Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-01-18
The Meeting last Monday.
CLAnKsrlrlr. Jan. u. 1891.


the people of Montgomery county met at the Court
House in Clarksville and the meeting was organic
ed by calling VIM. Parry to the Chair and appoint
ing VI. f. Wilcox and NJ. @. Gholson Secretaries
The Chairman, in n few remarks stated the object
of the meetngto be the consideration of the pres
"ent alarming condition of the country, and the
preservation of Southern rights against Northern
aggression and hnatical violence
lIereupon, VIM. 7. Dortch moved that the Chair
man appoint a committee of FIVE to draft resolutions
for the consideration Of the meeting and VIM. T.
Dortch, W. o. Vance a. L. johnson, Geo. d. Mar
tin and Major John Gorham were appointed said
committee 1t appearing that Major Gortam was
not present. NJ G. Gholson was substituted
The committee, after retiring for short time, re-
turned and, through its Chairman Mr.. Dortch, sub
mitted the following Preamble and Resolutions:
WHEREAS, The States comprising this Confederacy,
known as the United States OF America, were, at
the conclusion of the war of independence, free,
sovereign, and Independent States and had all
the rights appertaining to nationality; and
WHEREAS, These States, severallR by conventions
of the people, acting by the authority of the State
Governments, and for their several States, did or
dain and establish the Government of the United
States for the purposes and objects set forth in the
Constitution thereof; and lest at any time the
Government thus created, by the several States
should overstep tho limits of the powers confer
red, or usurp powers not granted or trample up
on the reserved rights of the States, they wisely
reserved by express stpulations, to the States,
or the people thereof all powers not conferred by
the Constitution upon the General Government
anu,
WHEREAS, The Government of the United States
was created by compact among the several States
each State acting for ITSELF in its sovereign capac-
ity, and becoming member of the Confederacy
by the exercise of its sovereign authority, each
must, of necessity, be the judge of nfractons
and violations of the compact, the measure of its
wrongs and the means and mode of redress and
Nv HEREAs, Thirty years of persistent agitation o.
+ the slavery question, in and out of Congress in
! the Legislatures of the co-States North, and
among their people; the total disregard of the
constitutional andlegal means for its security and
! protection, by the people Of the North and by
Congress; the attempt of the North through Con
gress, to exclude the citizens OF the Southern
States from any participation in the Territories
the common property of all the States; the re
peated invasion of Southern soil by armed bod
les OF men, bent on rapine, robbery, arson, anC
murder; the election of sectional Chief Magis
trate pledged to carry out the "lrrepressible Con
fict these repeated and continued acts of ag
erosion and violence are just cause of offence t.
| the South and indicate persistent and settle,
purpose to reduce them to the condition of con
quered provinces. Against these repeated ag
gressions and insults we have demonstrated il
vain. We have invited compromise and appeal
cd to their Nationality, justice, and moderation
to all of which they have turned deaf ear, o
met our propositions with fresh insult and con
| tempt.
Several of our Southern sisters have adopted meas
ures which they think best suited to the condi
tion of things into which they nave been forced
and rescmed their rights out of Union whic
they could no longer hope to maintain in it. Thi
they have done with the same forms and solem
mites that they came into the Union. The Blac
3 Republicans, not satisfied with their attempts /
destroy the equality of the Southern States an
degrade them in the eyes of the world, al
threatening them with extirpaton by Norther
numbers and Federal bayone;s; therefore,
Resolred, That we deplore the madness of
: faction that would attempt by force, to retain
= State in a Government whose foundation is choiC
and whose very vitality is the will of the governed
e ResoLUed That four Southern States having r,
sorted TO the final means Of redress and certaint
of like action on the part of others, the people
= Tennessee will not view with Indifference an q
4 tempt by the Federal Government to coerce then
: or permit them to be reduced 10 the condition
lCOhQuSlcu PRIV
J, Resolved, That the subjugation of one Southel
o State by the Federal arm would break down Il
constitutional barriers established for the protectit
= of all, and lead to the final extinction of the ibe
If ties of the people.
Resoloed, That it is the duty of the Legislator
/ now in session, TO organize the militia of the Stat
/ provide for its discipline and arm the State fort
+ with.
Resolped That il is the duty of the Legislatu
tn pn1l ,,,.,tt f,,ll fa;t
compromise on the basis of Crittendens Resolution
It or, by prompt State action protecting our ntere:
in dignlhed and determined manner.
d Resolved That in case of dissolution, Tenness
will cast her fortunes with her sister States of {
s South, and endeavor to find that peace, safety a
security for her rights out of the Union which S
1t cannot find in it.
r After the report Of the committee, John F. llOu
Esq, offered the following, as an amendment,
i lieu of the committees report;
: ResolUed, L. That the people of Tennessee pl0
: the highest estimate on the Union of these Stat
= on terms fair and Just to all Of its members; it i:
A Union made and commended to us by our patrio
30 ancestors as priceless legacy to be preserved
their children that it will not cost tythe of I
patriotism and forbearapCe to it that it did 0
= fathers to make it, that it affords better &c
: eminent for peace and liberty at home and defer
10 against aggression from abroad than is likely to
os made out of any OF its parts.
2. That although we of the slave States and
., peciaily of Tennessee have great reason to comp
Of bad fellowship and worngs done us both in ch
m acter and propriety by some Of the citizens of
~, free States and the States themselves, who b,
~ broken faith with US and gone asray from the lar
marks of their fathers, yet we are ar6ently alta
cd to our National Union and trusting they v
yet give us the justice we demand, and With
he which we cannot DE friends, we still proclaim o
M selves in favor of the Union, aud so long as tn
u is hope of preserving it on the basis of the Com
- tuition, we will maintain and defend it.
8. That all laws of the free States wich null
Ct or impair the full and fair operation of the Fugit
tn SlN Law are in conflict with the National Con
on tuition, AVID we demand their repeal at the earl
ice practical moucnt
in 4. That we consider the election OF Prasid
all by one section of tic Union on the ground of
rat position TO the institutions Of the other sew
he test of the patriotism and toyhearance of the mir
ity, but Notwithstanding this i'll advised experim
80 4, 1