The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-17


Georgia State Convention, on tn
7th inst.
fMr. President, itseems I am unfortunate
and can make no motion, even if unimpor
tant, but what it excites opposition an,
elicits debate I declare that in makiul
the proposition 10 lay on the table tempo
rarily the report of the Committee on tn
address 70 the President, 1 only intende,
to include with the specification therein
smother Of the most important acts Of thi
body.
"surely no one viii pretend, sfter tn
display Of feeling consequest on the pFopO
sitiOn, that the repudistion OF the war deb
is not among the most important measure.
We have considered. It IS FOR this reason
that object in sending an address inform
ing the President Of our meritori0us deeds
to omitting this.
81 am not responsible for the wide range
this dehate has taken. I would have linn.
| ted Il strictly 10 the immediate object had
in view but it has suited the gentleman
from Baldwin (Alr. Kensn), to bring in
topics foreign and exciting, and not ger
main to the question hefo,s Us. When be
presents an issue that, feel, refeeis upon
me, / cannot decline my own defense. he
has eulogized the gallant deeds Of South
ern heroes, and rejOiced at his own d 1votion
to the late Confederacy. II Is far from my
feeling or purpose TO depreeiaie the hard
earned laurels Of the brave, no matter in
| what cause obtained. While l cannot boast,
as others may, of deeds Of arms on eRsEn-
guined fields, i can aff.rd to do justice to
the valOr and daring Of those whose fortunes
led them TO battle. l never professed, be-
cause l never felt it, devotion to shs i'll
starred COnfederacv. regarded II from the
first with open disfavor, and never abated
II ms h. I'll
out attacking the personal motives Of the
men who inaugurated secession tfor among
them were many that numbered amongst
my nearest friendsl it was my deliberate
Judgment that it was unwse, rash unto mad
ness, and destructiveof the bsstinterests and
happiness Of this people. Never during the
| bloody progress Of the unfortunate strife
that followed its enactment was there day
that would not, had 1 possessed the pow
er1 have arrested the horrible revolution
and appeal to the gentleman from Bald
win, who tells US he, too, was a Union man
IN that unhappy day that wrought our
ruin IS people, il he, had he possessed the
| powerOf an autOcrat, would not have ar
rested in its mad career the cruel, relent-
less, heart-blighting, hope-crushing war, so
Wanionly, so lnsanely, imposed upon US i
/ frankly GvOw had I Be able 70 oppose sue
cessful and Immediate destfuc iOn to its
| frightiul progress, I would with alacrity
have done it. From first to last, l could
never discern any reasonable prospect Of
the success Of the contest; nor could per-
eeiye any benefits that could flow irom il. |
Thinking IS ! did, feeling as I did, loving |
my kini as ! do, how could l but deplore |
the infatuation that brought upon this un-
happy land this uumitigated calamity. A |
desire to preserve from needless sacrifice |
the poor, unOtendiDg youth of the land, Of /
itself, were enough 10 have made me mourn /
the unhallOwed and damning act. thought |
and I said that the material interests of our /
people, and especially the cherished inst-
tuition Of slavery, Withdrawn as il was from
its ancient protector, the Constitution of the /
United States, the only power by which it
could have been preserved or, perpetuased, |
were by one fell sWOop destrcJ ed and loss
forever. What sane mind could see safety
and prosperity in a country surrounded on
three sides as with GORDON of avoWed ad /
yersaries, and with its ocean front making 1
a circuit Of more than 5000 miles of ex-
posed border? This, Of itself, were enough
70 mark the measure as one OF infatuatiou.
recall an interview with Com. Blaks,
OF the American navy, who hsd surveyed
his country's coast, and whose maps and IL
lustratious are part Of his eountry's histo-
~, in which, in my sOlicittude on the sub
jeet, asked Of him the favor 10 inform me
OF the extent Of coast from the mouth Of /
the Potomac river 10 the Rio Grande and, |
as l now remember, taking q pair Of divi
ders and scale, h3 gave me the result, and
It was more than 2. zoe miles. In my mind,
then Escended the Potomac 20 its passage
through the mountains; thence wesI on the
crest on the Alleghenies to its termina alton;
thencs TO El Paso and down the Rio Grande
to the gulf, and contemplated, in all its mag
H. Fk e., g. I,I
arrogating any superior wisdom to myself,
had others paused 70 consider this and other
insurmounIable difficulties that loomed Up
like mountain SUBMITS, this deploIable,
miserable, ill-c0nceived, unJustifable, self
DESTROYING revolution could never have had
existence. From it sprung the Confederacy.
