Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-27


been this: By the 9th Section Of the Kansas Ne
Sraska Act We conferred on the Territorial Legis-
ature authority to legisste on all rghtful subject
of legislation not excepting slavery; then another
clause declared it to be the true intent and meaning
Of the Act not to legisate slavery into the Terri
tory, r. % exclude it therefrom but to leave the
people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way, sub
ject only to the Constitution of the United States;
and, therefore all the power which it is competent
possible for Congress to confer the Territorial
Legislature, is conferred by that Act Ii is confers
red subject the limitations Of the Constitution;
but those words do not alter or affect the meaning
of the clause. That ia the way in which
the friends of the Nebraska bill have argued the
Every body on the other side of the chamber
has said by his vote ION the first amendment of Mr..
TrumbuD that IL eGs the true intent and meaning
OF that act to LedUs the question 10 the Legislature Of
the Territory. They have voted because they say
it is pertinent to this bill to declare that
They know that we vote against putting it in this
bill, because it is improper to put il there although
1T is JUST WHAT THE ACT DECLARES. Now
we understand each other, and hope, therefore,
we shall have on further controversy"
''MR. TRUMBaLL.-My colleague says that we
who vote for this proposition Declare of course, the
true intent and meaning Of the Act to be to confer
the Territorial Legislature the right to regulate
slavery, and he hopes we shall not deny it before
the people. Very well, sir, hope that if he votes
against it he will not deny on the stump that be is
opposed to it.n
Mr.. DouGLAs-I will expose that bubble now.
Ny colleague said he offered the amendment in
good faith in order to find out the true intent and
meaning OF the Act; and as he voted that way,
| took his word to be true, / stated that voted
against his proposition because, ALTHOUGH IT
EXPRESSED THE TRUE IDEA; Is was improper-
ly attached to this bill Then he has reversed what
/ said, in order to make his charge true. If he
will represent as said, bis charge is not true.
He puts into my mouth, words which did not ut
ter, suppresses those which did use, and, founded
on that misrepresentation, makes charge which is
not true"
How earnestly Mr.. Douglas repudiates
the idea that he is opposed to Squatter
Sovereignty: how zealously he insists that
it is the true doctrine of the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill.
"MR. TRUMBULL.-The Senator misunderstands
me. did not put any words into bis mouth. We
| have not yet voted on this amendment.
| Mr.. DoUGLAs.-The one on the point to which
have alluded, (Mr. TrumbuI's first amendment) has
already been voted down; and stated at the time
that voted against it because it would be i'm
proper to attach il to this BILL although agreed that
ITS legal effect Vas the same as that of the original
! bill
"If we had voted against it because such was not
the meaning of the Act, the charge would be true;
| but we declared that the amendment EXPRESSED
THE TRUE MEANING OF THE ACT, and we
voted against it because it was improper to be at
tached to this BILL for the reason, that by this bill
we provide for superseding the territorial governs
ments by the establishment of State government.
! We voted nay BECAUSE THIS WAS THE
WRGNG PLACE FOR IT. The other side voted
yea because SUCH WAS THE TRUE INTENT
AND MEANING OF THE ACT"
Here, then, is the position ofthe North,
as explained by the highest authority
that of Douglas and his associates in the
Senate, to which construction we have al
ready shown that Mr.. Buchanan and Mr..
Breckenridge have fully committed them
selves in letters and speeches, written and
! spoken since their nomination.
The last convention of the Softs of New
York, in accordance with the opinion of
their distinguished leaders in the Senate
declared "that Squatter Sovereignty was
more useful to the Freesoil movement than
the Missouri Compromise itself" There is
no necessity, said the orators, ITO restore
that Compromise; there is no need to dis
integrate our party on account of its re-
peal; that very repeal has secured the
principle of Squatter Sovereignty, and we
need nothing more to drive slavery out of
every Territory, and assert the rights of
our African friends and brothersp"
We ask our Democratic readers if they
are prepared to support the representatives
of such doctrine as this? This is the
ground the Northern Democracy now &C.
cupy-a ground more hostile to the South
than any Wilmot Proviso ever presented
ground, which, if tenable, forever ex-
cludes the Southern States from any parti-
cipation in the benefits of the public do
main. 1t is time to pause and see where
this utilization with the enemies of the