The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-14
fRIpAY noRNINe. SOY. n lsos
Interview with the President Of the
Virginia Secession Convention,


.i Our readers will find in to- days paper,
an interesting letter from a correspond
ent of the New York Times, giving an ac-
count of an interview with JoHS JAENEY,
Esq, who presided over the State Con-
vention which voted Virginia out Of the
Union. There are several points in the
remarks attributed 10 this gentleman TO
which we desire TO call attention.
He afilrms that the sentiments Of three
fourths of that Convention were opposed
10 disunion, and they voted for it at last,
under the excitement produced by the
attack on Fort Sumter, which was the
act Of the South Carolina rebels, insti-
gated by RHETT, YANoEY, BEAUREGARD
and JEFF DAVIS. He even admits that
there is reason TO believe the attack was
purposely timed TO affect the delibera-
tions" of the Virginia Convention and
other similar bodies. This admission
places The Conventions in most unenvi-
able light, and makes them out, not pa
triotic, deliberative bodies, but mere ex-
cited and frenzied mobs, whose voice is
entitled to no respect whatever.
Mr.. JANNEY complains that no encour-
agement was given them at Washington,
seeming TO imply that the present adj
ministration is alone responsible for the
failure to effect an amicable adjustment
of matters. But we have the testimony
of Governor JOHNSON, then in the u S.
Senate, of Hon. EMERSON ETHERIDGE,
Hon. w. B. Stokes, and Hon. HORACE
MAYNARD, that the leading Congressman
from the Cotton States, such as IvERsoE,
TooMBs, WIGFALL, DAVIS and others,
used every artiflce in their power to pre-
vent an adjustment, short of the esiab-
lishment of a Southern Confederacy.
This is great fact in the history of the
rebellion, which cannot be kept too dis
tincuy before the people of Tennessee.
If they choose to persist in the rebellion,
they virtually avow their willingness to
wear the collar Of vassalage aud abject
servitude TO the selfish and overweening
aristocrats of the cotton States-the most
miserable slavery which we can imagine
Mr. JANNEY also acknowledges that the
discordant interests Of the Border States,
with whom Tennessee is identified by
L., D1natsnVa o1 81
and of the Gulf States, will render their
separation in very few years inevitable.
The question then arises, whether SEN
sible man can consent to spend so much
blood and treasure TO establish Gov
eminent whose term Of existence must
be as brief as that of JoNAH's gourd,
and whose little life must soon be drown
ed in the blood of another rebellion,
more brutal and barbarous than the
present one? Will not long line of
revolutions, bathed in the blood OF count
less thousands, stretch out, like the
phantom procession of BANoUo's off
spring, "to the crack of DOOM"
But the last declaration of Mr.. JANNEY
is, perhaps, more important to us than
all the, previous ones, for il is a confess
sion of his utter loss Of confidence IN the ca
Pacity Of the people for sey-govenmentl
That this feeling is widely prevalent
among leading secessionists is but too
true. Mr.. TooMBs made similar avowal
in the Georgia Convention. This damn
ing iniidelity to the holy cause OF demo-
cracy-to the gospel of progressive repub-
licanism,--of mans right and power to
rule himself-a gospel which came down
70 us from heaven, and is second only to
that other gospel which pertains to mans
immortal lite hereafter--is deeply rooted
in the hearts of the leading secessiOnists
of this State. The HARRIsEs, FooTEs and
HBNRYs the faro dealers and slave trad
ers, who once hourished in Memphis and
Nashville, and now are leaders of guer-
rilla bands-the heartless arstocrats of
Nashville, whose tongues drop poison
which
outyenoms all the worm Of Nle"--
these men all believe, with Mr.. JANNEY,
that democracy is delusion, an idle
dream; that "the experiment of republi-
can constitutional Government, of liberty
regulated by law is failure !"
What do the people think of this de-
claration2 General ALooRN, of Missis-
sippi, declared at large social gather
ing last winter, in Southern Kentucky,
that ha and his friar ia ,yoro c,,, y;p,,d