Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-13
SECESSION.

oA<O4],sShOAN'
We have seen no delegate to the Con-
yention who desires to see the right Of |
secession Incorporated as part of the |
Democratic platform. Indeed, every one |
would bitterly oppose the incorporation |
of any such plank in the platform. The
Democracy of Tennessee would prefer as
to that issue that it should be considered
among the ''dead issues, /" and be left with
all of its good or i'll unme ntioned among the
things thai were But can the Democracy
of Tennessee say to the winds: "Peace;
be still9" Our, brethren in the
North telIus that Radicalism, to shield its
own hideousness, still and ever points to
the ghost of secession and will not let it
down. Radicalism still prstes of the
rampant spirit of secession; calls upon
the Democracy of the North to point to
an uuequivocal disayowal of that right in
the platform of any Southern Democratic
convention uncennected with the assertion
that such disavowal is the result of armed
force. Our Northern friends call upon
US to come up to their help by avowing in
ell its fullness and completeness the doc
trine that State has no right to
secede. Many of our Southern friends,
gentlemen with whose impulses and SYM
paihies we are in entire accord, insist that
such a disavOwal of the doctrine of Sc
ccssiou would be to stultify ourselves and
place the brand of infamy upon the living
and the dead who struggled in the lost
cause. This we believe, arises from an
imperfect view of both the past and
present. Previous to the war there was
no Wing in Tennessee, who believed In
the right of Secession. There was no
leading Democrat who did not disavow
it. Even our Declaration of Independ-
ence in 1861, dissolving the relations be-
tween the State and the United States ex-
pressly waived any expression of opinion
as 10 the abstract doctrine of Secession.
In 1857, when the election of United
States Senator was before the Legislature,
DR.. Richardson, of Rutherford, friend
of Mr.. Bell, joined with other members
of the Legislature in propounding series
of interroga' cries to Mr.. Nicholson and
other candidates for the Senate, as TO their
views on secession and other questions.
Upon the subject of secession, Mr.. Mich
olson, who was the Democratic candidate,
said:
81 do not hold to the Constitutional
right of secession, inasmuch as, in my
opinion, secession is revolutionary rem
edy, which, however, intolerable Oppres-
sion or aggression upon the rights of any
people OF State may justify"
The doctrine here uttered by Mr.. Mich
olson is the exact doctrine of the platform
proposed by us upon the subject of seces-
sion. Upon that platform Mr.. Nicholson
was elected to the United States Senate by
the Democratic Legislature of 1878.
Our Declaration of Independence and
ordinance dissolving the federal relations
between the State of Tennessee and the
United States of America says: owe,
the people of the State of Tennes-
see, waving any expression of
| opinion as to the abstract doctrine
of secession, but asserting the
right as free and independent people TO
alter, reform or abolish our form of gov
eminent in such manner as we think prop
er, do ordain, etc.
1t will thus be seen that neither party in
Tennessee previous TO the war avowed the
doctrine of secession, and our Declaration
of Independence in 1861 placed the disso-
luton of our relations with the Federal
Government not on the right of secession,
but on the right of revolution, the right
as free and independent people to alter,
reform or abolish our government in such
manner as we may think proper. But if
all had ayowed the right of secession
then, do not all know that the result
of the war settled that question,
and that heneeforth any resistance made
by any State of the Union to the United
States viii be based upon the right pro-
claimed in our proposed resolutions, the
.s,rl,t ,,f ra1,ol,f;o,
Here in Tennessee we can succeed upon
any platform. But our friends north of
the Ohio ask what it will benefit us to
gain every civil district in Tennessee and
lose all the North. Our deliYerance
from the expressions of Radicalism
must come from the triumph of
the Northern Democracy They
ask US TO make a platform which will be
a complete and emphatic refutation of the
charges Of secession and rebellion against
us by Radical stump-speakers. The plat
form proposed by US does not proceed
from any desire on our part 10 resurrect
secession or to consider it other than a
''dead ISSUE" We would willingly let it
sleep; but if the Democracy of the North
can be assisted by our disavowal of that
doctrine, then, as our safety depends on
their success, let US disavow it. This
does not disavow the right of resistance
to oppression or reject the right to op-
pose tyranny. 1t simply disavows that
secession is a peaceable remedy permitted
to each State for alleged grievances from
the general government. r-.
MISREPRESENTAT AND FOR
gerry.