Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-09
eUvhssNOR's MESSAGE;
ExEcUr1vE DEPfkrIEsT.
NdshUale, 0ctOIIer Z, 1861.

NdStcS1e, OctOOeT ~ IoO1'
Gentlemen OF he Se,aate,
and House Of Representatives
SINCE the adjournment Of the last regular session.
have deemed it my duty to convene the LeGisla-
ture, twice in extra sessions, ga
NV messages to, and the Legislation by those
extra sessions, will furnish full information as to
the action eff the State n the most important period
in its history, resulting in the resumption Of her
original sovereignty, by the almost unanimous scton
of her people, and union with the Government OF
the Confederate States of America.
Impelled to this action by "a long train OF abuses
aud usurpatiOns pursuing invariably the same
| object" eyincing settled purpose upon the part
of those controlling the Federal Government to
degrade the Southern States below the level OF
equality, depreciRte and destroy their property,
in open violation of the plainest guarantees of the
Constitution leaving those States 10 alternative but
humiliatiug submission, manly resistance to the
| tyranny of usurpatOn.
In contemplating the present condition of the
country and the excitag and important events
which are now Transporting, it may not be unProht
able to review, briefly, the history OF the past and
follow step by step the progress of that revolution
in the public sentiment of the North which has eul
minated in the reputation OF those vital principles
| of personal freedom, political equality and state
| sovereignty upon which the Union OF the States
was originally established. 81.
As our country expanded into the magnncent
| proportions of great empire, majority OF the
Northern people were dRZzled by the open splendOr
| of the nation as a unit In contemplating with
pride and satisfaction the development OF glgan-
tie power, capable of contending upon equal terms
with any other nation of the EARTH they overlooked
the important truth that this colossal Governments
was indebted for its greatness to the aggregated
power of the separate sovereign States which com
posed it. developed by their respective local laws
| and institutions. 81.
The country being naturally divided by geo
/ graphical distinctions Of pursuits,
institutions local laws and Diversity Of interests,
into two great sections upon the very instant when
the COT lily AID sovereignty of the States we're de-
| MED by a msjority of the members composing the
| cOnfederacy, the tendency OF the slong sVcuSn
| was tn widen the breach between them. and TO
stimulate sectional snimosities, 10 order that 1t
MIGHT sezs upon the exclusive control of the power
| and purse of The General Government.
The struggle for supremacy, therefore, vas soon
| narrowed down 20 a contest bttTte 81 these two
great sections the South CALAMITY battling for the
maintenance of Constitutional liberty, State soVsr
eighty and political equality, while the North, dis
regarding these great cardinals, sought to obtain
| power and s3oils upon their ruins.
| In such contest the victory at the ballot box
| necessarily Injured 10 that section which nu
| merically the stronger.
The exclusion of the Southern States from all prac
| teal participation in the control of the General
| Government was the immediate and unavoidable
consequence I'D.
Upon the election of President Lincoln un Ter such
auspices the Southern people were left in condi
ton of dependence hopeless as that held BY their
cial SUI jects of the British Crown. All positions Of
influence and power in the Government at the dis
posAl of the Presidential Chief were Immediately
filled with those who were the most bitter and
| clamOrous enemies of the South. he who had
manifested the greatest degree of vrulance against
the domestic institutions and welIdsfned Constitu
| tional rights of the Southern States and people,
were regarded possessing the highest claim to
Executive favor and patronage. What hope could
the Southern people ndulgde, for justice at the
| hands of such rulers ? -"
The Congress which was in session at the inaugu-
ration of the President, enacted tariff law for tina
undisguised purpose of Transferring the earnings
of the farmers and planters Of the South toto the
| pockets of the manufacturers of the North.
