Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-04-11
THE PRESIDENT AND THE NEBRAS-
KA BILL.

Since the publication OF EX-SENATOR CLEN-
EMS letter, reporting a conversation with the
President, in which he declared his decided
opinion that Douglas bill was proposition in
favor of freedom and added that if it should
pass, although we might absorb the whole of
Mexico, not another Stare state ,coud ecer come
INFO the Union" Mr.. c. has been induced to
write second letter, addressed to the President
qualifying unimportant portions of his first let
ter, but leaving the expressions most objection
able to the South precisely as ne reported them
before. Here is the letter:
WAsHIY GToN, March "a, 1854.
Dear sir:-You have called my attention to
late letter of mine to ~ Davis, Jr., Esq, and
particularly to the following sentences;
ale expressed great s1rprise at the opposition
it met with from the North, and equal surprise
that the South should be willing to take it."
At the time the conversation to which that
sent ence alludes took place, was walking back
wards and forwards across the room, and should
not have noticed it ifyou had not remarked that
you had no concealments upon the subject, and
that you were glad / was present to hear it.
In my letter to Mr.. Davis did not pretend
to give your language, except where quotation
ton with you, ! think it very probable that l
misunderstood the purport of your remark upon
this particular point. our surprise may have
been expressed that the true men of the North
should hesitate to vote for Douglas bill when
the South were willing to take it; and, if | had
paid attention to the whole conversation ] doubt
not such would have been the impression of my
mind.
have never sought a conversation with you
upon the subject of the Nebraska bill; but ev-
cry time have heard you mention the snbject
you have uniformly expressed yourself warmly
IN favor Of the principle of the bill, viz: the
principle of the right of the people Of the Ter
ritories to regulate the question Of slavery for
themselves doctrine from which dissented;
and, as | knew we were not at all likely to agree,
l sought no discussion of the question.
You have assured me always that you thought
it best for the whole country, and insisted that
patriotic men in both sections ought to take it.
/ thought the South must be the loser. think
so now I understand you to place it upon the
ground that the principle is right in ITSELF and,
fit works for or against particular section, no
one has a right to complain; that you were for
the rights of both sections, and willing to take
any consequences thatmight follow the practical
carrying out of those rights as you understand
them. Very truly, yours,
JERE. CLEME-e,
GEx. FRANK. PIERCE, President L. States.
In his first letter. Mr. Clemens spoke of the
difference between himself and the President,
relative to "the right of the people Of the terri
tories to regulate the question of slavery for
themselves evidently designing to state that
the President had declared himself in favor
of the obnoxious doctrine Of "sqUqtter sOrer-
eighty" In his second letter, it Will be perceiv-
ed he makes no disclaimer or explanation on
this point-nor of the Presidents decided
opinion that the bill is q proposition in favor
of freedom, (meaning of course treesoil, and
that under it not another Stdce State froUld erer
come into the Union but he confines his ex-
PLANTATION, This attention having been particular
Iy called to that by the President to the sur
prise expressed by Gen. Price,, that the North
should oppose the bill and the South accept it.
1t stands avowed then, that the President is
an advocate of that political heresy, repudiated
with one voice by all parties in the South,
known as "Squdtter Sovereignty" As if to place
the matter beyond the possibility Of doubt or
cavil, the Presidents organ at Washington pro-
claims that "the publication of Col. Clemens
two letters will render it impossible hereafter
for any man honestly to misunderstood the po-
sitiOn of President Pierce" Indeed we think
so. 1t is lamentably plain, that the man chos-
en- and honored for his reputed fidelity to South
ern interests is the friend of a system that, if
reduced to practice and submitted 10, would un-
dermine her institutions, rob her of her Just
rights, destroy her equality under the constitu-
tiOn PROSTATE, degrade and ruin her.
BY consent Of all, this doctrine of sq1tatter
sovereignty has been held, in the South, more
dangerous and insufferable, because more insidi-
ous than the Wilmot Proyiso. The latter was
open, positive and direct in its provisions and
objects, and could be confronted and resisted at
the threshold. When the misshaped monster
was throttled there-there it was strangled and
there buried but the subtle and insinuating
reptile that, under the false name of popular
sovereignty" diffuses its virulent breath into
our system, is an enemy against which there
will be no defence, if once it be given liberty.
In all seriousness and solemnity, we call upon
the friends of the administration in Virginia to
give their heed to these avowals of Mr.. CLEMENS,
By the deliberate resolution, passed unanimous
ly at the their State Convention in '48 or %,
they stand pledged to resist the perilOus doc
trne of "squatter sovereignty" Will they now
sit silently by and hear it proclaimed by their
great official and party head? VIII they al
low the forged stamp of this Interpretation to
be put upon that bill by the President, in sign
ing it, as it was by Gen. Cass in the Senate, in
voting upon it? Will they turn their backs up
on their own solemn snd plighted declarations
of faith, to sustain d President whose trustwor-
thyness was more than doubtful, even before
these fatal disclosurs?-[ Semi-weekly Virgin
ian.