Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-20

FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 90. 1857.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ct-The Legisia-
ture and EF. Bell.

The * ansas-NebrakIaA et-The Legisia-
ture and Egr. Bell.
The Senator from Shelby and Fayette,
Mr.. WALKER, submitted to the Senate on
the 14th inst, preamble declaring the
Missouri Compromise act inconsistent with
the principle declared and laid down in
the Compromise of 1850-that the Mis-
souri, Compromise was paIpabIe wrong
done to the people of the slaveholding
States, and ought to have been repealed =
that the principles of the Kansas-Nebraska
act meet our unqualified appreciation, and
should have received the cordial support Of
our Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress. The preamble here recites a portion
of a speech made by Mr.. BELL in the
Senate of the United States, on the 28th
of May, 1854, in which our distinguished
Senator, said he would resign his seat
whenever his country-men of Tennessee
should declare against his course on the
Kansas-Nebraska bill and that should be
ascertained to a reasonable certainty. The
preamble then continues and concludes as
follows
WHEREAs, The voice of his " countrvmen of
Tennessee" on three several occasions, lS55-6-7
has been pronounced adversely so the Senator
'course" that vital question to the South; there
fore be it
Resolyed, By the General assembly Of the Site
of Tennessee, hat the Hon. john Bell De, and he
is hereby respectfully requested to redeem the
pledge solemniy made by him. as set forth ID the
preamble to this resolution.
We presume the object of this movement
is simply to annoy Mr.. BELL. 1t cannot,
for a moment, be presumed that he has so
little self-respect-so little regard for the
good opinion of his Contingencies to re-
sign his seat in the Senate, in compliance
with this request Of his political enemies,
if the majority in the General Assembly
shall think proper to adopt it, and thus adj
NIT that since the State election in 1855, he
has misrepresented his political friends and
constituents, and retained his Senatorship
in violation of a solemn pledge. No,
no, this cannot be expected of him.
Not content with having elected his sue
lessor, contrary to the usage of the
party, and in violation of the Consti-
tuition, in the opinion of leading men OPP
posed to him, it is the desire" of sham
democrats and their intention" doubtless,
to continue their vindictiVe and relentless
warfare upon him, and this movement is
but "part and parcel" of their plan of ope-
rations. Unable to cope with him III the
field of craftsmanship, and dreading his
power, they seek, by TesOrting to this weak
stratagem, to impeach his integrity and
thereby destroy his usefulness to his country
and his party This is eminently charac-
teristic of the tactics of sham-demoCracy.
1t has ever been the policy Of the party
not to hesitate in the employment of any
means to strike down political opponent.
The political history of CLAY and WEBSTER,
and other distinguished conservative states
men, furnishes ample Illustrations of the
fact. We need not, therefore, be surprised
that they now turn their poisoned shafts
upon Mr.. BELL. one of the last of the great
men left to the nation-one whose clarion
voice has ever been foremost in warning
his countrymen of the dangers of sham
democracy.
Why should Mr.. Bell resign his seat in
the Senate? Have the Wings and Amer
leans of Tennessee declared against him
Have a majority of his constituents dis
approved his opposition to the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill Have a majority of the peo-
pie of Tennessee in any way shown that
the principles of the Kansas-Nebraska bill
met their unqualified approbation?" We
undertake to give decided negative to the
last three interrogatories. 1t cannot justly
be said that the sham democracy of Ten
nessee themselves approve the principles of
! the bill for, before this can be done, it
must be shown what those principles are.
Where is a recognized sham democratic
version of them? They are all things I'M
| to all men-are black or white rs the lat
| itude is high or low in which the believer
beholds them. Cass, Douglas, Pierce,
Shields, and the whole body of the sham
democratic leaders, North, hold them up as
the Shibboleth of Freedom under the in.
fuence of which none but free States can
! ever be carved out of what territory we
have or may. hereafter acquire. These in,
fueutial and potent leaders declare that
the Kansas Nebraska bill confers sovereign
power upon the territorial squatters over
the institution of slavery in our territories
that this is a constitutional right; aye
an inherent right of a free people. In this
view they are not alone. Amongst the
Southern portion of the party are to be
found those who entertain the same opin
ions. Hon. Gro. w. JONES, of this State
represented this class, when he declared il
his place in the House of Representatives
on the 28th of Dec. 1856
| s'In his opinion, the Kansas end Nebraska &C
recognized the full force and power IN all IT'S vigor
Of the right Of the people Of the territories leg
islate over this subject (slavery) prior to their
canizatiorl as StIts government as fully and com
| Dletely as was recognized the power of the peopt
OF the States over the subject of all domestic ques
| tons not delegated to the Government. Gentle
men might call il what they pleased, non-interven
tion squatter-sovereignty, or popular sovereignty
it was a power Of the people which they had neve
delegated TO the Government; and in his opinion
they, and they alone, should exercise il, as t1e
.zbfEr ia a Territorial condition as iu Il STAFF y0