The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-21

nessee, 10 be tried by "a drum head
oourt-martial," il convicted 10 be hung,
and their bodies to be left on the gibbet
near the bridges destroyed the mass Of
the people in East Tennessee being all
the time as loyal to the Union as in
Western Virginia.* The same is the
case, to a considerable extent, 10 West
ern North Carolina, in Northern Alabama,
in Arkansas, in Louisiana and in ~ xas;
but conliscation, impressment into the
army, the blood hound, the scourge and
the halter, are the machinery by which
this pacific Confederacy produces its
Wanted unanimity. You may recoliect
that General Houston, the Governor Of
Texas, refused to call she Legislature of
that state together, to act on the question
of secession. With reference 60 this re-
fusal, Mr.. Iverson, of Georgia, on the
third day of the session of 1860 81,
openly declared in the Senate Of the Uni
ted States that if he did not yield to
public sentiment, some Texan Brutus
will arise to rid his country of the hoary-
headed incubus, that stands between the
people and their sovereign will"
NO SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION AND SOUTHERN REBELLION.
There is not the slightest similarity
between the secession of the rebel States
and the American revolution unless up
on the principle that all rebelliOns are
just Our fathers, in 1776, set up no un-
! qualified right 0frevolution, and it would
have come to nothing practically, il they
had for, in any sense in which there is
an abstract right, on the part Of the peo-
pie, TO revolt, there is a co-extensivc
right, on the partaof the government, TO
/ suppress the revolution. They claimed
no right for a part of people to throw
off at pleasure the authority of legiti-
mate or constitutional government, for
this would be to strike at the root of all
government. What they taught was,
that governments were instituted to Sc
cure the inalienable rights of men, among
which are life, liberty and the pursuitof
happiness, and inasmuch as governments
derive their just power from the consent
of the governed, leheneUer any form Of gov
e,nment becomes asstritctive of these ends, 10 is
tie right of the people 10 alter on aJoIi8h il,
and institute another. This is the whole
of their doctrine on that subject, and it
is of course equally true in monarchies
and republics, in centralized and Confed-
crate governments.
The Declaration of Independence fur
ther held, that the inhabitants Of the
Colonies were zone people," viz: the
American people; that they were con-
necied with another" people, viz : the
English, by common allegiance TO the
British Grown, which was bound to gov
ern them through their own assemblies I;
not being represented in the British Par
lament, they denied its right TO bind
them in all csses, and, inasmuch as the
King, combining with the Parliament,
had, by long course of abuses and
usurpatione, evinced a desire to reduce
them 10 absolute despotism, it was their
right and duty to throw off their alle-
glance aud establish their independ-
ence.
In all this, need not say, there ia mol
the slightest similarity, in principle OF
fact, with the case Of the seeding States
Their inhabitants are not a separate colo
, nial people, but they are an integral por
ton Of that zone people" which declared
, their independence, and which, beinl
loosely associated under the old conlede.
, ration Of States, ordained and established
I the present Constitution, 'in order I,
I form a more perfect Uuion," La th,
Government which they thus took par
{ ia forming, they are represented beyon'
a the numerical proportion of their popu
lRtion, and for the greater part OF th,
time its administration has been con
d trolled by themselves. This organic la "
s thus formed, has been adopted by th
e people Of each OF the States. as much a
q their own State Constitutions, aud ther
: is a provision in the text OF the instru
a ment that "this Constitution and the law
n of the United States which shall be mad
o in pursuance hereof shall be the suprem
!, law Of the land, and the judges in ever,
n State shall be bound thereby, any thin
d in the Constitution or laws Of any Stat
r. TO the contrary Notwithstanding" Al
N the powers OF the Government having, 70
Il the greater part OF the time since its for
+ nation, been controlled by the people c
5 seeding States and by those in Otho
If States in political alliance with them,
D, is impossible, Notwithstanding loose as
n sertions and clamors to the contrary
i that the seeding States can have foun
J? is an oppressive or tyrannical Govern
i mcnt, which, by the principles OF th
Df Declaration and by the laws Of Natur
,- they had a right TO throw Off or even {
se which they had any just right to com
he plain They have accordingly re-adop
a ed this form of government with no el
b. sential alterations, and IL was admittC
a.. by Mr.. Vice-President stephens (wii
b, the exception Of Mr. Jefferson Davis, q
of smartest man in the Southern seryice)
- be the mildest and most beneiicent Go
T. ernment known in the history Of Il
h. world This confession was made aft
,d the election Of Mr.. Lincoln, the immed
Is. aie pretended justification Of the rebe
be hon. A slill more important admlssi
to vac made by Mr., Davis himself, tn ono
e. his last speeches in the Senate OF &
,e. United States, (l0lh Dec, l56O,) a boo
at In which he has never resigned bis mel
H. bership, and of which the oath now res
he upon his conscience.
IL "Our fathers said Mr. Davis, clear
ir. ing wisdom from the experiments
.te Rome aud Greece, the one a eonsolldat
,e- Republic, and the other striclly 90
nd federaoy, and taught by the lessons
zoo our own experiment under the Oonlce
on ration, came together 10 form "A m'
an perfect union, aud, in my Jude
icy made the best Government that has be-
as instituted by man. IL only requi
,n- that IL should be carried out m
10 spirit in which 10 was made, that
a." circumstances under which n was m.
sts should continue, and no evil can az
EEK under the Government for which d
ear not an appropriate remedy. Then Il