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Mr. Nelson, Of Tennesse, Succumbs

Mr. Nelson, Of Tennesse, Succumbs image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
September
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

It will bc reruembered that Mr. Nelson, eleoted io our Congress from Tennessee, was, while on bis vvay to Washington, soized by the secessionist and taken to Kichmond under a charge oí" treason Mr. Nelson has finally made poaee v.itli Jeff. Davis by grounding the weapon of warfare against that usurper The correspondence is published, in a letter to Davis, in which he asks to bo released from arrest. ïlr. Nelson says : _ " I ask to bo discharged from a vexations prosecution that I may return home pcaeefully, to follow my private interests and pursuits. assuring your Excellency that I will not, directly or indirectly, by counsel, advice or .letioa, encourage, aid or assiat tho United States Goveniuiout to invado or attain succcess in t!ie present strugglo with the Confedérate StatC3, nor will I ecunscl or advise othors to thwart or cripple the Confedérate States in tho pending eontest with the United State3, nor will I do so by my oivn acts. " In view of the increased majority in the late clection whieh has just taken p!aoo in ïeunessee, I shall feel it my dtxty, as a citiacn of that Stato, to submit to Eter late action, and shall religiousiy abstain from any further words oActs of condemnationoroppoaition to hergovernment." pon tilia Jeíf. Davis orders the disoharge of Mr. Nelaon from arrfiát. Mr. Nelson then issuC3 an atldress to t.ie peopls of ïeuneGsee, and afier saying thathis course has been a voluutary onc, and not dictated by coerción, he says: " Wliilo I did uot proraise allegianee w active support to the Southern Con. federacy, aud will not advise you to assume any obligaticns oontrary to your convictionsof duty, I feel erteotlv iVee to say that the faüure of the Gavernment of the United States forfour longmonths to sustain us iu ourposition; its apparent inability to do so, since the battle of Manassas, within any reasonable time; the delibérate action of our State in the August clection; the assurauce of publiü luon that no test oaths or drafting measures will be adoptcd or required; the mutual hatrod wBTch has grown up batween tlie aptagpniaüe sections of the üniun, and the recent coufiscation laws which have been eilher adopted or proponed on both sides, as well as other causes, have painfully iinpressed my mind with the belief that, uuless some wonderful and improbable change is cffected, our belovéfl Union is goae forever, and it is our policy and daiy to submit to a resuit, vvhieli, however we ni.ry deplore it, seenis to be inevitable. " Aware that my advioo as well as my motives may !,s lieiLlu to misoonstnation, I would still most respeetfully reeom mond to my friends the proprietv of abitaining from all further oppostioö or reaistauoa to the Confedérate authorities, or the action of our own State; anó, shouldthisbe dono, although I have no authority m speak for tliom, I am satis(ied no military power will be exerted among us, exeopt sueh as nny bo indispensably uecessary to retaia tlie military possession of East Tennessee. And to those of our citizeus who hae goue beyond the limite of the State, either through fear or the purpose of arming thenaielves to reeist a course of action whieh isdisavowed iu Gen. Polk's letter, I think I can ffifejj say, without arroganee, that from tlie coui-ae whicJi was adopted towards me, tliey would risk notbing by returning to the State and subnnttiug to a rcsult whiuh they have iu vaiu eudeavored to prevent. THOS. A. R. NELSON. K.o.vili.i;, Tenn.. Au. 25, 1861.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus