The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-19
AN EXCELLENT SPEECH

we 90 NOT KNOW Jhal we can apprOpTi
ate portion Of our space 70 better
use than by publishing straighl-ror-
ward, sensible and patriotic speech
made al large Union Meeting at Boil
var in this State on the 23d of August,
by General McCLERvAYD Of Illinois. II
contains thoughts which are worthy Of
deep consideration.
Gen mcCIernsud's speech.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMES-A
coincidence, in some sort, accounts for
my being here. Visiting this place in
discharge Of my duties as a military olli-
Ger, you were polite and kind enough 60
invite me TO be present, and accordingly
| am here.
Not being officially advised of the OBJ
ject Of the meeting, can only conjecture
what il is. | understand il 10 be 20 re-
new yOur devotion TO the constitution
and the Union established by our faith
ers, and TO pledge your faith for their
defence and preservation. In this OBJ
iect heartily sympathize with voI, and
am reioiccd az the privilege Of Joining
with you in offering our common devo-
tions at The altar Of our common country.
You have been told, gentlemen, thai
this is an unholy war, waged by van
dals and strangers for the purposes Of
conquest and ACKNOWLEDGMENT Never
was assertion more scandalously false
Il has not even prctext to give il plaus-
Utility.
What indeed are the facts For
long years the seeds of discOrd aud civil
strife have been sedulously suwn by am
bilious and discontinued leaders in the
South. There was the case Of the tar
if Of 1923, which was made occasion by
Mr. Calhoun for an attempt 10 break up
the Union, and to erect upon its ruins a
multiplicity Of petty nationalities, which
in the nature Of things, must have been
mutually Jealous, janing, and bellge-
rent
President Jackson aided by Clay and
Webster, put down this attempt. 1t was
during the memorable struggle on this
question that JacksOn uttered the patriot
ic and emphatic sentiment, "The Union
1t must be preserved" Under his in
| dignant glance, the HYDRA of rC|ollion
covered and skunk away, and a great ca
lamity was aveted.
wish to God that lac lived now: that
| il had been he, instead of Buchanan, who
had been charged with the care Of the
Republic in the beginning of these
| troubles Had he been, conspiracy, Sc
ditiOn, and treason would have been
again crushed in the bud, and the coun-
| try would have been delivered from a sea
| of blood. Mcthinks the guilt Of Ten
ncsseeans who have armed themselves
/ against their beneiicent mother, that gov
eminent comforting honor upon aud re-
ceiving honor from the name of jackson,
is enough to disturb his remains in the
| grave,-to cause his ileshless and moul-
dering bones to leap eager and impetu-
Gus, from the embrace Of death. How
recreant TO repudiate the wise and hon
orcd teachings of such men as jackson,
Grundy, aud White, once the beloved
aud yenerated leaders Of loyal and adj
miring Tennesseeans. Those teachings
| early embraced, and, thank God, still
cherish and try to follow them.
| Loyal Tennesseeans-yOu whose pa
trioic example contrasts so strikingly
with the backsliders and apostates have
alluded to---io YOU offer the right hand
of fellowship. You have come up through
much tribulatiOn-aye, with the threat
of having the halter put around your
necks--io proclaim, in the face of wicked
men, your fixed determination TO live
and, il need be, die, under the old flag
the flag consolidated with stars emblem
attic Of the number, beauty, and glory OF
| the cOnfedCrated States
Among you | behold many old men
and, in all, that gravity, and deCorum
and intelligence which would distinguish
you as as q popular assemblage anywhere
Many of you belong 20 an older genera
tion-thc generation Of CLAY, Webster
Jackson, White, Crittenden and Grundy
and are we, Of the younger generation
MP Ia the standard Of our fathers Az,
we go earnest, 40 self-sacrilicing, so de-
voted? / fear not. The existence o
this rebellion is a proof that we are not
Will not future generations hold MS re
spOnsible for so great a crime vii
they not curse rs through all time, it, in
stead of transmitting TO them the glori
Gus heritage of liberty, won for them by
our revolutionary ancestors, We shoul,
entail upon them civil war, dcspotisn
and ruin ? ! cannot but fear so.
You have been told, gentlemen, tina
this is a war of northern aggression.
deny it, II is no war of aggression, |
is a war of defence, of defence Of on
common constitution and Union-lor th
yindication of that old and honored flag
which stands for all that is noble AM
daring, and glorious in our history. W
would uphold that, though millions o
traitors tear il down and dishonor il
We would make that the windide -shee
Of The whole NOrth, rather than il SHOULD
be trailed in the dust and degraded b.
men who have Iforcsworn themselves il
opposing it. To express myself still
stronger, my friends would say, In In
broader and profound view Of philosoph
aud universal benevOlence, that 1t woul
be better that the whole North America
, race should be destroyed-utterly ami
hilatcd--ihan that this goyernment-thi
| free, popular EOvcTumcnt-the Wisest an
best ever devised by human wisdom, wit
all its hopes, promises, and encourage
ments-shOuld be destroyed. Such /
uiyestimate OF the value ST the America
Republic-ths noble Union Of ours
and for which and TO uphold which
have left home, children, and civil honor
behind. If / am eNtrayagant in Ties
sentiments and expressions, cannot hel
il: they are the ebullitions Of my hear
nay, more, the convictions OF my judy
ment; and | must live up TO them. Sin
or swim, live or die, / will strive as lon
as God permits me to live, TO sustai
them, Great applause,)
incidentally TO, or as an element o
our Union Of States | wish TO say some
thing respecting the Mississippi Rive