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

which authorizes the blockade Of the
ports, the occupation of the ciiiea, and
the invasion Of the territory Of the sece-
ding Sia'es, and it would be a strange
incOnscquence 20 hold that the same per-
son could, as citizens Of the United
States, though in rebellion. demand The
privileges guaranteed by the Consiitu
ton, while az alien enemies they are ex-
emD'ed from the pen ilties Of treason.
Suppose our recent misundersiandine
with Spain had eliminated ia a declara-
ton Of war on her part against he United
States, and the sovereign State Of FlOri-
da, bat lately a Spanish colony, ia view
Of this underwriting doctrine OF seets-
zion, had thought ft 10 withdraw from
the Union, carrying with her Key West,
the Tortngas, aud Fort Pickens, and had
formed an alliance, offensive and defen-
sive, with Spain. Would any one doubt
that the United States could, without
violating the Constitution, invade Florida
in order TO recover the public property,
the islands, the forts, aud the national
establishments thus seized to repel the
enemy TO chsstise these acts Of hostility
TO tue National Government, and to take
etfectual security that they should not
be repeated 2 Would not the Govern
ment Of the United States, without vio-
lating the Constitution, be authorized 10
do precisely the same things in Florida
as IN Cuba? Would not the arming and
the employing Of the slaves in this Just
war, as allies Injured to the climate aud
acquainted with the country, be as le-
gitimate on one side Of the Gulf Of Mex
leo as on the other, and would not IN ir
employment under the authority of the
States, and the control and direction Of
its officers, instead Of tending to a seryile
war, and the massacre of the unarmed
and defenceless, Cat which humanity re-
volts be the surest means of preventing
such barbarities and reducing his right.
ful element of danger within the limits Of.
Christian warfare Z Deprecating as / do
beyond he poiger Of words tie heqyt- sid5eniDq
horrors Of a seyUitc tnsattection. nothing has
SEEMED to me 50 hk' ~ 10 preUent its occurrence
as to subject the colorei population IN hose
parts Of the country Wdere war IS carried on,
and Whoye The danger Of such a calamity IS
creates, 10 de restraints Of military disci-
ptine and he coHtroi Of responsible authority.
Il WAR oRc UPON TIE COUNTRY.
Not without deep solicitude, | Jaw tho
angry clouds gathering in the horizon
North and South and ! devoted the de-
elining years Of my lie, with a kind of
religious cons, Grafton, to the attempt to
freshen the sacred memories that cluster
round that dear and veneraied name
which | need not repeat; memories which
had survived the multiplying causes of
alienation, and we're so we'll ca culated TO
strength hen the cause of the Union. TO
these humble efforts, and the time and la
Dor expended upon them-truly a labor
of loye--I would, as Heaven is my witt
ness, have cheeriully added the sacrifice
of my life, it, by so doing, | could have
averted the catastrophe. For that cause,
| should have thought a few care-worn
and weary years cheaply laid on the altar
of my country.
But it could not be. A righteous Prov
idence in its wisdom has laid upon us
The performance of this great aud sol mn
duty II is now plain to he dullest per-
ception, that the hour OF trial could not
be longer delayed. The leaders of the
rebellion tell Us themselves, tbat they had
plotted and planned 1t for an entire gem
Grafton. Ii might have been postponed
for four years or for eight years, but it
was sure, in no long time, TO come; and
if by base compliance, we could have
turned the blow from ourselves, it would
have fallen with redoubled violence on
our children.