The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-06-27
No 6S

the masses have been aroused ON a nro.
judico--the rank aud fle are fiRh,ins On
this one issue-negro slavery. The lead
ers could not have raised a oorporaVs
guard in opposition TO so benign a Gov
eminent except on this great leading idea
OF the South. They started the preiu-
dice against those holding snii-Siavery
sentiments, and they have wrung all the
changes on this tone, aud they all sound
IN the same key. Question any one in
all the rebel army, for what they feht
and the response will be negro slavery;
the leaders made that the issue. and men
not owning slaves were the most malig-
naht, 10 my State, some of the counties
most infected had but few slaves. The
leaders know that alavery was not really
10 danger from the National Government,
and mad with ambition for power, made
danger to slavery pretext. The masses
were maddened for prejudlces, years in
formation, were awakened; then came
| persecution, tr4q
Free speech, free press, personal rights
were forced from u.s. People living in
hills and hollows, insane with passion,
beset all who spoke for the Government
who were condemned, ignored, or pun
ished as an Abolitionists.
This then, gives you, in my opinion,
the main question of the war-the issue
Of sole interest to you. Secession is
founded on Slavery. He who is prepar-
ed TO permit Slavery 90 exist where il
pleases, and to acknowledge its claims
to respect-who is ready 20 submit TO
its dictates, he can take TO rebel PROPOSE
tions ofpeace; then when he humiliates
himself by further proifering them sep
neutrality-suspicious., he can obtain terms
ofpeace, The spirit of hatred of the
| North is coterminous with it3 whole
bounds, and includes all of its people.
That flag of beauty aud glory which
adorns your halls, dear 10 every Ameri-
can loyal heart, has beSno insulted by
traitors Of the South. There is no way
out Of contest with them but TO fight il
out. Secession is intrinsically resort
TO brute force. Ispeak OF the workings
and spirit OF the South from my own ex-
perience. | was born South---have been
no where else--now for the flrst time
stand on free soil. For five years was
a cotton planter for twenty years was
partner in a cotton farm in Louisiona.
l know their elemental character
know their social rank.
have passed through the grades from
orphan boy--learned 70 labor, up 20 A
cotton planter, the highest social posi-
tion in the South; aud can say for NV
sell, that / look upon rebellion as one of
the greatest of crimes. IL is not A reyo-
htion, but n great conspiracy, a crime
OF hideons magnitude Even il il was
true, which il is not, that you were abo-
| litionists, even If the National Govern
ment had made encroachments, which
none can dare allege, Secession was no
remedy, ii was noredress. The desper.
ate act is fraud, terrible crime Ii is
a sin against the memory of the noblest
ancestry any people ever had; il is a
crime against the most benefloent Gov
ernment vonchsafed TO man.-against a
Government more divine than human-a
Government that is the child, the cared
for child of Providence.
From its Constitution from hands of
Union Fathers il has the stamp Of di-
vinity in its features. The rebellion,
then, is sin against heaven. Rebellion
is brute force; Il is madness with strong
arms; It has no reason, there is no sense
| init
We, the Union men of Tennessee.
were mournfully betrayed in the house
of our friends. We looked not for such
an Issue TO be forced upon us in 1861.
The Union Legislature met--a Union
Legislature as we thought. The people
had just voted down a call for Conyen-
ton; but that body met in secret; thew
locked themselves Ia aud voted the State
out. II was then they committed the
heinous crime of voting our State into
rebellion againRt the Government of our
Fathersl
This was thunderslroke Of surprise
10 Union men. A few DAYS before, the
leaders Of the Union party we're sup
posed 10 be secure. We bad been led 10
believe by John Bel, Neill Brown, the
Ewings and others, that they, with us,
were earnest, fixed, determined; that our
safety and duty were in the Union; that
we would stand by the flag Of our oOun-
try TO the last. We people in the COUP
try were confident all was right. Soon
we learned tho worst How inexpressibly
degrading 10 manly mana Tennes-
sean--iO confess that John Bell, who had
spent ono-fourth OF a century Ia the coun-
ell Of his nation, honored, trusted, loved:
who was voted for by his own State, and
by Union,lOving men elsewhere, distinct
lively as the adyocrate Of The Union, the
Constitution and the enforcement of The
laws B" and yet that that man should
yield 10 low, mean instincts Of personal
| iear---should submit 20 be scared by ami
NAL cOwardice, 10 assent 10 rebellion 10 a
! Government without fault, one he had
served for lifetime-this surpasses won
der. Rebellion, then ia brute force. Men
! who were freemen in the morning, firm
for the Union, at noon looked strangely
in the eye, and showed trepidAtion Ia
| tone aud gesture. On the morrow thew
| jabbered OF Southern rights, Of thou
sand wild. hectic, hostile denunciations.
incompatibility Of union, OF strange re-
sort to sepa7allOn Fear palsied the
hearts. Brute force overoame these I'm.
ion leaders, To break down rebellion
unreasoniDg Seoession---lorce must 20
with armies--with overwhelming armies.
You must 80 against determined hosts
with a sublime and patriotic earnestnrss
aou must go TO the work Of crushing
out the rebellion with no equeamishness
about not hurting them You must let
slip ihe dogs Of war 10 strike down armed
rebellion. Give Il 10 quarter--prcss lt 10
the wall-be terribly IN earnest-be de-
termiued 10 establish the authority Of
your Government
Ito rebels know how 10 guage your
~. HUaN