The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-28

Hr NgtEc-T, end GeuflCnlcr O. tts house
4 ReyreserlatsUC II never approach
ID any subject with that impression OF
solernnity that feel Oh the present oc-
casioa. To have 70 sit in Judgment on
those of my own race, my own COM
rlexion, and my own blood; TO hsVe to
determine the political status Of two
third- Of the people of Tennessee, l
feel 10 be a duty that is rather to be
avoided than coveted. / feel it to be
one Of the most sacred and momentous
truss every committed 10 the discre
ZION ot p legislature ! feel that !
would rather to-day return to nay home
anC resume my ordinary GvOcatlons,
than occupy the position Ia which
now s.aud, were ituot the duty Of ey-
cry citizen 10 meet the responsibilities
and perform the duties falling 20 him,
however high or however low he
may be
Some gentlemen have expr essedthe
wish that the subject mad been dis
cussed before; not 30 with me. We are
here treading on holy ground. / know
that J am falhble and may mistake
and that mistake on such , subject
may be a cause Of injury 70 others. /
therefore zee that this is no subject for
haste or incousiderate action, for, Mr..
Speaker, fools rush in where angels
fear % tread ] am fully impressed
with the sOlemnity Of the occasion, and
] know that whatever action we may
take must be subjected 70 the test Of
time, the sure IeveaieT OF the wisdom
OF folly Of human action
Some Of the gentlemen who have
spoken on this subject have stated
that they were not accustomed TO speak
ing-that IL the case with myself-the
Oniy speech ] ever tried 20 prepare, was
blown away by the wind. But, on an
occasion so important as this, feel 1t
my duty 20 give such ideas ss have to
advance on the subject now occu-
pyiuc our attention.
When and where, SIT, did this great
rebellion take its start Was it az the
Charleston convention Was 10 when,
a. Fort SlmJer, traitors sought 70 hTl
disgrace upon the national ensign No,
eir.it did not commence at Charleston IN
1860. nor was il initiated at Fort Sumter
IN 1861. 10 had lie origin the first hour
Nalf AaAEAEN AAANa kAAf NihAaAAsAAtAAAa .AAA W.
teach that slavery was q blessing, and
the human auction block divine insti-
tuition Who is innocent, and who is
guilty of the crime of treason ? That
d the question we have 10 settle in our
own minds aud TO our own judgments
There was a time during which ] never
heard a political speech in which
slavery was not in some way, the be
ginning, the continuation, and the end
Democratic speakers dinned into OuI
ears that the people of the North were
determined to make the negroes ouI
equals, TO associate them with our sons
aud marry them 10 our daughters The
whigs an their later days, were eloquent
on toe sub &c % the wooliy horss %
The Nebraska bill was an occasion
which brought out oceaus Of declsma-
ton upon the subject Of negro slavery
the institution ordained OF God They
said that 10 own slaves was their right
and Tor that right they at length took
up arms, and comhatted the sentiment
Of freedom with the weapons OF war
Now we see those who taught these
principles come forward and claim that
their garments are uustained Some
Travelled a thousand miles out Of theiY
way to proclaim the divinity OF slavery
Let him that Is without sin cast the
Grst stone
Mr. Speaker, we all know that Il wal
slavery about which the people wer,
6cbting-the negro got into l., som,
way VI other You never heard Of ,
mau going into the rebel army tina
did not have something 90 say Of some
body else stetling away somebody Ec
gro They have made fight on thl
question, and they have lost, and ther
Is the end oft The negro was in la
balaure, and the scales have turDer
against them Mr.. Lincoln, in hi
homely way, spoke of the danger
slavery was exposing the country Il
and declared the country must be al
slave or All free; Nv Seward with POI
ished dictiou proclaimed the great fac
that between slavery and freedom
there was an irrepressible conflict tina
must 90 on 10 solution. The conhic
went on TO its extreme lenrth-now ]
is al an ends far as actual war il cor
cerned | am not one of those willinI
% abuse my own brothers upon thi
subject. ani 20 claim that all the brav
cry, all the gallsntry, all the virtue an,
all the intelligence exists exist
solely north of Mason and Dixon line
10 not believe that all in the South
without taxing into account the cir.
Cumstauces ia which they were placed
the manner IN which they we're raised
and the principles with which the
we're embued-were traitors. do nc
believe that, fundamentally, the me-
OF the north are more loyal than th
men OF the South believe that if sin
ilar circumstances had existed in Ind
ana. as those dominant in the South
ia It State wonld have been where th
South is to-day ] remember that
pennsylvania il was once necessary
sal OFT the soldiery, 10 put down rel
els in arms i remember that IN Ne'
England, in the early history Of Oh
country, there wss 3 political orgsniz
ton which set at defiance the laws {
Of the country remember, sir, tha
this country was oHce On the verge of dt
struction on account of that deianC
Let the descendents of those mistake
people forget the position in whic
their own States have been placed, an
10 not forget how they themselve
might have acted in the same cjrcun
stances, and acted under by the same IL
huences No, SIR, the south Is not luI
damentally dislOyal, snd believe nov
If chance was given Us for a free tigh
every man 90 range himself withou
outside influence being brought TO bes
12oa him, the loyal banner woul
march victorious fEoJa the Mississippi
10 the crest of Lookout mountain.
our people had an unbiased chance G
declaring their sentiments. / heliev
ioysl feeling would be found predomi
pant oyer reasonable continent
! remember that two gallant youn
men called on Mr. Bell when the W.
broke out and said well Mr. Bell, III
Dag Of the United States has bee
fixed upon 10y men IN arms agar
the United State Tennessee is cslle
Rpou 70 take sides, We believe tL
GorSrnnent is right 10 opposing tho:
who are setting themselves in opp.
sition TO the law, and il ought TO Z
sustained If you will say the word "
will take the Gag Of the United State
and marrh with i through the street
Of Nashville 70 the musie Of lanke
Doodle.
Mr. Bell said 40, and one Of ther
Joined the rebellion.
The mAn Is dead, he is gone 70 hi
long account TO answer FOR MS crime
% 70 be justified in his innocence l 50,
tnere was nota Union speaker in 1861
who did not broadly assert That ifw,
pac free discussion Unowed by bayonet.
that TIE people would vote down Sc
cession.
In the city Of Nashville there wer,
not three men, say five, who woul,
boldly, in the streets, assert Their at
tSehment 70 the Government IL ha