Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-10-03
From the PadUeah, (Ky.,) Herald
STATE RIGHT

eyes in holy horror at the mere mention of the words
State Rights" and to shrink in CONSERVATION from
any who refers TO the fundamental doctrines
of the Federal compact.
If Southern man, who dares to be honest and |
who does not think the breath Of a mans nostrils /
depends upon Office, expresses dissent from the i'm
pudent and treacherous of Walker in Kansas,
there are not wanting editors to read him homiy |
upon National Democracy" and in connection |
with it to inveigh very bitterly against re eaters
and 'sdisunion,' /" Virginia distractions" and |
''South Carolina"
These fellows either do not know what State |
Rights means, or they are knaves and hypocrites,
who are willing to sell the South for official smile
and to surrender The GOd-given Liberty of Freemen
for a miserable Office
For one, we have stomach for such time-servers
for these mere pimps of party-whO hang upon
the outskirts of the political camp TO profit by plum
der, win dirty fees by the corruption Of knaves
in higher position.
Time was in ntucky, when State Rights was an
honored and a holy phrase. When glorious old
John Breckenridge drew those glorious old resolu,
tOns of 9S Kentuckians knew their own rights and
the Rights Of their State and they did not fear to
Join issue with Massachusetts, backed though she
was by Presidential favor in defence and 7indica-
on of the rights for which their fathers had fought
There was then no trucking subserviency to Ex-
cutive power or official favor. They had the nerve
to say, in bold and unmistakeabe language, that
certain laws passed Dy the congress were uhCoh-
stitutional and therefore null and cod. Ihey dld
not mouthe the matter, and ignore truth, honor
and the Rights of their State, by cantlng and DIS
honest homilies about National Democracy" and
by insenaJe datribes against South Carolina-whose
glorious sons have the sense to know Their Rights,
and the honest independence TO dare maintain them
We have never yet known man in a Southern
State. whowas constantly inveighing against SOuth
Carolina fire eaters and Virginia abstracionists,
whom we would trust for moment in any respon-
sible position. Never did opportunity present
itself with such a man. that he did not betray his
party, lsuch fellows have principles,) ami 60
I over horse foot and dragons to the enemy. Our
political history is full Of instances TO prove the
| truth of this remark.
| Col Humphrey Marshall first surrendered his
State Rights faith, then took up with the Hugh L.
| White party and then betrayed and abandoned his
! party.
! Mr. Calhoun and the Southern doctrines, we felt
sure he would betray his party. He is now Know
| Nothing.
When Tom Benton gave up the State Rights
| creed and swallowed and recanted all the magnif
cant things he had spoken in its favor, we felt
| morally confident that he would one day betray
! his party. 1t is now but a few days since, that
| he and his friends advocating the election
ola freesoiler, an emancipationist, and a Know
| Nothing, for Governor of Missouri, against true
| hearted State Rights Democrat.
| Old Sam Houston, a few years SINCE signaized
his hostility to and abuse of Mr.. Calhoun and the
| State Rights creed. We then wrote and published
that it would not do to trust him-that he would
sell out at first bid. In 1854 he turned freesoiel
! and opposed the Kansas-Nebraska act and ended
| by joining the Know NothiDgs.
| John Bell, of Tennessee, first gave up the State
! Rights creed and has since run the round Of al
political parties; and We now find him a half free
soiler and Know Nothing.
When Foote of Mississippi, and Jerre Clemens
of Alabama, discovered in 1850 that State Rights
and " disuniOn were the same thing, and joinC(
the % Union coalition Of their respective States
we predicted at the time that they were lost. Fiv
years afterwards they both deserted from the Dem
| ocratic party and joined the Know Nothings.
| MANY other instances might be mentioned boil
in Kentucky and in other Southern States but thos
we have named will suffice.
And we now put it to every intelligent Democra
to recall the cases within his own memory ant
within his own knowledge, even amongst his neigh
bOrs, and say whether every renegade from tn
Democratic party has not plead as an excuse thu
bugaboo OF disuniOn.
| In 1865, when scores of Democrats deserted
their banner, the excuse set up for them was tina
| the Democratic party wanted to dissolve tn
Union, and that wonderful third degree in KnoT
Nothingism was got up to meet their case and sui
| the occasion, in which Southern men, in compan,
with Banks and Hale, and Trumbul, and Morton
had to be sC0rH 10 peTSsrUe The Union!
! Let Democrats who understand their creed look Il
IL and guard their old banner from the unhallOWe
hand Of traitors and time servers Let them be
ware Of the man who deals in denUnciation O
State Rights, South Carolina, and E" fire eaters
It is the first step a surrender of his Dem0crati
| principles and the betrayal of his party. Do no
| trust such man. He will sell you upon the frs
opportunity So help US Heaven, we would rattle
any day vote for bold, open, out-and out Know
| Nothing or Federalist. than one of these bugabo
/ ig no NM viii WI
could be induced to vote for one of them.
| There is no intelligent Democrat who can be de
ceived by such fellows. Every Democrat in Ken
lucky knows that State rights is not disunion-i
| nat secesson-is not nullifcation-is not anything
Inconsistent with the highest duty to the Union IN
der the Constitution.
But it is that creed which teaches, in the languag
Of the Constitution that all powers not special.
| conceded 10 he General Government are reserrsi q
fIs States and 10 McYs0yIs.
Il is that creed which desires to restrain and res
rict the General Government within its Constitution
NJ 5guds. and which is opposed TO the absorption o
all the powers and rights oftLe State by the Fedora
/ Government.
lis That creed which contends that a cheap an,
/ plain Government Is best for a plain Republican
norpIe-ani 1t is therefore opposed TO all titles o
| nobility, 10 all aristOcracy, and TO all ext-avagau
-aaries by which few men enriched ard wal
low in luxury. at the expense Of the many.
L Is that creed which teaches that Congress ha
no Constitutional power to rob the people Of thei
slaves. nor Of their lands. nor of their money b.
high arHs--and that if Congress does thus trampl
upon their rights the States have the right to pro
nounce such laws unconstitutional, and therefor
null and void-as our Kentucky and Virginia faith
ers did in 'gS.
It's that creed which teaches that our Govern
mcnt was established to foster Bank monopolies
nor manufacturing monopolies, to plumber tn
public lands by giving them away to Railroad com
/ o1l hot hall
nor to dictate to US how we shall worship God, no
TO turn itself into a Colonization Society--but {
confne itself to the strict performance of its duties
as laid down in the plain letter Of the Constitu
| ton.
Such is the State Rights creed and such, we hav
no doubt is the character of Government Whic
| every true Democrat desires to have.
Il is therefore important that Democrats shoul
place no man in responsible official position who vii
not pledge himself to maintain this creed. It's on
men pledged TO this faith, who should be selecte
for our Governors and for our Representatives an
Senators in Congress; and not men who would leav
home with words of reyilement of sister Souther
States in their mouths, prepared to sit down cheek
by jOW with Northern freesoilers, and ready to be
tray their States and their constituents wheneve
thrift would follow treason"
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON IN PRIvATE.-Thosc VIII
H.. Il