The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-04-26
Gen. Zollicoffer's Speech.

We begour readers to examine care
fully the speech of Mr.. Zollicoffcr il
to-day'spaper. Mr.. u. is at this time
the most useful man in the American
ranks. His industry, energy and tai
cnt command our highest admiration
He has a brilliant future-shoulc
he live to wear the laurels the nation
is twining for his brow. We have not
space in our columns to give more
than a few extracts from the speech. =
The records produced by Mr.. Zollicof
fer show conclusively that our opin,
ions relative to Mr.. Douglas, the au.
thor of the Kansas Bill, and all the
friends of that measure in the North
General Shields included, have been
correct.
We have heretofore stated that
there was q northern and southern side
TO this Bill, and that we held in per-
feet dctestaton the northern construc-
ton ofit-in favor of this odious and
internal Squatter Sovereignty doc
trinc. The Democrat party hold up
this .Janus-faced principle as the test
of their faith, while at the same time
the trainers of the bill drew it up to
cheat the South of their dearest inter-
csts. The country has been entrapped
into the support of this bill, when the
object ofit--(a s declared by Mr. Doug
las, the author ofit,and by Mr. Shields,
the sound slavery @ foreigner, and all
other prominent democrats in the
North)--wc say, when the very OBJ
iect of the bill has been to limit slave
ry.
But we wish to present the records.
STATE OF POLITICAL PARTIES.
Speech of Hon. F. X. Zollicofer, of Ten
nessee, in House Of Representatives,
April 8, 1866.
The House being in the Committee of
the Whole on the state Of the Union
Mr.. Zollicofer said:
Mr.. Chairman: When my colleague
TAr Sn,itb1 boI ,nnnlnInI bic sd, q
on Friday, in which he appropriated so
large share of his time to an examna
ton into my personal politics, imme
diately sought the floor for reply; bat,
under usage which has grown up here,
and Of which do not complain, by pre-
arrangement the floor had been assigned
to other gentlemen, and this, therefore,
is the first opportunity | have had to re.
Spond.
My colleague brings my political &C,
lion more prominently before the House
than any merit in it deserves, and he has
been pleased to attribute to me position
Of influence in Tennessee such as | do
not claim, and to which have no just
title. But | am pleased that, in the
searching examination he has made, he
has been able to make only such points
upon my political record as were founded
in a misapprehension of the facts; and
feel obliged to him for thus giving me an
opportunity to correct the misapprehen.
sions which have to some extent gone out
to the country through the newspapers.
My colleague is mistaken in supposing
that ever called the platform of the
American party the "verbagc platform"
or that | usel the word "vcrbiagc" in
reference to that platform at all. | did
address the National Council of the
American party when the platform was
under consideration, and | did use the
wosd "verbage" in reference to the 18th
section of the platform adopted in June
1865. stated that | was for the sub.
stance Of that twelfth section; that |
warmly approved of the principles it EN-.
bodied; that the people of the Territories,
in framing their State constitutions had
and ought to have, the right to determine
the character Of their own local nstitu |
lions; and that States thus framed should |
have the privilege of admission in the |
Union, with or without slavery, or they
may determine for themselves.
But | said that there was a good deal
of verbiage in the section which did not
think at all necessary; and having passed
my pencil over the words did not deem
essential, gentlemen who were present
will remember that | presented what
designated as the "pith and marrow" of
the section. said further, that was
very willing to adopt the seventh section
Of what is now called the new platform,
in lieu Of the twelfth sect1Jn on thc otr,-
because it embodied the same principle
which is the principle asserted in the
Nebraska act, as understand Though
it is hut frank TO say, that among the