taa serlogs-
! ness Of ttks movement and have expressed cana
denee thatGhe separation will only be temporary.
This, in fs, is the hope which has kept the Norta,
sad still SO the West quiet. 1t vas still indulgsd
at the CO.'S &c last year, and 1t remains to be seen
how fer i, . founded on right estimate OF lhings
But, supre sng the Sanguine polltielaog, 81 gh9m
Mr. Sewafe is type, TO be in the grougi supPosng
the gulf fytween the free and slave SOIL when once
made to rtilen daily more and more; supposing the
PRIDE or - political ambition, or the pecunlary
interest, o the Southerners to be satisfied by their
| new iuden sndense, what will be the action OF the
rest of the Federation2 Will tho kGrth give up
With the 5isVe States ell the vast Continent which
lies to the South aud West of themf Are all the
dreams of american smbition to be forever foregone
BY the yoikh of New York, Ohio and Michigan, the
most acliT and enterprising populations Of the
HepUblc?E If South Carolina secedes; if Georgia,
Florida, Aksbsms, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana,
folloy; ia southern RedeFatiOn be formed and take
IFS place Snong the powers Of toe earth, there can
| be no k9gS of keeping the Border SlaFe ststes.
Tbeae vilsoe drsEn BY natural affinity to detach
themse!ve. from the North and join the Slayehold-
| ing Feder5ton North Carolina, TennResee, Ken
| tucky, aiissouri, Virginia, Maryland, belaSsre,
will thea be disassOcisted from the Free States
| Such ar event cannot be regarded without DISNEY
| by the most staunoh Abolitionists. 1t would il
| fact utks the Southern Federation the real
United States as Ear as territory, present and pros
peetive is concerned, au4 reduce the North to what
| our ancestors would have called !'tsEmp." The
people of Boston or Philadephia might be disiip-
euished for their ability aud enterprise, but they
would belong to a country with hardlye greater
future thfR Canada. Every natural advantage
| would be on the side Of tie saye States. Look at
| the map and you viii ses phst = Aarr5E strip OF
country imposes the free soil of fhe AmeriSgn bt4-
eratisn gRly the sea coast from British fronct'r
to the Z .wase belongs TO it, al the rest, STRETCH
| ing far aEsy down the Atlantic alohg the gun 81
| Mexico * 10 tue h2n0s OF Tue sdSE VsbSfs' 80
mouth +:he Mississippi is there; the Missouri -
| Arksugisg; the great arteries Of the extreme Wet,
are thtirG Virginia pushes spur OF terrltorf !
within =. than hundred miles of Lake Erie, % d
Tins di 8 s The Atlantic Free States from the NSit
Ia une Sar highly dangerous to their future UrSf
| Indeed n is doubtful whether the connection ~
| tween ~ York and New England on the one 81,
and Inisg, snd the neighboripg STATES on thec:ssl
err coulsN)ng survive the total separation of s,ts
Souh. ,she North would have territory as ST 5Es-
Cling ~ aat of Prussia, aud the Western reE,1n
! could sSSa find it advantageous to dissolVeElts
| Union - the Eastern. In the mesntfe,
all III riches il the New World 40
! bs in he grasp Of ths southernerS. f.
stead exploring The hospitable regiOast q
the mel s2oorhood Of the British frontier. V tGn
would E. III that remained to the North, the slS :
owner 2sld carry their "undeniabls PrOperfs
into Ian ID blessed With every advantage Of elimts
soil ant Mineral wealth Texas has territory epoiAI
to makeH ,ree or four great States. New MeaES'
is about4 be admitted with slave institutions ~
izoua W Efolow Mexico must In few years q
| cououeIM. and the Southerners, lords of the ms
r,sgni6 at domain in the world, would control q
! massage Etween the two oceans
| a tho TTniou Iets South Carolina 90