The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-08-08

reply they should make to the President
and, as the result of a comparison o
opinions among themselves. they deter
mined upon the adoption of a majorit,
and minority answer.
REPLY or Tue MAJORITY.
The following paper was on Thursday
sent to the President, signed by the ma
jority of the representatives from the
border slaveholding States
WAsHINGToN, July Is, 1862.
To the President The undersigned
representatives of Kentucky. Virginia
Missouri and Maryland, in the two hous.
es Congress, have listened TO your ad
dress with the profound sensibility natu
rally inspired by the high source from
which it eminates, the earnestness which
marked its delivery, and the overwhelm
ing importance of the subject Of which il
treats. We have given it most respect.
full consideration, and now lay before
you our response. We.regret the want
OF time has not permitted us to make it
more perfect.
We have not been wanting, Mr.. Pres.
ident, in respect 10 you, and devotion to
the Constitution and the Union. We
have not been Indifferent to the great
difficulties surrounding you, compared
with which all former national Il 5ubles
have been but as the summer cloud ;
and we have freely given you our sym
pathy and support.
Repudiating the dangerous heresies OF
the secessionists, we believe, with you,
that the war on their part is aggressive
and wicked, and the objects for which
it was to 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 hesi-
tated to vote all supplies necessary to
carry it on vigorously. We have voted
all the men and money you have asked
for, and even more; we have imposed en-
ormous taxes on our people, and they
are paying them with cheerfulness and
alacrity; we have encouraged enlist
ments and sent 10 the field many of our
best men and some of our number have
offered their persons to the enemy as
| pledges of their sincerity and devotion
to the country. We have done all this
under the most discouraging circumstan-
ces and in the face of measures most dis
tasteful to us and injurious to the inter-
ests we represent and in the hearing OF
doctrines avowed by those who claim to
be your friends most abhorrent to us and
our constituents. But, for all this, we
have never faltered, nor shall we as long
as we have constitution to defend and
government which protects us. And
we are ready for renewed efforts, and
even greater sacrifices, yea, any sacrifice,
when we are satisfied it is required to
preserve our admirable form of govern
ment and the priceless blessings of con.
stitutional liberty.
A few of our number voted for the re-
solution recommended by your message
of the 9th Of March last, the greater
portion of us did not and we will briefly
state the prominent reasons which in
fiuenced our action.
In the first place, it proposed radical
change of our social system, and was hur-
ried through both Houses with undue
haste, without reasonable time for consid-
Grafton and debate, and with no time at
all for consultation with our constituents,
whose interest it deeply involved. 1t
seemed like an interference by this gov
ernment with aquestion which peculiarly
and exclusively belonged to our respect
i've States, on which they had not sought
advice or solicited aid. Many of us
doubted the constitutional power of this
government TO make appropriations of
money for the object designated, and all
OF us thought our finances were in no con-
dition to bear the immense outlay which
its adoption and faithful execution would
impose upon the national treasury.
If we pause but moment to think of
the debt its acceptance would have en-
tailed, we are appalled, by its magnitude.
The proposition was addressed to all
the States, and embraced the whole num-
ber Of slaves. According to the census
of 1860 there were then very nearly five
millions of slaves in the country; from
natural increase they exceed that num-
Der now. At even the low average of
three hundred dollars, the price fixed by
the emancipation act for the slaves of
this District, and greatly below their
real worth, their value runs up TO the
enormous sum Of twelve hundred mil
lions of dollars; and if to that be added
luC IOSb vi anu
at hundred dollars per head, which is
but a fraction more than is actually paid
by the Maryland Colonization Society, we
have four hundred millions more. We
were not willing to impose tax on our
people sufficient to pay the interest on
that sum, in addition to the vast and
daily increasing debt already fixed upon
them by the exigiences of the war; and,
if we had been willing, the country
could not bear it, Stated in this form
the proposition is nothing less than the
deportation from the country Of sixteen
hundred. million dollars worth Of pro-
ducing labor and the substitution in its
place Of an Understanding debt Of the
same amount.
But if we are told that il was expect
ed that only tho States we represent
would accept the proposition, we respect
fully submit that even then il involves
sum too great for the financial ability Of
this Government at this time. Accord
ing to the census Of 1860
Kentucky had 225 400 slaves.
Maryland S7lSS
Vircinia i908
Delaware 1.-Two
Missouri ll4,965 O."
Tennessee 215,794
Making in the whole l,l96,ll2
At the same rate Of valua-
ton these would amount
TO 1858, 1853 900
Add for deportation and
colonization 500 each ll9,24i,533
-
Aud we have Tue euoriuoIb
sum Of S4Ts07s, ,l55
iii ...t I...k ,f..I 49,. = ...lI l..