Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-05-08
PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN
STATE CONVENTION. al.
AFTERNOON SESSION.

! Il
suitable candidate for Governor, through
their Chairman, Maj. Ledbeter, reported
that they had unanimously agreed upon the
name of ROBERT HATToN, of Wilson
county. The report was received, hearth
lyconcurred in and adopted; and Mr. HAT
TON declared the nominee of the Ameri-
can Party for Governor. Messrs, Haynes
McAdoo, Dupree, Tarver and Ledbetter,
were appointed to wait on him and inform
him of the nomination.
Col. Mullins presented letter from Col
Matt Martin, releasing the delegation from
Bedford, from their instructions to sup
port him, and promising cordially to
acquise in the nomination which might be
made. Ia
Ex-Gov. Neill s. Brown, chairman of
the committee on resolutions, reported the
following preamble and resolutions which
were read and adopted: i2i
A convention of the representatives of
that portion of the people of Tennessee
who hold it to be a patriotic duty to OPP
pose the pretensions Of Chat combination
of discordant political elements which ar
rogates to itself an Exclusive title to the
name of Democracy, and claims to be the
only truly national and constitutional party
of the country, presents suitable occasion
for an expression of the leading senti-
ments and principles by which their con-
stituents are actuated.
The present administration of the General
Government, avows the policy of COM
promising all existing discussions, main
tanning the Constitution inviolate cultivat-
ing and preserving peace both in our do
mestic and foreign relations, so far as it
may be done consistently with the rights
dignity and honor of the country; and
they ask the confidence of the people in
the sincerity of these professions, and their
competency successfully to maintain and
carry them out. 1t becomes an intelligent
people to inquire wether any just or ration
al grounds exist to justify the indulgence
of any such confidence, when it is well
, known that the leading and master spirits
of the Administration, and of the party
which sustains it, differ so widely and radi-
} cally from each other, upon many of the
most important questions of principle and
policy, that it is difficult to detect any com
mon bond of union between them, except
the ambition of personal distinction, and
the love of official honors and emoluments.
The bare recital of the questions of great
and vital interest to the country, and of the
points upon which these leading spirits are
split and betray direct antagonism,
would seem to insufficient to satisfy even
the most credulous that it would be the
height of folly to expect any cordial or
: successful cooperation from them in the
fulflment of the promises of good SO
lavishly made to the country.
1t is notorious that while all leaders of
the party in power rcpudiate the policy OF
= embarking in any general system Of in
: ternal Improvement, respectable portion
of them maintain the expediency Of inn
, proving rivers and harbors, and Of aiding
in the construction of railway to the
Pacific; and an equally respectable number
utterly deny the constitutional power Of
t Congress to apply the public treasure to
t any object of internal improvement what
ever-not even to communication by
7 railway with the States and territories
: on the Pacific coast, however important or
t essential it may be to their safety or mill
tary protection.
: 1t is equally notorious that similar
: antagonism of sentiment and opinion ex-
: lists among them on the subject of pro
5 tective tariff Many of the most prominent
of them openly espouse the doctrine O.
free trade, and deny the power of Congress
to impose duties upon imported merchan
+ disc for any other than revenue purposes
s while another class boldly and openly as.
sert both the power and the policy of of
fording incidental encouragement anC
protection to all the great branches of do
e nestle industry and production.
e The public land furnishes further sub
# ject, exhibiting in a striking manner tn,
"a inconsistent doctrines and practices of the
leaders of the party in power. Whilst al
proclaim their earnest determination Il
e uphold the equal rights of the States il
: all respects; they pursue a course of polio.
in the disposition of the public lands tn
most unequal aud unjust to part of thu
States-some of them denying the pOwe
of Congress to distribute among the State
e either the lands or their proceeds, yet yiel,
', TO the demands of that class of them whicl
"a has no scruples as TO constitutional powe
in making large donations Of lands to thu
States in which they lie, thus FURNISHING
ct ample means for the construction Of rail
10 ways and canals, and at the same time sup
" plying them with permanent sources G
a. revenue for the support of their govern
ments, and all this they do under a pa
al pable evasion of their own constitutions
III principles, assuming as pretext or colo
? for the departure from their principles
that these partial distributions of portion
e of the public domain increase the publ
a revenue by enhancing the value of she re
% mainder, aud bringing them more spcedil
into market, when, in fact, this policy ha
Z, grown up aud attained its present enOrmi
4 ty within 4 period when one evil Of th