The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-20

visions. Tie people Of the State have
tho constitutional right 10 express their
views upon the subject Of revision Of
their organic law every ten years, and,
whether or not the same constitutional
duty Of providing for this right rests
upon tho next Legislature as il did upon
the last no one will question their right
TO do 80, and few that will not urge the
proprieiy Of their 80 doing, unless in the
meantime a complete revulsiOn is pro-
duced in public sentiment by the moo
unwise course Of dealing with the sub
ject
Nor will disposition of the question
by this, the only means Of meeting t.
involve the delay which some seem to
suppose The Convention which assem-
bled in 1851, and framed our present
Constitution, was authorized by an act
which was passed by the Legislature i'm.
mediately preceding it, The same act
provided for submitting the question of
a Convention TO the vote Of the people,
and for the assembling OF that Convention,
if authorized by such vote. The same
proceeding may be adopted now, and |
saall not hesitate TO recommend it to the
next General Assembly.
Thus may not only the question of a
Convention be submitted, but the Con-
vention itself assembled by the summer
of 1864, and the whole question disposed
of before that summer is ended. With
such a prospect of the complete settle
ment of this vexed question, so far as
Mary and is concerned, before the close
OF another year, and what reason is there
for wrangling among the loyal voters of
the State over this collateral issue and
what justification for any such premature
and violent proceedings with slave pro-
peIty as are calculated not only TO i'm
flame these wranglings, but ID leopard
if not certainly defeat, such proceedings
in the next Legislature as have just
suggested, and upon which so much
depends. y
Recruiting officers have made their
appearance in different parts of the
State, openly engaged in the business of
enisting slaves, and letter has been
just published, addressed by a highly re-
Spectacle member of the Bench of the
State TO the Secretary of War, urging the
latter to adopt that policy and enlist the
slaves of the State, with or without the
consent of their owners.
An attempt of this character TO force
upon people, by means of military du-
rsss, the adoption of particular policy,
even in ordinary times and on far less
sensitive subjects, would be q hazard
GUS experiment with the temper of any
community; but in times like the pres
| emit, with our hearts intent on the pres
ervation of the Union, and our united
energies required TO secure il, the seizure
or seduction of all the slaves of the State
capable of military service-whlst il
would not probably, under any oircum-
stances, add a single regiment to the
ranks of the army would awaken a
sense of wong, and feeling of indig-
nation and disgust, that, in their moral
effect upon the loyal feeling of the
State, would far outweigh all the advan-
tage that fifty such regiments could
bring TO the support of any cause.
l cannot believe that the President,
with the clear and straight forward views
be usually takes of these subjects, will
ever sanction such proceeding, hearken
| to the counsels of the Judges letter, or
hesitate TO repudiate policy intrinsic
ally SO unjust, and that cannot forbesr
saying would be so ungrateful to such a
State as Maryland. When we remember
that she has already endured, what she
has already done, how ardent has been
her loyalty, how unwavering and at
the same time how important her support
of the Government, and that this pro-
ceeding, if adopted, would make her an
invidious exception to every other loyal
community, | think l may venture to
hope that not only will the President re-
jeot this odious project, but that he will
take an early occasion emphatically to
disavow it, and arrest the proceedings
of these recruiting officers now claiming
to act by his authority.
Yours, very truly,
w RRAnuoRo