The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-07-04
slavery in Missouri ana Tennsssos


slavery In missouri ana Tennessoe.
DR.. Charles Drake, one Of the ablest
lawyers in ST. Louis, made a very able
speech In the State Convention the other
dav, from which we take the following
paragraph
Do You not see the hand writing on the
wall? II not, pray you to open your
eyes TO it, and read the doom of slavery
In Missouri, written by her loyal people,
In characters never to be effaced. Read
il in the changed views and action Of the
Executive; in the results Of recent cleo
tions to fill vacancies in this body; in the
primary assemblies of the people; in the
tone Of the public press, with few excep-
tions, throughout the State; in the sudden
and precipiiate abandonment of slaVery's
defense by obstinate pre- slavery men In
every quarter; in every form and phase
in which the stern and ready resolve that
slavery shall cease TO exist on our soil,
and that right early, can make itself
known. You cannot protect IL, yoH can
not prop il up, yOH cannot defend it, rs
presia0e 10 gone. IL IS IN disgrace. II
stands at tie bar Of public opinion in
Missouri condemned By its fruits, hopelessly
and i0itbout possibility Of appeal. 1t has
ever been clog upon our advance and
prosperity. u has allied us to the insuy-
Tectionary States. 10 has made our territory
the field of sUar. II keeps up the domes-
tic strife now desolating our State,
when the rebel armies are al hopeless
distance. 1t fills our woods with rob-
bling and numbering hordes, who are fed,
clothed and sheltered, warned of APP
proaching danger, and guided to pillage
and blood by the neighbors of their
victims. II transforms our men, and,
God forgive them our women, too, into
implacable enemies of Union men, into
treacherous betrayors of their former
friends, into spies and informers, into
purveyors of revenge, rapine and assas-
sination. Against this common enemy
all Glasses of our people make common
cause. Every great interest in our
State wars upon it. Farmers, mer-
chants, manufacturers, professional
men, spectators, landowners, steam
boatmen, railroad men, and multitudes
of shareholders, all combine TO attack it.
Reason is against IL; experience is against
IT, The past condemns il; the future
rejects II; the present deals il deadly
blows. The people are marching over il.
Politicians abandon IL, as rats falling
house. 1t is, In fact dead! We are
here to bury it, They lclo cling to IL clin0
70 corpse, and lciN Be buried nth IL. No
man who upholds II now will be tFuste d
by the people, except perhaps in few
spots Of our State, from this time for
ward. loW cannot save u, bu} gou NAY
lose yourself IN he es0rt When the
wrecked vessel goes down, Il is they who
cling to 1t to the last that go dOwa with
II.
Such papers as the Missouri Repu5E-
cum and Missouri Statesman admit the
truth Of DR.. Drake SAptatement and adj
vccAte the early removal Of slavery from
the State. And at least some Of these
statements may be truly made of Ten
nessee, as well as of Missouri. The sys-
tenn Of slavery has allied her 10
the Southern ConfsderaCy, 1t Is
IN Disgrace, and standa con-
demned At the bar OF public opinion
and while politicians cannot save the
doomed system, they can easily DESTROY
@euse'peS IN trying 70 sare u. We may get
up embittered controversies and dlspu.
tAtions over IL, we may illl the air with
angry disputations, we may retard the
recovery Of the commonwealth from her
sore sickness, and deter people from
settling among us, and contributing to
her restoration, bat VIC cannot save the
system of slavery while il is the root of
all this strife. Who wishes to sacrifice
himself TO save slavery? The sacrifice
can easily be made, but we warn those
who would make IL that Il will never
be followed by tho salvation of slavery.
Never; it is in a galloping consumption
and must die Are we so attached TO Il
that We will still embrace the olammy
corpse and kiss its putrid lips, and suck
their disgusting poison? Some few gem
tlemen appear willing to make the trial
be 1t so; the experiment will at least not
be very long one, for those who make
H. although its influence may soroly
perplex and haTass the State for a sea-
SON Every battle fought by Bragg to
protect slavery here, iohstler ,uon or bs,
ana every expedition he may make
within our borders to defend il, will do
1t more harm than all the plans Of
Northern AbolitiOnism.
The Union cannot be disso,vod -.