Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-12-16
SPEECH OF
HON. SAM. A. SMITH,

On The Issues involved tn The Presidential Election,
in reply to Messrs. CAMPBELL and SHERMAN, of
Ohio; delivered In the House Of Representatives.,
December 9, 1856.
Mr.. SMITH, of TENNESSEE. Mr.. Speaker wish
this morning to reply briefly to the remarks made
yesterday by two gentlemen from Ohio, (Aessrs
Campbell and Sherman)on the motion to refer and
print the message of the President of the United
States.
This debate is an extraordinary one; but, as the
guantlet has been thrown down by the repubii'
cans it must be taken up by the democrats. as they
seem to be the challenged party.
On all occasions it is allowable to those defeat
ed in any contest, whether personal, physical, or
political to make excuses for their defeat, and on
most occasions those who have taken the lead IN
an unsuccessful contest of any kind are prepared
to furnish their friends with some excuse plausible
in its character for their defeat; and more psrtcu-
lsrly after it has occurred under assurances IKE
those given by the republican party IN the late
Presidential canvass. If nothing had been said
in reference to the causes of defeat, should not
have considered it my duty to say anything upon
this occasion. have always found, even IN trav.
cling from court to court with gentlemen VINO had
favorite horses, that when their horses ssan'osd
| thew would complain of the blacksmith who shod
| them, or would say the horse had been shod too
| Iona. Even the Mexican General Santa Anna
| furnished an excuse to his people, ana made them
believe that they triumphed In the great battles OF
| Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo. Napoleon tae
First furnished an excuse for his defeat at w ater-
loo; but be gave as reason, that his expected re-
Inducements did not arrive the field OF battle IN
time to take part IN the connIcs winch oeiefmihed
| the fate of France.
T. No such excuse as that has been furnished by
the republican party in the remarks made by eth
| er of the gentlemen from Ohio on yesterday. The
republicans, with their forces all in the field, well
disciplined and ready for the contest before 1t COM
menced, have been vsnquished, and they now at.
| tempt TO furnish an excuse for their defeat They
charge upon the democratic party an ayowal Of
different sentiments in TIE different sections of the
Union. If this had been all that was said yester-
day, / should not have felt it my duty to say q
word upon this occasion. The excuse was so silly,
if may be allowed the expression, and calculated
to have such little influence upon the public mind,
that l should not have replied to it, had the re-
marks of the gentlemen been confined to those
excuses for defeat to which have referred. But,
sir. saw in the speech of the gentleman from Ohio
Yesterday different purpose from what was dis
closed in their words. saw in the speech of the
| gentleman who last addressed the House Mr..
Sherman an effort at q union between that ele-
ment which had fought the democratic party at the
North and that which had opposed 1t at the South,
in order to unite all in the next Presidential con-
test which will come of in 1860. The gentle
| man from Ohio has backed down from the
| position taken by the republican party in the
last canvass, in this House and in the country, in
reference to the question of slavery. 1t was said
to me- as came on to sshington, by distinguish.
| ed man who occupies seat upon this floor, that
there would be an effort to unite al the elements
| of opposition to the democratic party in one bo-
dy to carry the next election, and, to accomplish
| their object nominate q Southern man as their
Il - E. IL. thn Hrafo fox fa-
| wards the accomplishment OF that object was, IN
my Judgment taken on yesterday in this House
1t will not, IL cannot succeed; but the effort viii
| be made and should not be surprised, from what
has occurred in the Southern States in the late Pres
deutial canvass to that party successful so fal
as the leading men Of the republican party, and Of
those opposed to the democratic party in the South
are concerned.
But the gentleman from Ohio said that the
great issue in the last canvass was the restoration
, of the Missouri. Compromise line, and the policy
of the present administration and that policy had
been condemned by more than three hundred
thousand majority of the popular vote. take
issue with the gentleman in that assertion, and
am prepared to show that, so far from that being
true, the policy of President Pierce has beer
approved, and that restoration of the Missouri
Compromise line has been condemned by ,33O, OO(
votes The position of the various candidates il
that contest was well known. That Of Buchanan
was in favor of the repeal and against the restora
ton of the Missouri restriction. That OF MIR. Fill
more was against the restoration, OF that line
Mr.. Fillmore took ground against its repeal ant
also against its restoration. Now, sir, the number
of votes cast for those two candidates over thost
cast for Fremont is more than those which were
given to the republican candidate at the late Presi
dental election.
Bat suppose / am wrong in the idea that the
vote cast Tor Fillmore in the northern States wert
opposed to the restoration of the Missouri Com
promise line; yet those who voted for him in TIT
southern States openly aVowed that they wert
opposed to its restoration. Ii was 80 proclsiMel
= by all the speakers on the stump Now, take th'
votes which Mr.. Buchanan received and the votes
given t. Mr. Fillmore in the southern States, ant
there is q clear majority of more than 200 00t
against the restoration of the Missouri Compro
f misc line Yet the gentleman from Ohio, in very
: extraordinary manner asserted that the policy o
President Pierce upon that subject has been con
demned by majority Of 100000 votes.
, Mr. Sherman. desire to propounds question t.
E the gentleman.
8 Mr. Smith yield fer an interrogasory, but 70
= nothing else
Mr.. Sherman Does not the gentleman know
= that thousands of persons in the northern State
who were opposed to the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise voted for Mr.. Buchanan
Mr.. Smith. do; bat they were utterly opposes
to its restoration.
Mr. Sherman. Does he not know that the candi
date of the democratic party in the Lsncaste
district of Pennsy lvania, in which Mr. Buchanan
resides, was one of those here who voted agans
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, who con
demued it upon the floor of this House and upoI
the husLings2
Q Mr. Smith. know that Mr. Hester, who ran il
the Lancaster district, took open and bod ground
in the late presidential campaign against the resto
ration of the Missouri Compromise. He said tina
he had voted against the repeal of the compromise
but be unequivocaly opposed its restoration.
. Mr. Sherman. Was that gentleman, who thu
opposed the restoration of the Missouri Compro
mise, elected 10 the Wheatand district?
Mr. Smith. He was not; be was defeated. Per
hsps if he had voted for the repeal he might havt
, been elected. At the time OF the repeal Of tht
! Missours Compromise he belonged to the whiG
party, every northern member Of which votet
against that repeal
Mr. Davidson. Mr. Speaker, ia this discussion
in order2
The Speaker. The Chair thinks the dacussior
is in order on motion to print and refer the mes
sage of the President
Mr.. Smith 1t has been asserted in the South
in almost every presidential canvass and in every
State CANVASS, that the democratic party of the
northern States were unsound on the question o
the constitutional rights Of the South.
We have denied this. We have held that the
! democratic party North and the democratic party
: South occupied one and the same ground. We
took the same position in the late CANVASS The
gentleman furnishes, as he supposes, material to