The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-08
NsshriIIe aAatnn.

aOn which side would Henry Clay be,
were be alive to-day ?" asked Tennes- I
see whig, the other dsy-a Tennessee
whig, who, after following, for years, the
standard Of Henry Clay, strsyed away
in 1861 into the reasonable folds OF Sc
eession and disunion. Could he, really,
have felt doubt Could he believe, for
moment, that Henry Clay would be on
any other side than that of his country
for the Union against any and all Of its
foes? His own treachery and eowArdice,
mot his knowledge of the history of the
great western statesman and orator, must
have suggested the interrogatory. Were
Henry Clay, alive to-day, he would be
found exeriing his great talents and in
nuence TO rebuke treason and traitors
everywhere, and TO keep the people Of
the loyal States up 10 the true standard of
faith in republican institutions, and their
duty TO themselves, to pOsterity, and 70
the human race, to.push onlthe warguntil
as Gov. Johnson has said, "treasOn 10
made odious and traitors are punished.P
Near the close Of his eventful career, on
the 18th of May, 1851, he wrote letter
to Thos b. Stevenson, Esq, in which his
views Of the duty of the people of the
United States were distinctly expressed.
The following il. an extract from that
letter:
"You ask what is to be done If South
Carolina aecedes2 | answer, pnhesita-
ting1y, thatthe Constitution and baws Of
the United States must continue 10 be en-
forced there, Soitb all tie pot0er Of the Union,
II necessary. Secession is treason, aud If
il were Motif il were a legitimate and
rightful exercise Of power-it would be
virtual dissolution of the Union. For
if one State may secede every State may
secede and how long in such state Of
things could we be kept together Sup
pose Kentucky were TO secede? Could
the rest of the Union tolerate a foreign
power in their very bosom? There are
Those who think the Union must be pre-
served and kepttOgether by an exclusive
reliance upon love and reason. That Is
not ma opinion. / have some confidence
in this instfumentality but depend upon
IL, that no hUnlan Government can ertSt
1oitIout The pOlOer of applying force, and ae
actual application Of in ertTenle cases. My
belief is, that if it shauld be applied TO
South Carolina. in the event of her Sc
eession, she would be speedily reduced to
obedience, and that the Union, instead of
being weakened, iOoStld acquire additional
strength"
Had the Union men of Tennessee
in 1861, acted upon the counsel
of Mr., Clay, given In. this letter, IN
stead Of deceiving themselves with the
paltry catch word Of "no coercion" they
might have saved their State the supreme
folly Of embarking in . revolt against
the Federal Government, and themselves
and their wives, children, and friends,
the sutferings which have been visited
upon them. They had resisted secession,
following the lead of Jackson, Clay and
other great leaders, who never had a
douIJt Of the wickedness aud Villsiny of
the conspsfAtOrs who taught the doctrine;
but in:the hoat Of trial, they had not the
moral courage 10 maintain their position
and assist in enforcing the laws of the
United States, with all the power Of
the Union" They proved recreant to
their country-to the duties they owed
the government for the shelter and pro-
lection il had afforded them. Let them
not try to hide their COwardice, by at.
tempting to create n doubt as to wha' in
times like these, would bo the position Oi
Clay, or Jackson, or any Of the great
Union statesmen, who lived and died
true to their manhood, and to theiI
country.
ArFest Of GuaFrtIIas In kentucky.