The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-14

I felt delicate st pressing him on these
tender points, but the rebellion has OBJ
viously in his mind not clean birth
record. The secession Of South Caroli-
ma and the Gulf Safes he regards as a
gigantic crime, unprovoked, uncalled
for, unauthorized, illegal and diabolical
Next TO this he accounts the acceptance
by the Washington Government of the
attack on Fort Sumter as a challenge
to war, followed by the calling out OF
10000 men, as q grand political blunder.
He exooriates Mr. Buchanan-whom he
looks upon as the weakest and meanest
of all the tools ever used by tyrannical
faction--for not reinforcing FortsSumter
at time when il could have been done
without giving offence; but he also
blames Mr.. Lincoln for treating as case
for war an affair that statesmansbip
would have made a diplomatic transact
tion OF. The lack Of that craftsmanship
now is, he thinks, the great trouble; for
he considers there is none of il on either
side. "Resd the Constitution, and you
will see that the Office of the President
is carved out for the limbs Of giant
and who have you there, and who have
we 2" "Sir, there were in my day, giants
in the land, and we have now only pig
mics"
AS for the prospects Of the Southern
Confederacy he had nothing but dark
prophesies. That secession will stop
with the present split he has not the
faintest idea. There are antagonistic
elements already at work that must ere
long make new fractures. The radical
opposition of interests on the tariff ques-
ton will make Virginia and Border
State COnfederacy, or attempt at Oonfed-
eracy, before half generation is past
asked him whether, if the Confederate
forces should be driven out of Virginia,
and new popular vote ordered, there
would be chance of the resembling Of
the Ordinance of Secession and the re-
turn of gthe State to the Union. "None,
none whatever The wrongs, expressions
and violence of the Washington Govern
ment have been too great, the alienation
of the people too intense, ever to make
that possible" / asked him about the
circumstances attending the popular vote,
and whether, from the local terrorism, il
could be considered a fair one and |
recalled to his mind Mr. Mason's deola-
ration at the time, that If there was any
man in Virginia not prepared to vote Sc
cession be should leave the State SO |
far as he knew, il was made with perfect
fairness and freedom as for Mr.. Mason's |
speech it was not the first or only |
foolish thing that person had said:
"But do you suppose that any Wr-
gilman voted against his conscience
on account of such a declaration ~
Do you not think that we should be to-
Union is desirable? "Why |
it is written on the very face of the geo.
graphy," illustrating il by examples) |
"And if it were but all over, and things
were as they used to be! But there is no
hope; both parties will go on until each
is utterly exhausted and ruined and is
ready to welcome peace and protection
brought by any iron handed military
despot. The experiment of Republican
Government of liberty
regulated by law-T consider a failure.
There is not shadow of constitutional
Government on either side" The Presi-
dents Emancipation Proclamation he
looks upon as the greatest political blum
der possible, and he is curious to know
what extraordinary pressure must have
been brought to bear on him TO issue il,
after his declaration to the Chicago dele
gates. twill solidify, unite, and inten-
sify all the hostilities, hatrcds, and ami
nosities Of the South. "But do these
sentiments amount TO much in the long
.un?" at is true that in the long run,
Every people is governed by its convic-
ion of its own interests" 'But, difficult
,hough reunion may at present seem, is
lot everything more easy than dissolu-
ion" 81 confess see nothing between
Union and chaos; but how is it TO be
lone? One thing know; if my vision
II how ii can be settled were as clear as
ny desire is intense that II should be
'ettled, the war would speedily be at an
ND -