The Executive, Legislative and diplomatic func-
tons of the Government were IN the possession OF
a party, backed by the power of dominant sec
| ton declaring and inaRggPating policy reVOlu-
tionary in itself and destructive Of the rights and
liberties of the people of the Southern States and
measures were n active progress TO carry opt their
oft repeated threat to reorganiZe the judiciary so
as to make that last and only naming bulwark OF
Constitutional liberty, subserVient to their selfish
and sectional purposes
| Having exclusive control of the Government, they
refused TO listen to any oyerureS on the part OF the
South for peaceful solution OF the difficulties and
dangers which they had thus preeipitated Hpon the
country In the blind wentonness of sectional pride
and ina gIlary power, they haughtily refused to
entertain any terms of compromise or to abate IN
the smallest degree their arrogant pretensiOns.
majority the will of the Government, and hence,
the will of maj orty of the people Of the Northern
States must be regarded as the law Of the Union,
regardless of Constitutional restrictions, justice and
equality.
the mssE devoted friends of the Union could devise,
in frutiess escorts induce this sectional party to
pause in s care Of ljust aggression, thu peo IL
of the South, almost one man. prepared TO meet
| the crisis as became deseendEnts Of a brave and
4 i
ed the powers which they had delegated TO the
General Government, and in the exercise Of their
inalienabe rights have united themselves together
and started upon their under the auspices
Of new COnfsderacy.
Our late associates dissenting from our course,
! and maddened by unexpected resistance to their
! assumptions Of authority, have hurled upon our
unofending people thsir legions Of mercenary sol
| diars in order berd the nocks Of the fTeemen OF
the South to the CALLING yoke OF military despotism
Their President has Cficiaily announced through
the mediam OF his message, the uOnstropg beresy,
that the several States Of the Union are Indebted to
: the Federal Government for tReir existence, and
the duration of their separate authority IN effect
assigning TO them the same relation to tie Union
that counties bear to States, and foreshado wing In
policy &c consolidating such States submit to il
into a single sovereignty, while such as have the
spIrA to resst, ere &c be subjugated and held as
conquered provinces .-
Let us for q moment surrey a-e hnmiliatng spec
tace which is presented by the present condition of
! the people OF NOrt1 hHOy III lltif sBtCtSda
forts to aid the despotism which has been estsb-
lishe4 at Washington have suffered themselves to be
despoiled Of the last vestage of that real liberty
which they inherited fRom their fathers.
However bitterly the OPP o2ants OF the Republican
| party may have resisted its aaFeSs 70 power, who
of its gaoat determined enemies could ESVe believed
that within si$ short months after the inauguration
of their chosen President the freedom of the Press
would have beeB utterly RpRihiated and the circu-
lstOn of all newspapers tRT9Ggh tbe mails prohl6-
tied which dared to question the wisdom OF BIS pol
icy or his measures? Who could have believed that
within brief period the citizen Who VeptuFea to
express his disApproVal of tho policy OF the Fresl.
dent. o. eyer 70 utter "Words OF peace ana good
will would taye been regarded as guilty of 3
crime sufficient 10 ccEsig9 the offender TO dun
geOn?
Who could have imagined mat tEs grit of habeds
| c02aS, that great bulwark Of personal freedom,
I would hsge been suspended or denied, and entlSe
States placed aneer martial law by the mere PFOcls-
nation Of military chiet!
! Almost every public 50yrHsl throughout the North
whether political religious which failed or re-
fused to give support to the policy Of e President,
has been suppressed, Dpelled to yeiS Us sup
port to the Government. Elltors who have deeIla-
| cd yielding obedience to their demands have been
committed to prison. CitiGens against whom there
| vas no impUtation Of crIme have been dragged
from tueir beds at midnight and hurried away to
distant fortEasses without warrant OF law sad with
out the poor e6n2Qlation Of knowing the charge
upon which they were arrested the sanctty OF
| the church has been ipvadsd and their ministers
! driTc3 from their Pulpits. WOmsn' ghoss person
has been held sacred by all civilized natSls, has
Lrr, OrnArT