Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1855-12-31
The Democratic Candidate for speaker.

zens.
The Democratic Candidate for Speaker
The following article from the New Or
leans Crescent, reproduces portion of the past
history of Mr.. RICHARDSON, the Democratic
candidate for Speaker, which it would be well
for Southern men to remember. He may lie
:" national man now, in the estimation of his
party, bat unless be disavows opinions ex-
pressed by him in 1850, his claims will not be
recognized as of much weight
But, As Mr.. X. is the favorite of the South
ern Rights Democracy whom are
ranked more than one would-be Union des-
troyer-it is well enough to investigate wheth-
or their Partially corresponds with his politi-
cal antecedents, in order that the "dear peo-
pie" so styled in their vocabulary, may be
enabled to judge Of the amount of confidence
that can be safely placed in the political SOL
yency of politicians who affect to believe that
danger to the 5 JuIh is to be apprehended from
every breeze which threatens to consign them
to the shades of private life. 1t is not long
since, if we are not mistaken, when many of
the gentlemen now supporting Mr.. Richardson,
were loud, and long, and vehement, in the de-
nuncialiOn OF doctrines once held by linn, of
which we give below a specimen. Gen. Quit
man will pass for an extreme Southern Rights
man. Well, what did be say, and what did
Mr.. Richardson say, five years agol 1t was in
1850, says the Natchez Courier, we think
very few months before Gov. Quitman issued
that famous message, in which he took ground
for ''prompt and peaceabe secession" as the
"only effectual remedy" unless we could get
h III T~r al e Al
Mr.. Richardson gave this proposed alternative
the following rebuff:
"We have been told" said he, shat if we
would make this Union perpetual, we should
so alter the Constitution as to keep up bal
ance of power between the slave-holding and
the non -save-holding States If our Govern
ment cab only be preserved by these means,
its days are numbered, and its fragments must
be mingled with the ruins of other Republics
upon the highway of nations Be assured that
thirteen millions of people will never consent
that they shall have no more political infiu-
ence than seven millions. II would dishonor
them and make them unworthy the appelIa-
ton of freenen. They would, indeed, be the
degenerate sons of illustrious sires"
The foregoing decided expression of opinion,
by Mr.. Richardson, during a time of high sec
tlonal excitement, cannot be construed as ex
traordinarlly favorable to the South He de-
liberately stated that he would see the Union
dissolved, the fragments of the Republic min
gied with the wrecks of the past, sooner than
allow the people OF the South the equality of
rights guaranteed them under the federal con-
stitution. No matter how the quoted para
graph is read, the conviction is irresistible that
Mr.. Richardson thinks, or thought, that the
popular majority of the North should have
"mOre political influence than the people of
the South In what respect? Why, as re-
CARDS the institution of slavery, because there
are 10 other grounds Of controversy between
the North and South. This is point palpsble
and positive To the commOnest understanding.
But, we are not done with Mr.. Richardson
this beau ideal OF Southern Rights Democracy
-(what an awful misapplication of worthy
terms!) by a long shot We again recur to
the quotation of our Natchez contemporary as
follows: There were two or three other points
in the views of Mr.. Richardson of 1850, which
might be noticed, had we time. He held then,
and We presume holds STILL the doctrine so
much secuted by parties in NJ ysissippi and the
South; that the Mexican laws prevailed in
the territories acquired from Mexico, and that
by their operation slavery was forever exclud-
ed. The territories, said he "are free now,
the law of nations; they are free by the law
OF nature they will remain free, from causes
to which have already referred. This should
satisfy all, in my judgment, who are opposed
to the extension of slavery" And again: " |
do not, and cannot believe, that our Constitu-
ton carries aud protects slavery, except in
States; nor do | believe that its trainers in
tended that it should extend this institution.
believe it was formed for far higher and
nobler purposes"
We do not believe that it is necessary to say
anything further TO prove that Mr. Richard
sons devotion to the peculiar institutions of
the South will ever be death to him, or that
the course of his Southern supporters squares
with their professions few years since. How
ever, the ultraism of 1850 and the politics of
1856, may lead to the same result-O6ice! The
thing works both ways South and North, and
the rights of the South will always } in dan
ger from some cause or other, as long as poll
teal cormorants remain unsatis6ed. How
long will Shareholders submit to such a state
of thingsi