Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-01

OetboeTeG az We great OHtoh Meeting "a
. NdshOilte, Tenn, on tho 2Sd of NOUem6sr,
fsu 1850. .-..-v ..-.,
Prom the Nashville Union On. NJ Watterson EdtOr) Of
nov. 20, 1850.
We drop pen, ink and paper to make room
for the speech of Maj. A. J. DoNELsoN at the,
Union Meeting in this city on Saturday last
To give it prominence, we have placed it in
our editorial columns:
Mr. CHAIRMAN: Ia responding to the call
which has been made upon me, fulfil duty
which | was not allowed to perform as q del
egate to the Southern Convention. 1t was moi
perIlitted by that body that there should be
fair discussion upon the momentous questions
which we're reported by its committee, and
which were adopted without debate. AL
though that Convention was ostensibly Assem-
bled for the purpose of consultation as to the
steps which were most suitable to avert the
dangers which mensced our Union, We. its
resolutions were adop 81 by process which
gagged the mouths of all the delegates, except
2 such as represented what may now be termed
the secession party of the South. These resO-
lu;ions we're not only passed under the opera.
ton of this odious gag man9uvre, but they
were passed with 8 hsste which / will venture
: TO assert has never been witnessed before by
any assembly protesting to be governed by
parliamentary rules. / believe that a briet
half hour would embrace al the time ocou-
pied by the reference OF the resolutions TO g
committee, and the adoption of the report.
But there is another circumstance which rem
ders still more extraordinary this bot hGSte.
The courtesy Of the Convention had been ex-
tended to two leading gentlemen, NJ Cheves,
from South Carolina, and Mr. New o Ter, of
Georgia, TO deliver elaborated expostlons of
what they termed the tyranny and oppression
oil the Federal Government. Thus the eour-
tesy of the conventions was appropriate to It's
= gag law, and both together have had the effect
which was designed of giving 10 the public
series of resolutions Of the most solemn char
3, acter without argument without voice to
warn the country OF their true objects. See
ing that such was TO be the conclusion of the
proceedings ST the Convention, used the only
power possessed of protesting from my seat
against the injustice done 10 Tennessee OF cut
ting of all debate-snd also went further, ]
protested against the resolutions calculated
10 destroy orr sacred Constitution and Union.
shall make no apology for my resort as
member of the Convention T. on unparliamen-
tary mode Of nsnifesling ny .isent from its
proceedings But will take this occasion to
say that no personal dis O., ect WIS inteIded
20 the individuals composing that body. As
far a. know, its members were all honorable
and worthy gentlemen. 1t was not to the
men that looked-it was TO the Ollnou, the
i doctrines aud measures of the Convention, all
3 of which seemed To- me TO terd to the snbver-
sion of the Federal Government, aud TO i'm
pair the sources of our faith in the consiitu-
ton as the palladium Of our civil and religious
liberty. II wa. impos ctr me, according
to the rules OF tue Goa, entlon. 10 explain IN
detail the reasons which led me thus 10 char
II Af. No
censure which parliamentary etiquette ulay
throw at me for making general proteststion,
out of order. The material fact Is, do these
proceedings justify the epithet applied to
them. Whether they do or not, You will
Judge, gentlemen, when you hear the remarks
which | now propose to bestOw upon 'hose
proceedings--rslnsrks which promise shall
be as brief as is consistent with the subject
You viii remember that this Convention
did not assemble here in June last, without
exciting spprehensions that its deliberations
would have bad effect on the public mind
This was natural. Efforts in this manner to
concentrate sectional views and feelings with
the intention Of influencing the national legis-
lation, have generally tailed. IL was thus,
particularly with the Hartford Convention, 10
1912 But 10 the present case IL was believed
BY luauy of our good men, that some good
might be produced if the South would unite
in the recommendation of measures which
Congress might adopt, without wOundng more
deeply the Susceptibility of other sections OF
the Union, md without disturbing those prin-
ciples on which depend the preservation OF
federal authority.
Il was in this spirit that the county meeting
acted which appointed delegates to the Con
ventlon, and IL was in this spirit that ! We
70 the Convention, anxious 10 see no steps
taken which would create al issue Of . seri'
one character between tn South as one SEQ
ton of, TIE Union, aud q ngre which Is and
g ought to be The Representative Of all the Sec
tions. No oDner, howe Yer, had the Cunven-
ton assembled than u became apparent tina
i,s recommendation wonld be unAvsiling.
, The liue Of SO deg 30 min 20 the Pacific. de-
sisnated as the Compounds hue by the Con-
ventiob, was at that time known 10 be unAt-
tsinable. Iwonld be nearer the truth, per
hsps, II i were to say that it was well known
scarcely member Of Congress thought seri-
ously of that llne IS q compromise. Yet, this
~as the healing measure formally and deliber
ateiy proclaimed by the ConVentiou, 10 the
following words, viz:
.kssolssd, Thai In The event dominant major
NV shallreiuse 70 recognize the great eonstu iosa
rirhss We ASSERT, and shall continue 70 dsny The %
Iisst,Ous Of the Federal Government 20 mainlain
sben. IL q tue ssnse Of this Convention that the
territories should be treated - property, and 81
vided bet seen the sectous Of the Union, 20 that
sha ,igh,s A bsth sections be sdrqu stey seeursd
n ,hrIr respective shsres That We arc aware this
oour.e Il s,pen 70 grave OBJ 'ctosis, pul ge
,.sd, 20 acoaicsce 40 the adoption Of Ibe line Of 80
dsT. 30 AHA North latitude, ztesdng 90 the Ps
si6. 0cesn, - On extreme oSnessslooI upon ooa-