The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-01

ism Of the toast TO which you have called
upon me TO respond. That Union must
be preserved, though this generation shall
perish in its defense. (Applause,) Per-
ish in it's defense Why, what is this
generation 1t is the life Of the men
who are before me, il is our liberty and
the union Of this country, it is our will
ingness to endure all, and to be ready in
our own persons TO do what so many sol
disrs by The thousand have done on
every field Of battle to be prepared 10 die,
that their blood may not be in Vain. By
ne dalliance in your ladies' chambers
can this be accomplished, by no debating
upon the streets, nor by any conridera-
tion in the council, but by stubborn,
hard, resolute, fearless blows upon the
deadly field, where true men lay down
and seal their patriotism with their blood;
ana they who live owe it to the memory
Of the dead that their blood shall not have
been shed in vain. (Applause.) An armis-
tice say the doubtful, hesitating Union
men. ca voice" Traitors" An ar
mistiee that weuld relax your arms would
compel your submission; recognition of
the Confederate Statesl the disruption
of the American name, its eternal deg
radiation peace for a month, for year,
for Eve years, wars for generations, and
anarchy 10 the end of time. (Applause)
Once make a division between the North
and South, said the speaker, and more
than one will divide tho North ITSELF
0ne stone from the arch brings il in ruin
on your heads. But who are they that
moot these questions They Of the
South do not talk of armisiices they
are the men Of the loyal States of the
North, and of Maryland; they are those
who have crept surreptitiously, under
false pretences, into power, and now, in
more than one great State, threaten to
transfer the theatre Of civil war from the
rebelious to the loyal States. speak
Ia the presence of the military and pOli-
teal representation of those States, here,
this night, and say, rather than that the
arm of the government shall be palsied,
welcome the spears to our breasts, welcome
civil war 10 our soil and let them know that
we are not now to be frightened by civil
war in the North any more than when its
h drahead was raised in the South. (Ap-
plause.) | here recognize but two class
es Of men, and we confne them TO no
political geography. They are the enc
mics and friends of the Union (applauss),
whether they live in Ohio, as in Missouri
and Maryland. (Applause) Shall those
who now attempt tJ arrest the powers Of
the government succeed? | say TO those
present, who stand now here with me
upon the border Of this terrific gulf, look
ing into il until eur eyes swim, that they
will succeed unless we say that we know
no end TO this war, no termination to this
collision, other than the prostration Of
the rebellion, and that rebellion will be
suppressed in the North as we'll as in the
South. (Applause.) These are not boast
full words. They are but the sober Lam
guage Of common sense. You are COM
mitted TO the issue, you are Joined in the
! fight, and you cannot stop short Of your
own destruction or the destruction of your
enemies, if you would. Lay down your
arms, and instantly the Coxes and Vallan-
dighams, the Walls and Reeds, will try to
drag the West TO the South, and expel from
the Unio the Puritan states. Your alter
native must be "victory or death" Ap.
plause.] profess to be no more disin-
terested than others but l say there is
nothing for this country except victory
or destruction. l do not regret the war,
even though il should fail, for America
will have q name that will live hereafter
in history, and mankind will know that
the freemen of this country in 1861 and
1862 have not lived in vain. (ApplausO.) }
We had far better failin the effort than un-
worthily shrink from it, God tries every
nation destined TO wear the crown Of
empire and enjoy the blessings Of free
dom, and they have won their immor-
tality by tenacity, the power of endu-
rauce, the resolution TO encounter de-
struc,io rather than TO yield. 1t is not
the military glories OF Thermopyle,
PlAtea, Salonus, and Marathan which
inspires interest in the thoughtful mind
so much as the tenacity Of the people
who braced their minds for long years
TO meet the dread alternative OF destruc-
ton rather than slavery. II was the un-
shaken fOrtitude Of the Roman people
which enabled them TO endue for seven
teen years the triumphs of Hannibal un-
changed by a single victory and that
heroic endurance formed the empire
the world. IL was not military yioto-
|
tion over disorganizition, that had made
great empires in the past, but perseyer-
ance, and the power OF looking defeat in
the face, and knowing no peace but un.
der victorious banners. Referring 10
modern times, the speaker alluded TO
Holland, with a million or two OF inhab-
itants, scattered spArsely, which, through
two generations Of war, compelled Spain
10 admit their indepen dence; and 10
France, who after bringing her crowned
head to the block, met all Europe in bold
defiance, with rebellion at home and for.
eign Intervention abroad, with her gene
rails deserting to the enemy-who, dur
ing twelve long years, defeated all Eu-
rope, and in the face Of a world in arms
would make no submission, but relied
upon people who were determined not
10 be subjugated. Referring TO England
Sir. Davis said her military disasters
were far more numerous than those we
have ever suffered aud though engaged
In far worse cause than France, pur-
sued it with that bulldog pertinacity
familiar TO her people. Through long
years Of defeat aud disaster she looked
only TO one result, aud was guided only
by one determinalion-to rep0se only in
victory. (ApplAuse.l He alluded 10
these examples for the purpose Of re-
futing The insidiOus arguments Of trait.
tors Ia disguise who draw despair
from the slow progress Of the strug-
gle--moro propihous than any that
crowned those Of England for fifteen
years, more glorious than anything that
attended tho Netherlands duriag forty
years Of their struggle with Spain. Like