Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-04-22

point of fact. it is not now an Issue at all.
During the discussion of the bill and before
its passage into law, there was contra
rlety OF opinion in the South, not SO mach
upon the principle as the expediency Of the
bill. Very many men concurred in one
view OF the question, many took the other
view-every one of whom were devotedly
attached to the rights and interests Of the
South, and who would have suffered mar
tyrdom rather than suffered any unwarran-
ted agressions or unlawful usurpation by
the North. These feelings and opinions
preceded the passage of the bill. After
the passage of the bill there was no man to
be found, of any party, we presume, at the
South who advocated the repeal of the
Kensas-Nebraska bill, or who could have
been induced to vote for its repeal. 1t
had become law Of the land, and as such
every good citizen was bound by it. At
the North the unusual storm was raised
the whirlwinds gathered, and torrents Of
anathemas were poured out upon it, and
its supporters. The very men from the
North who Joined in the measure, and were
active in procuring its passage, were CON-
PEELED to excuse and justify their course by
plea that it was a measure for freedom,
that it would give scope aud verge to free
soil energy, and would rebound to the in
terest and glory of abolitionism. The
President, who was trembling from head to
foot, invoked the mercy of the tempest, by
by declaring that he did not see how there
could be any further addition Of slave states
under the operation of the principle
However this might be, the South was uni
versally satisfied that it should remain the
law. A great many have been free to con-
fess, that had they been in Congress, they
would have opposed the bill; and for the
reasons that were uniformly assigned, that
it was reopening dangerous agitation,
that it was violatiVe of the pledges Of both
the great parties Of the country made but
short time previously, and that it was
hazardous and unsafe to disturb law upon
the subject, which had been passed as a
| compromise, which had been re-afirmed in
the annexation of Texas, and had had the
sanction Of all parties and sections for up
wards of thirty years. But at the same
time, those who uttered these candid SEN
timents, were not disposed to disturb the
bill which had been the subject Of discus
sion-they are opposed to the interference
by Congress in any additional legislation
upon the subject whatever.
In addition to these considerations. any
donbts respecting the grave question of
the constitutionality of the Missouri Com
promise, which may have influenced the
course of any upon the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, have been entirely removed by the ret
cent decision of the U. S. Supreme Court
in the case of bred Scott. In that tribu-
nal, the constitution and laws vest the final
determination of all questions Of this char
acter 1t has declared in the most direct
and unequivocal terms that it is beyond the
power of Congress to prohibit or establish
slavery in any territory acquired by the
United States since the adoption of the
federal constitution No man in the South
has been heard to question the correctness
of this decision upon this subject. On the
contrary, we feel authorized by our knowl-
edge of the opinions and feelings of the
American party, to say in the most point
ed terms, that it has no disposition either
to question the principle of non-interven-
ton, established by this bill, or to dispute
the unconstitionality of the Missouri Com
promise line. So far as it is possible for
people to be united upon any subject, those
of the South are or ought to be united
upon the present laws upon the subject Of
slavery. There is therefore, no anti-Ne-
braska-Kansas party in the South, no fac
ton Of such party. The American party
would resist all attempts from whatever
quarter, to repeal the Kansas-Nabraska
law, or to Dullify or thwart the efficacy Of
the judicial decisions of the Supreme Court,
with all the spirit and promptness and Ell
ergy in their power. So long as the prin-
ciples held and authoritatiyely announced
in the bred Scott case, are to be respected
aud observed, there can be no further leg
islation by Congress upon the subject of
slavery in the territories. The tactics of
the abolitionists and freesoilers, must now
necessarily, undergo change. The point
Of attack has been shifted for them, from
the territories, through Congress, to the
Supreme Court Upon this their entire
strength aud energy is to be concentrated.
In such a contest the duty Of the South,
and of conservative and patriotic citizens
everywhere, is TO rally to the standard OF
law and order, and by every means in their
power, to sustain and preserve the laws
aud courts from violation and assault
We have the candor and honesty to state
our hope and belief, that the masses of the
people Of both the American aud Demo
cratic parties of the South, win take and
maintain this position. however they may
differ on other vital questions Of state and
national policy.
From this review Of the history Of the
Kansas-Nebraska issue, aud its present
siasss as question in national politics, il