Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-24

uOt yltlutu lUdt QueStIOu! hdc IOI d DOuVh-
ern Democratic President yielded it, have
not Southern Democratic Congressman
yielded it?
But to the bubble by which the Union and
american excuses these damuing votes
The territory in question lay above the
Missouri line of Sc deg. 80 min, and Mr..
Polk and his Tennessee liegemen held that
line in such esteem that he and they sacri-
feed their convictions" upon a constitu-
tional question to maintain it inviolate.-
Then, this now much abused Missouri line,
was compromise between the sections,
rendered so sacred by the benefcent work
of adjustment that it accomplished and so
venerable by time that it partook of the
nature of compact, and s1oOrn Southern
o6icials ylelded the question Of their eonstitu-
tiOnaI rights, by supporting aohat they DEEM
ed an unconstitutional measure, rather than
seem to harm or modest it. Since then ev-
cry one of the eleven Tennesseeans with
the exception of the deceased President,
have advocated its repeal, and denounced
it as unconstitutional, unjust and odiOuS,
and to-day the Union and american denoun-
ces any Southern man who viii question
the propriety of its repeal as an enemy to
his section, and Northern man at heart
President Polk strained point in sane
tioning the Wilmot Proviso applied to a
! territory bordering on the Pacific, and be-
yond the limits to which the Missouri line
extends. The act of 1920 did not carry
the line to the Pacific; and it showed a
remarkable degree of Difference to North
ern opinions upon the slavery question, in
Southern men, to apply it to territory as
yet untouched by it.
But there was reason for this move on
the part of Southern Democrats then, as
there is always is for their movements
reason of an exclusive party nature. Pres
ton King of New York, is the real author
of the Wilmot ProviSo, although its infamy
attaches to another name. On the MORN
ing of the 9Th of January, 1847, Preston
King walked into the House of Represen-
tatiVes with manuscript in his hand, which
contained, among other things, the follow
ing significant passage: "The Democrats of
the nOn-Slaveholding States intend to vote
men and money to any extent needful for
the vigorous and successful prosecution of
the war with Mexico They are in favor
of acquiring territory to indemnify the
United States for the expenses of that war;
! BUT IT is WITH THEM FIXED PRINCIPLE, A
SETTLED PURPOSE not to permit the existence of
slarery IN any territory that mag be acquired"
McCernand of Illinois, and two or three
Northern Democrats, were the only dis
senters from this manifesto in the Northern
Democratic delegation This strained ex-
tension of the Missouri line to apply to the
Oregon territory was to propitiate and Sc
cure the Northern Democratic vote, and
| |t"T"tOHt~o "So P|ty IOA IHO AISoiuCHCIdl
election Of 1848.
To secure harmony then the Missouri
line was a holy thing in Democratic eyes;
to further their purposes now, it lisa damned
and wicked thing. Oh! Democracy, what
a changeling you are!
The Union and American was greedy to
seize upon Gen. Zollicoffer'S assertion that
believers in congressional power over slave
ry were dangerous to the South. 1t is
doubtless sick of its morSel by this time
It's instructions, being taught, but return
to plague the inventor" 1t little dreamed
that it was erecting guillotine for its own
neck and those of its friends. The CHASTITY
row of trunkless heads which we displayed
on Monday, attest the fatal keennesS of its
blade.