The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-11

therefore, telt no nee1tatiOn N taking tine
substance Of the wealthy, who had caused
The war, TO feed the innocent poor who
had Suffered by the war And | shall
now leave you with tho proud conscious
ness that l carry with rue the blessings
of the humble and loyal under the roof
Of the cottage and In the cabin of the
slave, and 80 am quite content in INCUR
ring the sneers Of the salon or the curses
of the rich. a
found you trembling at the terrors of
servile Instruction. All danger of this
have prevented, by 50 treating The slave
that he had no cause 10 rebel
/ found the dungeon, the chain and the
lash, your only means Of enforcing obe-
dience in your servants. l leave them
peaceful, laborious, controlled by the
laws of kindness and justice
Ihave demonstrated that the pestiIencs
can be kept from your borders.
| have added a million Of dollars to
your wealth in the form of new land from
the battue of the Mississippi
have cleansed and improved your
streets, canals and public squares, and
opened new avenues to unoecupied land.
have given you freedom of elections,
greater than you have ever enjoyed
have caused justice TO be administer
ed so impaFtially, that your own adv,.
Gates have unanimously complimented
the judges of my appointment
You have seen, therefore, The benefit q
the laws and justice of the Government
against which you have rebelled.
Why, then, will you not all return To-
your allegiance to that aforementioned
with lip-service, but with the heart
coniure you, il you desire ever to see
renewed prosperity, giving business TO
your streets and wharyes--if you hope
20 see your city become again the mart
of the Western world, fed by its rivers
for more than three thousand miles,
draining the commerce Of o country great
err than the mind of man hath ever con
ceiyed-return TO your allegiance.
If yon desire TO leave to your children
the inheritance you received of your
fathers-a stable constitutional govern
ment---if yOu desire that they should
in the future be apOrtiOn of the greatest
empire the sun ever shoae upon-return
TO your allegiance,
There is but one thing that stands in
the way
There is but one thing that at this hour
stands between yon and the Government
aud that is slavery.
The Institution, cursed Of God, which
has taken lis last refuge here, in His
provideuce will be rooted out as the tares
from the wheat, although the wheat be
torn up with IL.
have given much thought 10 tbis sub.
ject. ~
l came among you, by teachings, by
habit of MUD, by political position, by
social affinity, inclined TO sustain your
domestic laws, il BY possibility they
might be with safety TO the Union.
Months Of experience and of observa-
tion have forced the conviction that the
existence of slavery is incompatible With
the safety of either yourselves or Of the
Union. AS the system has gradually
grown to its present huge Dimensions, it
were best if il could be gradually re-
moved, but it is better, far better that it
| should be taken out az once than that It
| should longer vitiate the social, political,
and family relations Of your country. |
! am speaking with no philanthropic views
az regards the slave, but simply of the
effect of slavery on the master, See for
yourselves.
Look around you and say whether this
I saddening influence has not all but de-
stroyed The very frame work of your
society.
am speaking the farewell words OF
one who has shown his devotion to his
country, at the peril Of his life and for
tune, who in these words can have neith-
er hope nor interest, save the good of those
whom he addresses; aud let me here re-
peat, with all the solemnity Of an appeal
TO Heagen TO bear me witness, that such
are the views forced upon me by expert
ence.
| Come, then, 70 The unconditional sup
port Of the Government Take into YOU
hands your own institutions; remodel
them according to the laws Of nations
and Of God, and thus attain that great
prosperity assured 10 you by your geo.
graphical position, only a portion o.
which was heretofore yours.
BENZ. Il. BUTLER.