Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-05
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SUNDAY. AUCraT 5. Iseo.
THE REBELLION No REBELLION
THE VIEWS or An OLD MAN.


wrong done, and still doing, TO the people {
the State Of Tennessee, Of whom / am ont
Being an old man, and always resident j
nay State, / claim 10 be a citizen. The hon
OF Of my country, and my own honor, ar
primary considerations with me, and shall
if possible, be preserved.
] am slandered, and that most grossly
my country is slandered-all charged will
the highest crime known 10 the law-an,
this wrong has been going on for five years
accompanied by indignites and wrongs be
yond endurance. But such has been tn,
clamor, so constant and 80 loud, often ema
mating from high sources as well as from low
that plain man dare not even make hi,
plea, or deny the charge.
l am falsely called TRAITOR; my country
denounced as having been in a state Of re.
bellion; / am marked as one Of her rebels-
my life in danger, and many Of my most
precious rights taken from me-all this done
under semblance Of uttering as a truth, while
as great a falsehOod has been uttered as ever
cursed country.
am no traitor, no reJcl, nor ever was.
My State was never in rebellion; 80 far from
IT. there has never been a rebel il Tennessee.
The charge has been and is a SANDER; and
though thousands, innocent as myself have
been made, in effect, 10 confess the crime, by
accepting the terms the amnesty offered, this
Is only a greater aggravation, wrenching. as
II does, confession Of crime where none
existed.
few facts sustains the plea make and
position assumed, knowing, as we do, that
the story has gone abroad, and well aware
how hard 10 meet, avert and turn aside its
point, especially where the effect will be to
~ Nra oh g. 81.
cuser. As truth must prevail, this will fol-
low, and with a vengeance as heavy as that
which crushed the nation carrying out the
tdiss accusation at Calvary.
/ charge that Tennessee and all my rights
were uncJnstituti0nnliy and unlawiully IN
ykDED-and that by the very power created
for our prO.ection-Art. /, Sec. 4.
Here my PROFITS from the book; not
10 be contradicted. IT is ALL RECORD:
Ia 1860, the Legislature was in session.
This question was raised, would Tennessee
do as South Carolina had done2 the subject
fully debated, a solemn vote taken, when it
was determined that the State would do As
she had done for si1ty-tou years before, re-
main IN The Union.
But the subject being one proper for the
people, the body just having acted, passed a
resolution calling for the action Of the people
through the ballot-box. That action came
of in February, 1861. Resulting las be-
fore the Legisature) in a U0te Of SIXTY
THOUSAND MAJORITY, 10 remain with the
UNION. No act could have been more pub
Iic-the result was echoed from every hill
teegraphs and public journals gave the ac-
cUuut--the State was applauded, and the
event hailed with loy-every fear Of a civil
war was lulled, and for near 4 mouth all
was still.
On the 4th OF March there commenced a
new era. The doubted and ambiguous BU-
CHANAN went out, and the newly elected came
in Simultaneously Tennessee ceased to
have a voice in the councils Of the nation
her representative by elapse Of time went
sut. Before the new President and cabinet
all was an open foid; for twelve days he held
on TO the Senate TO have confirmation Of the
selected cabinet-that done the Senate with
drew.
II is due 10 the President elect 10 say that
in his inaugural he declared his inability
20 interfere in the negro or slavery question
it was a subject covered by the Constitu-
ton, to sustain that instrument hewas bound
by the oath just taken.
Just forty daysafter takingtheoath OF Office
land the speech, on the l4th of April, was
issued proclamation declaring the South
IN a state Of rebellion, ordering the people
10 Law down their arms, retire TO their homes
as peaceful citizens, etc, and in connection,
the next dash Of the pen calls for the fur
nishing of $4,000 troops, apportioning the
call upon certain Governors, fixing their
Quota. A burst Of thunder without a cloud
could not have given more surprise; for 1t
was asked everywhere have we as a people
.e Il. g.. IA gsfgI
q CHARGE While Tennessee, conscious of her
innocence. thus charged, what should she do
patiently stand and take such chastise-
mcnt and iudignity as a wanton traducer
might choose TO inAict? Her chivalry and
honor forbade t. The unnatural threat and
slander had gone abroad, the secret hate
prompting IT, kept concer 'ed-were enough
10 arouse 10 action. The most that could be
done would be preparation TO meet the on
slaught-vast as were the odds against
her. (for vet she stood alone). Sub
mission without a trial would have been
aowardice Doubly armed for where was
her wrong2 p and as she Is cCmpeled TO ac-
ton. hers is defence only, she neither seeks
nor desires 70 invade the rights of any, for
never let it be forgotten il is unconstitutional
and iuiiairfiR inudSiOB on the one side, and
defence against wrong upon the other.
There was once n shelter against such an
outrare-"the United States viii protect
each State against iHuuSioH first article
and fourth section, United States Constltu-
tiou." Had all been honest this would
have operated, but the protector betraying
his trust. leaves us where JUDAs left his vic
tim-in the hands Of the power he had sum
moned.
And while am calling up facts to justify
my own State against the imputation cast
upon her, were there TO other States in like
prcdicamcnt2 ] answer with Tennessee)
no less than fve-where stood Virginia,
North Carolinal and Arkansas, Alabama
and Georgia, until the UHc1iicd for procla-
nation. Were there any Of these in a state
Of rebellion--not one. IL after the procla-
nation and seeing invasion inevitable, the
clamor still up, the promised protector
turned enemy, the charter of the liberty Of
citizens and Of States put under foot was
there any way lel but 20 consult those placed
under like circumstances Consultation
amongst those at whom the calamity was
pointed, was the natural and only alteBa-
live leit--an3 q in1s had, but the first wrong
the slander and the action under IT, The
ua-c cry mot Of Congress to whom alone it
belongs. had there been cause The as
sumed one man power, this death "up5n de
pole h0rse.' all went frst. Tennessee with
at lesat four other States, were not only in
the Union but her people felt as all true pa
triots should feel, fiery indignation at so
bare-aced assumption.
Had the attempt by one been made 90
raise au army and make war; without the
slauder-wherc was the man having read the
Constitution and seen It's violation, but would
have spoken out as did Southern Governors
in answering the call upon them for a quota
Of the 10000 men. Il is amongst the first
duties we owe our country, TO see the Consti-
tuition sustained The organic law, who
dare break it2 When done there lies the
treason whoever is guilty OF it. the
traitor.
We were assailed, invaded, our vessels ON
our waters takcn--and vet with more than
caution, no action until the voice Of the
people "a heard. That, by order Of the
General Assembly, is called for, and
resulted in a vote through the ballot-box
Of more than one hundred thousand of
majority declaring againt this INVASION Of
our rights-noy is il for a moment % be un-
dersiood that il was the South alone that
felt and resented these wrongs gs-thousands
North disapproycd of H. gave their voice
against IT, The disapproyal, founded in
Justice humanity and the rights Of man,
were disrcgarded-thos speaking in con-