Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-14
49, -15N q. 80 ! EtIt5H


We vii a6B SCI hon ths money proposed I'd be
Withdrawn from The Treasury would be divided, and
how the system Of distribution would operate Upon
he South.
n disribu6ne the proceeds Of the sales OF the
public lands, the basis Of distribution would be the
population Of the several States That was the bas
sis Of the deposit act No other basis could be
adopted
The Southern States have population Of about
seven millions-the Northern Of over seventeen
Millions the latter being more than two to one Of
the former. From this viii be seen that the North
would get over two dollars cut Of this distribution
fund, while the South would get less than one.
Under the discriminating operations Of the tariff,
the South pays into the national treasury about two
dollars, while the North pays about It IS thus
manifest that, If the system Of distribution should
be adopted the South would pays into the treasury,
on import taxes, about two dollars, andreceive back
Of the land distribution fund, about one; while the
North would pay, import taxes, about dollar,
and receive back about Two.
1 This startling inequality would result from the
combined operation Of the tariff, as 10 Is, and the
principles Of distribution upon the basis of popula
ton between the two sections. But if the proceeds
of the public lands remain in the treasury, they re-
/ duce the amount required to be raised by that
amount, and instead Of the South laboring under
the double operation Of these two unequal measures
she would have to bear but the one, viz: the Tariff,
and that reduced by the proceeds Of the public lands
| remaining in the treasury.
That such would be the real working of the sys-
| TEN Of distribution, every intelligent mind, not
blinded by party prejudice, must az perceive.
How false, then, to tell the people Of Tennessee,
that the proposed system is for their benefit! For
every dollar they would get from the national trea-
sury, they would pay back two dollars inimpOrt tax
| es Why, therefore, should the South bring mp
/ measure which would operate so unequally, and 50
much against her interests?
twill be seen that in the view Ihave taken Of the
u D.. ~
the merits and working Of the system, without
| touching the question Of constitutional power or
| the demoralizing influence it would have upon the
States-questions which have not room to discuss
in this communication.
| now propose to examine the past course Of the
| Hon. John Bell. He was first elected to Congress
| over the Hon. Felix Grundy, up0ntbe ground, main
! ~, that he was what he professed TO be) better
| jackson man than was his opponent. Early how
ever he lost his ardent Jacksonism, and he became
the friend and follower Of his great rival Mr.. Clay
! His opposition, however, 10 Gen. jackson not
generally known to the country, nor was his deser-
ton Of the Democratic party until about the close
. Of Gen. JacksOn's administration
While Mr.. Bell was a member Of the House, Mr.
! Adams brought forward proposition TO repeal the
| Dist rule Of the House. This rule required that
abolition petitions should be received and laid upon
the table without debate. It made for the ex-
press purpose Of protecting the South. Mr.. Bell
voted with the AbOltioniSts for the repeal Of the
rule while nearly the entire South voted against it.
Mr.. Bell continued to vote with the Abolionsts for
the repeal during contest that through several
sessions Of Congress- and until, finally, the South
Was oUeTpoWered, and the rule was repealed, Thus
went the rst barrier erected to protect the cOnsti-
tutional rights Of the South It was broken down
by the common enemy Of our rights, with the aid
and cooperation Of one Of Tennessee's own repre-
sentatives. He can, doubtless explain his votes to
the satisfaction Of Southern people, by using the
very arguments that the AbOlitionists dd-that is,
to say that the rule was against the right of petition
as if any portion Of the people had the right TO pc
titon for the destruction Of the constitutional rights
of others aud then complain if their petitions were
not granted.
These votes Of Mr.. Bell we're received with sur
prise and regret by almost the entire South but
not having before shown any want Of fidelity TO the
South it was natural that they should be ascribed
to erring judgment rather than to heart treach-
erous to his constituents.
The next great struggle between the Aboltionists
and the South grew out Of the territory acquired in
the Mexican war. The AbolitiOnists were deter
mined to exclude the South from the whole terrific
| ~. In this the South had furnished over two
soldiers to one of the North. They paid much the
largest portion of the expenses Of the under the
| operations of the tariff. The South thought that,
much Of the territory lay south of the Missouri
line which had been fixed as the line between the
slave and free States Though against consent,
IL was but fair that the line should be extended Ia
the RACINE anu give ltf pOELlOu u the L6IIl
tory Every effort to extend this line was resisted
and steadily UOts9 dorm by the Abolonjss the Hon
| John Bell voting with them. Some Southern Sena.
tors, believing this line unconstitutional, and
being determined never, by any act to recognize it.
/ voted against the proposition to extend it. Others
believing that slavery could not 60 south Of the line
if extended refused to vote for the extension unless
slavery was authorized south Of it, aud presented
amendments to that effect But the Aboliionists
John Bell voting with them, voted down all these
| amendments.
At length Mr.. Clayton, a conservative Wing from
Delaware, presented bill, called the Clayton com
| promise by the terms Of which 1t was proposed e
extend the constitution and laws of the Z. State:
the territory leaving the territory open TO all
who chose to 60 prohibiting the Territorial Legsla
ture from establishing excluding slavery, and re
ferring to the Supreme Court of the United State,
the question whether slavery could exist in the ter
ritory not Against this proposition, so fair il
ITSELF and in which all parties asked to abide
by the constitution only, the AbOlitoniss all voted
| and defeated it. the Hon. John Bell voting witt
them, while nearly all the Southern Senators voted
for it. thus keeping open the agitation Of the slave
~ question, and all the while acting with the Alb
Olitionists.
Finally, after nearly three years of struggle, aut
after great excitement in Congress and all the
country, the series of measures known as the Com
promise of 1885, were brought forward and passed
In the mean time, pending the struggle, the Adolf
ton and Free Soil party had seized and EapprOpri
ated the whole of California, by the process
since reduced to a system in the Kansas case. Every
effort at a division Of territory had failed. All o
California was admitted as a free State. But tht
territory of New Mexico was organized, with a pro
vision in the organic act by which she was to come
into the Union with without slavery the people
might determine in their constitution. The Hon
John Bell voted for all the series Of measures, anC
may deserve credit for not voting with the AbO
litionists against the provisions of the New Mexico
organic act, against the provisions of the fug
| tive slave act.
The New Mexico Territorial organic act by re-
ferrng the question Ofsavery to the decision of the
people Of the territory, established recognized
the principle Of popular sovereignty in the people o.
territory lying on both sides of the Missouri line
and it was therefore, abrOgatOn of the Missouri
, line, and though it was no compensation to the
South for the loss Of all California, yet it was
great point gained toward the restoration of correct
principle.
Il was seen that this principle when applied to the
organization of our other territories would leave
the people free to determine for themselves the char
aeter Of their social institutions
Distasteful and unjust as we're the terms of these
several measures to the Southern people, they new
eUtheless acqUesced in them a settlement Of the
question involved.
Though they had lost all of California-the mos
valuable portion Of the Terriory-they that the
great principle Of Congressional non intervention
was established in the New Mexico TerriiOrialor organ
&c act, and thus hoped that the subject Of slavery
agitation, being taken out Of Congress and
transferred to the people Of the Territories, would
cease to be fruitful theme of agitation, and thai