The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-07-11
To the People of East Tennessee
McMINvILLE. July |, 1851

FE11ow.CIrIzENs The Wing Con-
yen,ion. held at Nashville on the yum o.
March last, did me the honor 10 place my
name before the people of the Stale as
candidate for the Office Of Governor OF
Tennessee. | then entertained the belief
i, which have since been confirmed, that
nv health would not prove equal to all Inc
labor and fatigue which the custom Tor
years past has imposed upon our candidates
for Governor; but | could not well decline
a service 10 which had been invited by so
many warm personal and political friends,
in various portions Of the Stale, and there.
lore agreed with Gov. Trousdale TO a 'st OF
embracing nearly every
county. at which we proposed to meet and
address our fellow citizens. These. with
some few exceptions, have fulfilled up TO
this point. Gov. Trousdale and myself ad.
dressed the people Of Warren county on
Monday, the 10Th ultimo, and i was thai
evening Frustrated by violent attack OF a
disease which prevailed as an epidemic al
this place, under the effects OF which am
sill laborng. and from which there is but
litlle prospect Of MY recovering Tor several
weeks 10 come. BY the skill a9a"1tn'
RENTING attention Of Sc .------.
,lemen here, the disease has Been G. ed,
bu, i, has left me in a condition from which
| mus, rise BY slow degrees.
need not say to the generous ard warm
hearted people OF East Tennessee. that |
regret my utter inability 10 meet them. as |
had expected, in their respective counties.
There are thousands among them whom
had hoped 10 take by the hand. and none
whose acquaintance i, would not have been
a pleasure 10 me 10 make. There are sub
jecls 100, Of a general, public nature, upon
which desired 10 offer you my views
openly, frankly. and without the least
equivoca,ion. Aud there are enterprises
too, connected with your immediate inter.
es,., hopes and prospects, in which par
,icularly desired 10 express to you, face TO
face, NV deep interest and abiding sympa'
thy.
ASH IS, however, I shall have 10 avail
myself Of this, the only medium now leI,
10 declare my views and opinions upon the
two leading subjects which have been
prominent in the discussions between my
competitor and myself. allude 10 the
series of laws passed bv the last Congress
of the United States, generally termed the
"Compromise Measures" and 10 the great
question of Internal Improvements, Upon
these, as upon every other topic affect
ing the public welfare, | have no conceal.
menls. and desire simply to express the
honest convictions Of my own Judgment.
My position and opinions upon the Com.
promise are directly at variance with those
Of Gov. Trousdale. He, i, seems, can re.
cognse no justice or fair dealing in SIS
tenn of measures which many Of the NOS,
eminent statesmen and jurIs,s Of his own
party believed 10 be, not merely expedien,.
but essentially necessary 10 the peace, the
prosperity and glory Of our common coun-
try. In all the arguments | have heard
him make thus lar, he has boldly denounced
the spiri, and principles oflhe Compromise.
in the aggregate and in the detail. as a
"batch Of laws" by which the South has
lost every thing, and the North has gained
all. This is the ground he assumed in
his opening address at Spring field, and has
ever since erdeavored 10 maintain.
From such views. have been compelled
to dissent. nm not only willing - sus-
tain this great adjustment of a dangerous
and exciting controversy, but have from the
beginning, ard Oh all occasions, given it my
cordial support, for the reasons which !
shall here briefly Stale.
believe the Fugitive Slave Law, as well
rs every other law sanctioned by the consii-
tuition, ought 10 be, and will be, enforced by
the Wing administration now IN power.
and tia, it remain in full force and effect
upon the statute bucks Of the country.
! believe that, in nbolshing the slave
trade in the District of Columbia, Congress
did but reflect the will Of the people Of tina,
District. and did no more than Virginia
and Maryland, Tennessee and other slave"
holding states have done in abolishing the
traffic within their own limits.
believe that the people of Texas alone
had the right to accept or reject the terms
offered for the settlement Of the disputed
boundary. and as they have expressed them
selves, almost with one voice. satisfied with
those terms, that no other State or c,s ial-
nifty has the shadow ofs rig. -. -.-y
that setllemc nj or complain Of their decision.
I believe that, in the passage Of the laws
establishing Territorial governments for
Utth and New Mexico. with the express
stipulation that these territories may be
hereafter admitted as States with or with
out slavery"s as their people may determine
for themselves, Congress has conceded every
thing that sound policy would authorise the
.o,,h,,o oo,olo IN dap.nd