The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-29
w eighty Testimony-Tho Friction
OF 1Vnrg

Of citizens Of Giles county assembled at
Pulaski, the county seat, to deliberate
on the political condition Of this State.
The material Of the Convention was Of
the very best population Of the county.
The speakers were Ex-Gov. BRowN and
Hon. EDMOND CooPER. II will be Of in
terest to our readers abroad 10 know that
Giles county is one Of the most flourish
ing in Middle Tennessee. The Comp
trollor's Report for 1862 values her slaves
at s4,193 GA, and her aggregate Of tax
able property at over 100000. 1t is
a large cotton growing county, and works
over 5000 slaves. ......U
Now it is matter of a good deal of
interest to hear what such a prosperous
and intelligent slave holding people
think of the effect Of the rebellion upon
the fortunes of slavery. In past years
the cotton crop alone yielded them very
large revenue, to say nothing of tobacco
and other staples. We have no statistics
at hand, but suppose the annual cotton
sales of this county must have been con-
siderably over S1,5OO,OOO. The most rigid
stickler for the right Of property owield
a political influence, cannot deny Giles
county voice in relation to the disas-
trous consequences of tho war. Well, after
able speeches from distinguished Ten.
nesseans, the people unanimously resolved;
That every day this unnatural war is
waged but wEAKENs OUR TENURE UPON OUR
SLAVE PROPERTY and lessons our hope for
future prosperity, we, therefore, fell inn
PEELED to call upon our fellow-citizens
throughout the State to actively aid us in
the proper reorganization of our State
Government Immediately; that our ex-
lied sons and neighbors now in arms
against the Federal Government may be
recalled 10 their homes and ancient loyal
~ ,oitio,6 delay"
These intelligent shareholders see that
the Southern Rights men, or Secession
lists, are the Radical Abolition party
They feel that, under the control of these
Confederate lunatics, the doom of slavery
will be speedily sealed. They under
stand clearly that the mere friction of
war; to borrow the happy and forcible
expression of Elk Governor BBowN, will
alone, if the rebel Government persists in
its suicidal career, make slaves an intol-
cradle burden instead Of a desirable pro-
perty. They have lost thousands of dol
lars already by the burning of cotton by
the hands Of pro-slavery fanatics. The
| Confederate Government has impressed
their negroes, destroyed their crops, and
filed the minds Of the people with APP
prehension. The notes Of the guerilla's
bugle cause the planter to tremble with
alarm, as though they were the football
of an assassin pursuing him at midnight
through a lonely forest, If he sleeps, in
| his disturbed dreams there comes vision
of his gin house in flames, and his ear is
startled by the crack Of the rebel maraud-
er's pistol The planters whole eXis-
tence at present is embittered by an inces-
ant dread of impending evil. He is rob
bed Of his peace, There is no security
for him. He looks out on his crops, and
knows not that he will be allowed to
gather the harvest His slaves see fa-
| mine and want staring them in the face,
and prepare to save themselves from the
horrid pangs of starvation by flight in
any direction-no matter where so it Is
beyond the range of the guerilla and the
terrors of Vigilance Committees and Re-
| gulators. He turns to his house, and sees
his wife and children looking wistfully
and tearfully at him for help. Thick
clouds envelope him, and from their
murl1y folds hand stretches forth, and,
wit!i asro. finger dripping in bleed, writes
| DegoIation Famine, and Death upon his
fields.
viii human endurance long endure
this state Of affairs? Is il not natural
for the STAKEHOLDER to say: Of few men
in the North could disturb me with
speeches and newspapers, and make me
apprehensive about my negroes, the vio-
loncc and perpetual extravaganza Of
armed rebels rowing over my plantation
and exercising absolute power over my
slaves, will certainly make this species
of property useless" This is the Ian
guage of thousands in Delaware, in Ma
ryland, in Missouri, in Kentucky, and
1 in Virginia, who have heretofore been
pro-slavery men, hut would now gladly
get rid of the peculiar institution, if he
could. What matters it if slaves have
been a source Of immense wealth TO a
few owners ? If their possession is TO
be forever attended by strife and blood
! shed, they become a nuisance and a
curse. They are rapidly decreasing in
value every day. True, we hear occa-
sionally Of sales Of negroes at good
prices p s5utiep funds, tCLiei afs as lU-
certain as he palts cf s'aues. 1t is not
strange that one nearly worthless thing
should be bartercd for another Of about
the same value 1t is very much like
buying a fny-dollar cat and giving in
payment two twenty-five dollar kittens