The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-10

tne nODlcat altempt ever MADE 1V man 70
combine the equal home bred blessings
Of a small State with the strength and
INFLUENCE Of great empire Shall We
allow Secession 10 make 4 depiorable
wreck Of this noble framework Of Gov
crnmentP VIII We permit the Union of
The States 70 BE- sacrifced--ihat Consti-
tuition which was framed bv some OF the
Wisost and best mon that ever lived, 10
be trampled under foot, in order TO graft
fy the aspirations to Office Of eight or
ten disappointed Southern politicians.
Ei5ut agaia. Secession bids us not only
eede to her half The territory the Unit.
ed States, and abrogates at one blow
the Constitution of Government that
held them together, but, in place Of this
powerful and prosperous Union, now
strong enough for every legitimate OBJ
ject Of domestic or foreign pOlity, il sub
stitules at once and Of necessity two ia
dependent and hostile Cunfedefacies.
separated by no natural boundary, sure
20 be involved in eternal border wars,
besides carrying In their bosoms the IA
tai germ Of still further and still more
ruinous disintegraiiOn, All history, al
analogy teaches us that five could patch
up peace tomorrow with the Rebel
States, IL would be but Temporary truce,
lasting just 30 long, and no longer as
might be accessory for them 10 End
a preteXi for O new war Of aggression
and outrage Their leaders tell You that
they hate, despise and loathe you and
they have shown yon what paltry and
imaginary grievances they consider a
sufficient cause of war. How 8 il posi-.
bic Won can ever live in peace with them,
if this first trial Of strength. which has
been forced upon us is decided in their
favor re they violate the obligations
OF the Constitution and the sanctitv Of
oaths what respect are they going 10 paw
TO the faith Of treaties II they Nv 90
arms because an election, in which they
took an equal part has been decided
against them, how can we hope 10 con-
duct with them, on amicable terms,
the great and often perplexcd relations
QCindependent States,
But Secession NOT only makes this
wholesale havoc OF the Constitution and
the Union, il rcpeals the Declaration Of
Independence need not saw that all
the States Of this Union were, four ffths
of a century ago, colonial dependencies
Of the great Powers Of Europe Itisnot
yet sixty years since England acknowl-
edged the independence of the old thir-
teen States II is less than sixty years
since France coded to us Louisiana and
all the mighty region between the Mis-
sissippi and Che Pacific. Il IS shorty years
only since Spain coded TO us the tiori-
das; and fourteen years only since Mex
ico--at this moment involved ia war with
the great Powers Of Europe, and in i'm
minent danger of losing her indepcnd-
ence, in deed if not in word-aclnowl-
edged our claim to Texas If we recog-
nize Secession, we admit the right not
only Of the entire Southern Oonfederacy.
so called, but Of each and every member
Of il, 20 resume at pleasure its allegiance
to the ancient Government and thus
plant a European colonial Jurisdiction
all along our Southern frontier, So COM
pletely has the frenzy Of the hour ex-
tinguished every spark Of patriotism in
the bosom Of their leaders, that some of
them have declared their preference of a
foreign scepter over the gentle and be-
neiicent sway Of the Constitution Of the
United States. But whether they desire
il or not, whether this madness extends
TO the many, or, as we may charitably
hope. is confined TO the few, the recnloni-
zation'Of the States of the South by their
former European masters, is an event, il
Secession should prosper, highly probable,
in fact all but certain in reference TO
4
Of them greatly otherwise Break up
the Union; let the two great sections OF
the country hamstring each other with
the two edged sword Of border war, and
what sufficient protection would Texas
aud Florida have against Spain, or Lou
isiana against France, or any of them
against England There is not one of
them, if left TO themselves and involved
in war with foreign Power, whose in
| dependence would be worth years pu-
chase. Nothing has so much amazed me
in an these disastrous complications as
the fact that men of capacity and politi-
| cal experience at the South, and who as
pirc 70 the name of patriots and states
men, should not perceive that in abdicat-
ing their position as integral members oil
q strong Government, and especially one
that wields respectable naval force,
they place themselves not only at the
mercy of the great maritime Powers OF
Europe, but at the mercy OF any Govern
ment able 10 send half a dozen iron-clad
steamers 30 sea. Break down the Union
as a great military and naval power, and
what protection is left lOr their alluvial
shores? Are not the arms which are long
enough TO reach from London, Paris and
Madrid 70 Calcutta and the Philippine
Islands, and Tahiti, and New Zealand.
long enough to stretch 10 Charleston, and
Pensacola. and Galveston, and New Or
leans?
BdtaWc have not yet got TO the bottom
of the cup Of humiliation which Secession
places TO dur lips Most great CONNER
cial and naval States think that in addi-
ton Go the fOrirosses which guard The
home ports, il is necessary TO possess
some distant harbor Of refuge, and cer-
tain romotor stations 10 protect the path
way Of The foreign trade. England would
as soon allow Plymouth or Portsmouth
TO be Wrested from her by a foreign Pow
er, as she would Gibraltar or Malta, or
Alden, on Singapore, or Hong Kong, or
Yancouyer's Island Now the Seeding
States not only claim the right 20 With
draw from the Union-which they have
no more right 10 do than Scotland or Ire
land has 90 withdraw from The union
with Eneland-but they claim the right
10 carry with them the whole line Of for
iresscs which guard our Southern coast
The Florida Channel, the Gulf Of Mexico
and the mouth Of the Mississippi; for
ircsses required for the safety Of our
commerce built ON lands purchased and
paid for by the General Government and
on islands and sites, Of which the iuris-