The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-10-10
Public Meeting,

In reponse to the call published last
week, large number of the citizens of
McMinn county, assembled at the Court
house, Athens, on Monday. The meeting
was organized by calling JAS. c. CARLocK,
Esq" TO the Chair, and appointing SAN. P.
WINS Secretary. The object Of the meet
ing being briefly stated, Hon. T. N. VAN
DYKE offered the preamble and resolu-
tions below. prefacing them with a speech
Of unusual strength and force. When
Judge Van Dyke had concluded, Major
THos. j. CAMPBELL, who was present as n
spectator, was called upon and addessed
the meeting at some length with elo.
quence and ability. Capt. CARNAGE, the
Deputy Provost Marshal for this District.
was called up, but declined to speak UNI
til action should be had upon the reso.
buttons presented for the consideration of
the meeting. The question was then Ia
ken, and the preamble and resolutions
unanimously adopted, as follows:
Whereas, our ancestors in withdrawing
and separating themselves from the gov.
eminent of Great Britain, decided that
all men are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights; that 10
secure those rights governments ore in
stituted among men, deriving their Just
powers from the consent of the governed;
that, whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of those ends, il is
the right of the people to alter or abolish
it, and to institute o new government
And whereas the history of the govern
ment of the United States for some time
past is history Of repeated injuries and
usurpation, all having, in direct object,
the establishment of an absolute tyranny
over the Confederate States and evincing
design to reduce our people under an
absolute despotism And whereas, the
people Of the Confederate States, in the
exercise Of the unalienable right thus de.
clared by our ancestors. have withdrawn
and separated themselves from the gov
eminent of the United States, and have
instituted government deriving its pow
ers from the consent of the governed
And, whereas, the government of the
United States is now, in violation OF every
principle of a government for free peo
pie as declared by their and our ances
tors. waging most savage and cruel war
fare against the Confederate States, ever
to the extreme of instgating a servle in
surrection among us-Therefore,
Resotued, That it is the duty Of all the
citizens of the slaveholding States to ell
courage the most determined and perse
vering resistance against the tyrants and
usurpers of the United States Govern.
ment and to uphold and sustain the gov
eminent OF the Confederate States by eve
ny means in their power, in the present
war.
RESOLVED, That the citizens Of McMinn
county be requested to affix their sigma
lures to the proceedings Of this meeting
rs q pledge to each other and to the gov
eminent of their loyalty to the Confede
rate States. and as a means of restoring
private and public confidence and frater.
nal feeling among us.
After the adoption Of the preamble and
resolutions, Capt. Carmack was again call
ed, and respondedin short, but pointed
and appropriate speech.
The following resolutions were subse.
quently adopted:
Rcsolved, That cory Of the above
preamble and resolutions be furnished to
ench civil district of this county, for the
signatures and approval of the citizens
thereof.
Resolved, That the proceedings of this
meeting be published in the Athens Post
and that the Cleveland Banner and other
papers of East Tennessee be requested to
copy.
On motion, the meeting then adjourn.
ed. JAS. C. CARLOCK, Chm'n.
SAM. P. IvINs, Sec'y.
For want of room, and that the lists
may all be published together, we omit
this week the long array of signatures af
fixed to the proceedings at the close Of
the meeting.