The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-26
The President and the Border State
Congressman.
REPLY or TIE MAJORITY.

II. WAsHwdToN, July H.
o To THE PRESIDENT The undersigned,
Representatives of Kentucky, Virginia,
Missouri and Maryland, in the two Hous-
es of Congress, have listened to your adj
dress with the profound sensibility nat
urally inspired by the high source from
which it emanates, the earnestness which
marked its delivery, and the overwhel
ming importance of the subject of which il
treats We have given il a most respectful
consideration, and now lay before you our
response. We regret that want of time
has not permitted us to make it more per-
feet.
We have not been wanting, Mr. Presi-
dent. in respectt to you, and in devotion to
the Constitution and the Union. We
have not been Indifferent to the great
difficulties surrounding you, compared
with which all former NATIONAL troubles
have been but as the summer cloud, and
we have freely given you our sympathy
and support. Repudiating the danger
Gus heresies of the Secessionists, we be-
lieved, with you, that the war on their
part is aggressive and wicked, and the
objects for which il was 10 be prosecuted
on ours, defined by your message at the
opening of the present Congress, TO be
such as all good men should approve, we
have not hesitated to vote all supplies
necessary TO carry il on vigorously. We
have voted all the men and money you
have asked for, aud even more: we have
imposed onerous taxes ON urpeople, and
they are paying them with cheerlulness
and alacrity; we have encouraged enlist
ments and sent to the field many ofour
best men; and some Of our number have
offered their persons 20 the enemy as
pledge Of their sincerity and devotion 10
to country. We have done all this
under the NEST discouraging cir
cumstances and in the face of measures
most distasteful TO us and injurious to
the interests we represent, and in the
hearing OF doctrines avowed by those
who claim to be your friends most abhor-
rent to us and our constituents, But for
all this, we have never faltered, nor shall
we as long as we have a Constitution 10
defend and Government which protects
us. And we are ready for renewed eff
forts, and even greater sacrifices; yea, any
sacrifices, when we are satisfied il is re-
quired TO preserve our admirable form Of
government and the priceless blessings of
constitutional liberty.
A few of our number voted for the resO-
luton recommended by your message Of
the 9th Of March last the greater portion
of us did not, and we viii briefly stat
the prominent reasons which influenced
our action
In the first pace, il proposed a radical
change Of our social system, and was
hurried tkreGSh both Hvusrs win un-
due haste, without reasonable time for
consideration and debate, and with no
time at all for consultation with our con-
stituents, whose interests il deeply in
volved. Il seemed like an interference by
this Government with a question which
PECULIARLY and exclusively belonged 10
our respective States on which they had
not sought advice or solicited aid. Many
Of us doubted the constitutional power
of this Government TO make appropria-
tons Of money for the object designated,
and all of us thought our fnancies wero
in no condition 20 bear the immense out
lay which its adoption and faithful exc
cutiOn would impose upon the national
treasury If we pause but a moment 10
think Of the debt its acceptance would
have entailed, We arc appalled, by its
magnitude. The proposition was adj
dressed to all the States, and embraced
the whole number Of slaves.
According to the census Of 1860, there
were then very nearly four million slaves
in the country; from nn'ural increase
they exceed that number now. AZ even
the low average Of three hundred dollars
the pricelhxed.by the emancipation actor
the slaves Of this District aud grady
below their real worth, their value runs
up 10 the enormous sum Of twelve hum
dred millions Of dollars; and if 10 that
we add the cost of deportation and co o.
nization, at one hundred dollars each,
which is actually paid by the Maryland
Colo nization Society, we have fouy hun.
bred millions morel We were not willing
10 impose q tax on our people sufficient 10
pay the interest on that sum, In addition
TO thevast and daily increasing debt al
ready fixed upon them by the eIigencies