When Tennessee Turned South

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Two weeks after South Carolina declared its secession from the United States, Governor Isham G. Harris called Tennessee’s legislature into special session. Harris, a native son of Tennessee, was a popular-two term governor who had campaigned vigorously for John C. Breckinridge, the candidate of the Southern faction of the Democratic Party, during the presidential election of 1860.

Harris wasted no time in presenting his reasons for calling the General Assembly into session: “The attempt of the Northern people,” to confine slavery “within the limits of the present Southern States,” to appropriate the whole of the western territory to themselves, and to put slavery on the path of “ultimate extinction” was regarded by the “people of the Southern states as a gross and palpable violation of the spirit and obvious meaning of the compact of Union.”

Harris knew the choice was clear: “Abandon it [slavery], we cannot, interwoven as it is with our wealth, prosperity and domestic happiness.” Tennessee had to leave the Union. But it would be another five months before a majority of his fellow Tennesseans would agree. What took so long?

Read the rest at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/01/when-tennessee-turned-south/?smid=fb-disunion

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Civil War wasn't about slavery. This is just another left wing hit piece pulling the race card once again.

[Karee 4,189]

The Civil War wasn't about slavery. This is just another left wing hit piece pulling the race card once again.

State's rights is what it was about.

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Indeed. State's right to maintain the institution of slavery.

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

slow news day?

[Danno 1,228]

Who goes to war to end something some place else ...... when it still exists in it's own region?

[Darnell 8,478]

I hope you're having a swell time in Tennessee these days?