The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-05

for the old government, the last time
you freely gave an expression Of opinion.
The final election when an apparent
majority was given for separation, you
all know to have been a farce (voices ;
that's so. Boys Of ten years old were
marched up, and asked How will Mr.
So and So vote p owe know that to be
true" "You are right there; the
whole thing was a swindle") By such
means and a reign of terror, were you
forced into an attitude of hostility to
to the government by such a process
were thousands of thoughtless young
men plunged into the abyss of treason;
and yet they call this takinga State out
of the Union. You are not out of the
Union. | am often asked by secession
lists why not let them go, as they do
not wish to live with US. / tell them
to go; go where they will; to the devil
if they like; but leave the soil behind
them; that is as much ours as theirs
But they would not be permitted to
break up this government. 1t belongs
to us, as people, to the North and to
the South; every foot of land-is an in
tegral part of the national domains.
And must remain so forever.
Now that you are calm will you an
swer me and say what you wanted of
the government thatyou did not obtain?
Was any right denied to you? Was
your influence as Southern Men, in the
affairs of the government less than it
should have been2 Not at all.
The truth is, and it is a matter Of his
tory, that Southern politicians have con,
trolled the policy of the nation; held
and bestowed its offices, and ruled it as
with rod of iron for the last fifty years,
less very short intervals They have
named for President Southern men, or
Northern men with Southern prin-
ciples" Devotion to slavery was
the only avenue to the chief magistra-
cy Of the country, and to official posi-
tons within the gift of an administra-
ton. In all things they had their way
They never failed to obtain support from
those in pursuit of public plumber
They controlled an interest so consoli-
dated; a property so gigantic, that who
ever was to be bought, received his
price; and there were enough in the
North ready to pander to this overflow
ering power, either for Office or money,
to secure the coveted supremacy to the
oligarchy All territory fit for slavery,
and more, was set apart to them, by
metes and bounds; until their arrogance
prompted them to demand all, and
these metes and bounds were swept
away by them, and all territories opened
to the inroads of slavery; when protec-
ton to the institution was demanded at
the hands of Congress. Indeed it was
vaguely limited that the whole United
States was to become slave territory
instead of free; and certainly the de-
mand was arrogantly made, for protec-
ton, under the law, to slave property,
in the hands of the master, in transit
through the free States, or while So
journing there, at the will of the owner.
A fugitive slave law, in its most often
sive form, was long before demanded
and given; and executed more faith
fully than any criminal law in any
Southern State. In fact, scarcely any
thing, reasonable or unreasonable, which
was demanded by our Southern breth-
rem" was ever withheld. Even when
Southern politicians, in Congress, first
draining the last dollar from the United
States treasury, and then reasonably
left the halls of the national legis-
lature, they still held the balance Of
power, and could have controlled the
destinies of the nation if they would.
But amid peace and prosperity unparal-
lelled; and while thus holding the
power of the government in their own
hands, they raised the cry of Oppres-
sion, only because there was remote
possibility that they might be GUST
ed from official places. On the
false pretext that their interests were
in danger from Northern oppression"
they raised a hue and cry for their
rights ;" they must have their rights"
In this, your troubles began. You
were taught to believe that your rights
were invaded, and that privileges you
were entitled to, were denied you; that
the people of the North would steal
your negroes, or violently set them
free; that you were to be subjugated,
and made slaves; and that your only
remedy was to break up the government,
and leave the Union, stealing and car
rying away the public property, in
Southern States, together with the
Mississippi River; and making a new
government, with the constitutional
right to any State to secede and break
it up at will This hue and cry for
rights" appeared to drive people
crazy; they went into spasms, clutched
the air, and pulled their hair, resem-
bling in their actions, those who, in
early days in Kentucky were afflicted
with the mania called the Jerks
Having from ambitious motives, re-
solved upon the dissolution of the Union,
and the establishment of Confederacy
based upon Slavery, or what they term
the proper relations between capital
and labor" they employed these means
to educate the Southern mind, and
fire the Southern heart" and to prepare
the people to unite in any reasonable
schemes which would end in their
own elevation to the power they coYet-
ed You were told that there was no
danger in all this; that there would be
no war; that the people of the free
States would not fight; that they would
yield up their government; or that if
there was a war, it would be on free State
soil; and at any rate you could whip
them five to one.
You had been taught that the States
were sovereign, and told that they had
a right to secede; and that you must
adhere to your State, in any course she
might pursue Whenever they could,
they obtained pledge from you, to fol-
low your State, and fight for her in any
cause You are now paying the penal
ty of that fatal pledge They knew
you had it to pay, as well as they knew
that Isham G. Harris and his associates
were, for the purposes Of disunion, the
State of Tennessee. On all these sub
iects, we sought to reason with the
traitors; and begged to be heard, but
they turned to US deaf ear; they de
cIared the time for argument had pass
ed that we were at any rate but Lin
abolitionists, and submission
lists, and unfit to be heard. Finally they
fired upon Fort Sumter, and the war
began. Mr. Lincoln called upon the
country for men to suppress the insur-
rection, and save the government, and
was denounced as a tyrant and traitor
for his pains. What has occurred
since, we all know. In suffering, you,
and those around you have borne your
part; and now in this lull in the storm,
you gather together, to consult Of the