Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-14

With the Aboliliouists against the rePea Of he a5
rogaisd and unconstitutional Missouri law, and
against the bill organizing the territories Of Kansas
and Nebraska, with the principle Of popular right
IN the people to settle the question Of slavery for
themselves. Hevoted throughout the long and pro-
traeted struggle side BE- side and stood shoulder 70
shoulder with Seward, Sumner, Hale, and Abolition
lists Of that class while every southern SenatoF,
with single exception voted for the repeal and for
the bill.
So great wsa the interest felt By the people Of
Tennessee in the principles Of this bill that the leg
islature Of Tennessee with almost entire unanmity,
passed resolutions, in substance. instructng their
Senators 20 vote for the bill The resolutions passed
the Senate--passed the House-Were in the House
re-considered on Saturday night, and were lost BY
the Legislature adjOurning Monday morning size
die. But they we're as much expressive Of public
sentiment and Of the wishes Of the State as if they
had been passed in due form and laid upon the Hon.
Senator'S table And yet the Hon. John Bell, in
total disregard OF the known wishes honor, and in
teress Of his constituents continued to vote with the
Aboitionists until the question finally settled
Il be said in exhaustion Of his perddy
to the South, that he entertained the opinion that
the Missouri act was constitutional, for in speech
delivered by him, pending the question, he said "he
could see no warrant in the constitution for its pas
sage"
/ il was upon the principles Of this very Kansas
and Nebraska bill that the great sectional contest
! for the Presidency was fought, with Fremont, Sc
va
tiOnsts and Black Republicans on the side, and
Buchanan and the Democracy on the other The
Hon. Senator occupied in Congress the identical pO
sitOn which the Black Republicans did in the con-
test before the people From all his votes on this
question, and upon all the previous questions be-
/ tween the AbOltiOnists and the South, he stood
among the Black Republican leaders, a good and
true man Of that party-proTen by many hard
fought contests with the South, aud so firm in his
purpose that he even disregarded the known wishes
| and virtual instructions OF his own State. Nay,
more lac justified his votes did the Abolitionists
| by denouncing the Kansas Nebraska act as the
source Of all the agitation and peril in which the
! country was then placed.
/ The constitution Of Iowa requires that Senators
shall be elected by the joint convention Of both
Houses of the legislature At the last session Of the
legislature Of that State the majority of the House
/ were Black ReIublicans-the majority Of the
Senate, Democrats. The Senate refused TO meet the
| House in convention. The minority Of the Senate
/ seeded from the b0dy-Went into the HOuse-the
House and these individual Senators, not the SEN
ate, voted for avowed Black Republican, by the
name Of Harlan, for United States Senator. The
two Houses did not meet in convention, and there
fore, under the constitution Of Iowa. there could not
be election. This individual thus voted for, went to
the United States Senate, and claimed his seat, and
the Hon. John Bell voted, under these circumstances,
that he entitled his seat in the Senate though
| the Senate declared his election was void.
AAbAG lAb llOlA JONI Del over tlle pdAA j10fA-
siOus Of the constitution Of sister State, and vio-
lated great principle Of representative govern
ment, in order to add TO the strength Of the Black
Republican party in the Senate, thus adding another
TO the many proofs already given Of his devotion to
the principles Of that party.
The Senate Of the United States is the great con-
seryatve branch of the Government. 1t is the prop
and bulWark Of the constitution Abolition fanati-
cism has for years vainly spentits fury against this
rock without harming the South. While that body
remains national and patriotic in its character the
South is safe in the enjoyment Of its constitutional
| rights.
Once abolitionize it. and the South must take care
of herself for the last hope Of the constitution is
gone This, the Aboliionists have long since seen,
and of late years all their efforts have been break
down that body. They have already displaced many
Of the truest friends of the constitution and noblest
patriots Of the North
The true and accomplished Toucy, the gallant
Shields and Cass, the great Neston of the senate,
are among the recent slain Of Black Republication;
and now we have another patriotic Senator'S seat
1.-THE fearless Dodge filed by Black Republican,
who scarcely went through the forms Of election,
whose claim to seat in that body sanctioned by
the vote Of a Tennessee Senator.
A generous and cOnhding people might forgive a
single betrayal Of trust but here we have reviewed
the Hon. Senator'S record, throughout his whole
public career, running through many years.
| and involving many long continued and pro
tracted struggles between the enemies and the
friends Of the constitution, between the AbolitiOnsts
and Black Republicans, united, against the South
in every one Of which, in the various shapes IL
which the questions were presented, he voted from
first last, uniformly, steadily, and deliberately
with the AbOlitlOnists and against the South.
This long series Of votes on the side of the abo
Gtionists and against the South cannot have beer
accidental If they have been deliberately given, Ia
| have shown they Were) they prove that Mr.. Bellt
CONNECTIONS with the abOhtionists. If he be, Il
fact, at heart an aboltiOnist-Or if his sympathie
with the aboiOnists are so strong to have warped
his judgment, and induced him TO believe that tht
South was wrong on all the great questions-iI
either case he is unfit to represent slaye-hOdinl
people. IT, on the contrary, he cares nothing abou
slavery, and has no sympathy with abOliuOnism
but has other mOtres-se.fsh purposes to accomplish
| then he has, from selfish or abolition motives
bartered away and sacrificed the most sacred right
OF the people of Tennessee to advance his own am
| bilious purposes.
His motives for these extraordinary votes may bC
better understood however, by brief retrospect
l have already stated that be was first elected tC
Congress as a. Jackson Democrat; that he early
abandoned the Democracy and ATTACHED himself Il
the fortunes of Mr. Clay. Having once deserted thu
Democratic party, he knew that he had forfeited
their confidence, and that his hopes and fortunes
were forever with its opponents. We have now bu
TO suppose that the Hon. Senator had fixed his am
bition upon reaching the Presidency-that he early
I
now OyershadOWs nearly the whole North and thai
he determined to win the confidence and support Of
that party, TO enable him to reach the bewildering
heights Of his ambition; and We have the clue BY
which understand the motives Of his long
fqitbLessHess TO the South.
That he has well nigh attained his object, all &C
quainted with the condition of the country must
| perceive That he has now the full confidence Of
the AbOlitiOnists and Black Republicans is proven
by the praises and laudatiOns Of the orators anC
presses Of those parties Even Horace Greedy thC
great abolition Editor of the North, thinks him a
t representative and szpOuRder Of the principles Of
his party, and eminenty deserving the Presidency
itself.
That ne was nsttaken up and run for the Presi-
deney on the Black Republican ticket in the great
sectional contest just past not surely because
he had not proven his devotion to its princplesfOl
he occupied the identical ground upon which that
party stood in the great conflict, and had voted with
it in all its important measu es, from its origin &c
the last trial OF its strength.
For his betrayal of the rights Of his constituent;
and Of the great South, he deserved Of that party
better treatment What more has the Hon. Senator
now TO do? To take another step forward is MOI
necessary. What more has he now to do, but to &C
back to the Senate and prove to his Northern Adolf
ton and Black Republican friends that his power i:
not broken in Tennessee-that he can carry the
State with him-and in the great fight of 1860 he
will be placed upon the Black Republican ticket fol
the Presidency. In the contest Of 1856, his Black
Republican and abolition friends saw thas the popu
lar vote Of Tennessee was against him. They saw
that both parties in the Tennessee Legislature had
united in virtually instruCting him TO vote agains