could not and did not rejoice at its crea-
tion; and never saw the day while il lasted
when loved it better than when it began.
asked nothing Of it; for, as an honorable
man, l could not. Il owed me nothing, and
when my poor boys volunteered enthusiast
cally TO fight for what they deemed the
cause Of the South, said to them with their
muskets on their shoulders; "Rememter,
my children, you 60 into organic military
commands, with no power on my part to af
ford you prOmotiOnj for, if It cost me my
life, and the life Of every member of my
will not seek favors Of a Gov
ernment that, if left 10 me, wou never
have existed" What results could TO ne
have afforded compensation for what hnVe
lost? The wealth Of the world, if coined
into diamonds, would be as nothing to
soothe the Rrefs I bear about me. How can
l recur to the hOrrid past bat with feelings
Of undying regret, Of endless condemnaticn7
"Eulogies have been expended upon the
extinct COnfederacy. Il has gone, and with
D NHl So -furaaa
that ruthlessly tore from the hearthstone
the youth OF the South, and dragged them
TO bloody fields, and deprived them Of their
Young lives. With it, thank heaven have
died its infamous laws Of impressment that
seized thehard earnings of honest industry,
that plundered the peoples barns, deprived
them of their grain, and gave them worth
less paper in exchange. I am not revenge
full. Whatever wrongs I have suffered by
the mad folly Of others I wil try 10 forget.
There are those prominent in this work Of
destruction that l know will have the mag
nanimity 10 acknowledge themselves in
iebted for my kindness.
eThe convention viii excuse me II I have
trespassed on its patience n giving utter
ance TO this feeble expression Of my feelings
and opinions. IcannOt add any new reason
10 what ], or q former oceasi0n, have urged
why desire reference made in this address
Of the convention TO the President OF the
United States, TO our action Of to-day, an
nulling the war debt. I do not say public
debt, for ! choose to distinguish between the
legal obligations Of the State, incurred be-
fore the war, and that incurred after, inde-
pendent and irrespective Of its prosecution,
and the mountain Of debt imposed on the
people as the result of secession. Let no
man infer from this that I tolerate, IN the
slightest degree, q disregard for any obliga-
too, public or private, rightfully incurred
He who labors under this 0elusion does me
great Injustice.
eThe gentleman says the President looks
with more favor upon those who fought ior
the rebellion than those VINO refused 70 90
20. do not believe it; but even were it true
il would not induce me TO say one word or
think one thought IN favor Of that hideOus
or cheek my heart or tongue IN
Of the damning deed. ] never
fouvbt for IL. I never courted its favor; /
never deprecated its wrath. All that ! could
do for NV county while the storms Of pas
siop and treason were ragiug round ne, I
cheerfullv did 7 make no apology for re
fusinr 70 take arms in that unhalloWed
cause. II he who fought beneath the Dag Of
the rebellion is preferred before me, let 1t
be 80. In stsnding BY the Union Of the
ststes. risked more than the loss Of goods
o- politiesl preierment ! stsked my life
rrndn The issue. For sooner than raise my
band against the Government, would have
thought iJ happiness 10 diel'
Previous % this speech not one distiRct-
ivelv loval and Union sentiment had ever
elected & che4r from The Convention. Bat
Mr.. HIl's 6rst sentence In denuneiatioa Of
he Coufeieraey broke the spell. Each sep
s-sts climax Us greeted Eith cheers, which
a. Cbsirmao no longer endesvored 70 cup
,,-.ss. and wheu the outburst was finished,
he oid state House shook with applause.
So loyal were the sentiments OF the speaker,
sn5 s. hearty the apprabttion which greet
~ tbe-a. thst 10 friend Of his country look
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