The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-03-29

respondent who informs US that IL has
neyer been before published. A more
complete refutslion Of those sophists
who have tndeavored 70 enlist the words
andwriiiugs Of one Of the greatest faith
ers OF the Republican he cause Of slave
~ could scarcely be found. The terse-
ness and viaor Of the style, the prompt
and unequivocal testimony in favor "
freedom, are characteristic of the great
afTamsr) Of The DeclaratiOn Of lndepen-
dence, and his thoughts are sihcularly
applicable to the present time
MoNTIoELLo, August % l6i4,
DEAR SIN: Your favor Of July els,
was duly received, and was read with
peculiar pleasure. The sentiments
breatlied dtrotgh She wholeado honor 10
both The head and hearr of the writer.
Mine on the subject OF the slavery of
negroes have long since been in The pos.
session Of The public, aud time has only
served 10 give them stronger root The
love OF Justice an the love Of country
plead EQUALLY the cause Of these people,
and RS mortal yeptoach b rs that they
doun have pleaaa u 90 lay IA UaE,, and
should hqUe produced not d single aTect N.Y. I
fear, not mach serio,,S 5ayp9aess b relisue
lien aiid Ourselves Jfo59 or present coRai-
ton OF h70r1l ana y6htieay depreciation,
From tho e Of The former generation who
were Ii the fulness of age when came
into public life, (Which was while
our controversy with England was
on paper Unty0 ] saw that no.
thing was 10 be hoped, Nursed
and educated In tile daily habit of seeing
the degraded condition, both bodily and
mental, OF those unfortunate beings, but
rejecting that tina degradation was very
much the work OF themselves and their
fathers few minds had yet doubted but
that they were as legitimate subjects Of
property as their horses or cattle. The
quiet and monotom6us course of colonial
life had been disturbed by no alarm, and
little reflection on the value of liberty.
| And when alarm was taken at an enter
| prise of their own, Il ,ras Foi easy 10 carry
them The 6hole Iength IF the principles Uhich
! hey had inv0ked Tor themselves. In the first
or second session of the Legislature af-
| ter became a member, i drew to this
! subject, the attention Of Colonel Bland
one Of the oldest ablest and most re-
| spected members, and he undertook TO
move certain moderate extensionsOf the
laws of the people. | seconded his mo-
ton, and as younger member was no
more spared in the debate; but he was
denounced as a emmy to his country and '0as
treated NTH he greatest f'ldec09m. From
an carly stage OF our revolution other and
| more distant duties were assigned TO nee,
so that from that time till my return
from Europe in 1859, aud may say till
| returned to reside at home, in 1909
had little opportunity Of knowing the
progress Of public sen iment here on that
subject had always hoped that the
| younger generation, receiving their e arly
! Impressions after the flame of liberty had
been kindled in every breast, and had
| become as it were the vital spirit Of every
/ American, that the geneross tempera-
lnent Of youth, analogous to the motion of
their blood, and above the suggestions of
ayarice, couH have synlpathisea s0ih OPP
pyessioa wlaeve. jouhd, and ,0ould haze
proved tier Lore of liberty beyesld their GUN
| shale Of u But my intercourse with
them since my return has not been suit
Gcient to ascertain that obey made to-
wards this point the progress | had
hoped Your solitary but welcome voice
| is the first which has brought this sound
| TO my ears, and / have considered the
general silence which prevails on this
subject, as indicating an apathy unfa-
| yorable to every hope. Yet the hour OF
emancipation Is advancing in the march
Of time. II giH come; and whether
brought on by the generous energy of our
minds, or the bloody process of st. Do
mingo, excited and conducted by the
power Of our present enemy, ifonce sta
toned permanently within our country,
| Offering asylum and arms TO the oppress-
ed, IS a leaf of oar history not get turned
| oter. As to the method by which this
difficult work is 10 be Effected, if permit
ted to be done by ourselves, IkuUe seen no
propositioa 50 cype}ieat on tie igh0ls as that
of emancipation Of those bonn after givea
day, and Of their eddCdtioa and repatriation
| al a proper dqs. This would give time
for the gradual extinction Of that species
of labor and substitution Of another and
lessen Che severity Of The shock which an
operation so fundamental would produce.
The idea of emancipating the whole at
once, the old as wellas the young, and
retaining them here, is OF hose only who
have not the guide either Of knowledge
or experience Of the subject. For men,
probably of any color, but OF this color
we know, brought up from their infancy
without necessity for thought or tore-
cast, are by their habits, rendered as in
capable as their children of taking care
of themselves, and are extinguished
promptly wherever industry ia neces-
sary fjr raising the young. In the
meantime they are pests in society by
their idIeness aud depredAti0ns to which
this leads them Their amalagamation
with the other color produces degrade
ton to which no lover Of his country, no
lover OF excellence in human character
can innocenily consent | am sensible
OF the psrtialiiies with which you have
looked towards me as the person who
should undertake this saluiary but ar
duous work But this, my dear sir, is
ike bidding old Priam 10 buckle the ar
mohr of Hector, 'trememibas aeUo hlnlsris
Il inutis ferrIan eyegere." No, | have out
lived the generation with which mutual
labors and perils begat mutual influence
aud confidence This enterprise il foc
the young; for those who can follow it
up, and hear il through lie oonsumma-
tion. II shall have all my prayers, and
these are the only weapons OF an old
man But In the meantime are lou right
in abandoning this property and your
country with it2 | think not My opin.