The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-05

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esctuaiy preoents the existence Of slaUery le neO
free territories.
Such were the views taken of the doctrines
enounced in the Nicholson letter, and such
the grounds upon which its authors election
to the Presidency was supported in the last
canvass by the Democratic party at the North.
The views taken of the same doctrines, and
the grounds upon which he was supported by
the Democratic party at the South, were, as
we have seen, of Numerically opposite and
conflicting character.
Which section of the party gave the true in
depreciation of those doctrines, General CAss
himself, in an elaborate speech early in the
present session of Congress, left no room to
doubt, as the following confessions do most con
clusively show:
Confession Of Mr.. BroDn, Of Mississippi.
General CAss had (ifMr b. correctly understood
hm) avowed his opinion TO be, that the Territories
have the right TO exclude slavery; and he
derstood to sustain the action of the people in Cal
ifornia in forming State government. Against
all these parts Of the speech Of General CAss, he
(Mr. 3D. entered his solemn protest. lie felt
bound to do this, because in the late Presidential
given different Interpretation to his views, as
foreshadowed in the Nicholson letter True, he had
not done this without some misgvings, at first, of
its correctness. But gentlemen nearer the person
Of General CAss than himself had interpreted the
Nicholson letter to mean that, when the people of
Territory were duly authorized to form State
constitution, they could then admit exclude
slavery at will, and whether they did the one thing
or the other was not matter to be questioned by
Congress He now conceded, as he had done in the
Presidential canvass, that, whenever people duly
authorized to form State constitution have
cised this authority, and asked admission into the
Union, it is not properly subject of inquiry
whether their constitution admits excludes
slavery from the proposed State. But he under
stood General Cass going further than this-to
the extent of giving to the people of the Terrific
ries the right to exclude slavery during their ter
ritorial existence, and indeed before government
of any sort had been established by Congress He
understood the doctrine as advanced by General
Cass to be- that the occupants of the soil where no
government exsted-as in New Mexico, Califor-
MIA, Deseret, &c.-had the right to exclude slave
ny; and against this doctrine he raised his hum
BILE voice; and though he might stand alone, with
out southern representative TO sustain him, he
would protest against it to the last
'In the late Presidential canvass, men Of all par
ties had assailed this doctrine. The Wings charged
General Cass with entertaining these views, and
the Democrats had indicated him against the
charge. The doctrine was universally denounced
: by men of all parties in the South
Who were the gentlemen nearer the per-
son of General CAss" who thus misled Mr.
BRowN, and taught him to believe that the
manifestly right Interpretation of the NIcHoL-
SON letter was the wrong one? What pity it
is that Mr.. b., in his ''misgivings, at first"
could not have stumbled upon some one of the
''many Southern gentlemen" who, with him
self, were in Washington at the time, and who,
General CAss says, knew all about his mean
ing!
Confession Of Mr.. Seddon, Of V1ginia.
Thc doctrine of non intervention as it is called
unquestionably had a very different construction
at the North and at the South In my own State
if it had received the construction put upon it
here by northern men, or been explained it has
since been by the distinguished candidate of the
Democratic party, | feel assured he could not
have commanded the vote of even my own State,
staunch che has ever been in her adherence to
the principles and candidates of the Democracy.
No, sir, a very different exposition was given Of
this doctrine IN lnC SDulIl. ana now, Wncn the
difference is exhibited in legislative action here,
the sense of disappointment and delusion adds
greatly to the feeling Of injustice and wrong
which ranklcs in the breasts of the Southern peo
pie. The party is shalxcn-wellnigh rent asun-
der by the legitimate result Of such contrariant
and antagonistic opinions"
But Northern Democrats, as we have album
dainty shown, put precisely the same consuuc-
ton. at home, upon the Nicholson letter, during
the last Presidential canvass, that they, together
with General CAss, have put upon it d" here, !"
during the present session of Congress Where
were the eyes of Mr.. Seldom and the other
Democratic leaders at the South while this
construction was being placed upon the Nichol-
son letter by the Frco-solers Truly may it
be said that " there are none so blind as those
who will not see.p
Confession Of Mr. Clemens, Of alabama
al have something now, Mr.. President, to say
Z to the Senator from Michigan, in conclusion. !
did not intend 10 call forth from him any remarks
. did not make any alluson TO him in a spirit Of
unkindncss brought no charge Of Inconsistency
against him. did not comment upon his Nichol.
con letter, say that it meant thing and his
speech the other day meant another. ! did not
intend To alludc TO that matter in any way. But
Mr.. President, must inform the Senator from
Michigan that the construction which he now puts
upon the Nicholson letter never put upon IL by
his party in the State Of Alabama ] must tell him
that il his present construction is the right one
have been greatly instrumental in misleading the
minds Of the people Of my State in advocating his
claims. denied that the construction he has now
placed upon his letter was the true ono. The con-
structOu placed upon 1t was, that the population
Of Territory, when sufficiently numerous to form
State, should decide the question Of slavery for
Themselves That, sir, was the construction put
upon IL 10y myself and by his party. am sorry II
have misunderstood him, but ! did not mean TO
make the question a theme Of discussion in the
Senate. must remind the Senator Of fact which,
from his knowledge Of public affairs, can
scarcely have escaped his attention. ] must
mind him Of the fact that leading Democrat,
formerly Of the other House, read out Of tho
party because he said precisely what the Senator
himself has now said about the Nicholson letter.
We put the ban upon him for such construction,
and excluded him from the ranks Of the Demo