Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-06-11

5EHE DEmooRAoE AND rHETR oPPo.

.
cooler promPlIgs Of patriotism, We desire toiavte
the sober attention Of the people to an instructive
end printable retrospect Of the past history Of par
ties; frst in connection with the subject Of s1AvE
81 AorrAuoE, which has 50 disturbed our peace and
endangered cur safety as Government.
There Is no one matter in which the free citizen
more largely interested than the preservation and
successful administration Of the Government; and
there is no more important feet for him to under
stand than that this can only be done--so long as
romans free Government, dependents upon the
people--by the constant vigilance and intelligent
action on the part Of its sovereign citizens. In
view Of this, at ths risk Of proving tedious, we
enter upon this subject.
n faction Of fanatics styled Aboli6onias, aoksa
Iet tksmss9e', have always been too Insignificant
endaager the Government OF disturb the peace Of
ths country But the spirit Of Aboltionism, agork-
fng IN other prtiss and in more subtle form, has
sever been insignificant but has been always con
stant cause o. evil from cur earliest history as
Government to the present time, We bslieye-and
thnk it veil the people should recognize the fact
tiat while lie excitement upon this subject has
geo6 Il more and more intense, the principles upon
which the institution Of slavery is based, and the
rights growing out Of It have become more fully de-
Tel0psd-havo taken stronger root in Che popular
intelligence Of our people, in the laws Of the coun-
try, and in the judicial preoedsnts Of our courts
Slavery has been growing stronger and stronger
every year, until reformation in received opinions
has taken place, not only at the South but at the
North also. This remark may seem strange to
some in view Of The fact that the recognized anti
Al
now than it ever was at any former period; but
suoh persons overlook the fact, that the present
Black Republican party is no more Abolition
than tie Opposition, under lis various names, have
slWays been. In proof Of this we have only to
.Esfer to the facts Of history.
The very essence Of Black Republieanism is pro-
hibition OF slavery IN the Territories, and opposi.
lion to the admission Of any more slave States.
1hey thus seek to oonfne slavery to its present
boundary-tO destroy its equal rights to the public
fOmain-to subject 1t to the control OF the free
States By breaking down our equslty IN the Union.
But vas there ever Northern Federalist, or Wing,
who did not occupy the same ground? II 50, We
Should Ike TO know his nsme. Let US commence
with recent dates, and run back to the beginning Of
parties.
american" party North was not opposed to the
repeal Of the line prohibiting slavery in the Terri
ioriez, or the admission Of any more slave States?
Such had always been the uniform course Of Mr..
Fillmore. Their recognized snd central organ at
Washington said: "There are men Who are inoOa-
Tiderats enough to require that ell the members Of
ihe American party shall agree upon the question Of
slavery, pbea that question forms no PART Of the
platform Of tas Auasieaa party! The requirements
unreasonable, and a compliance with it imp-aotca-
bic. hen ms, Dc aI9rsa to think and TO sag 0hqt
they please upon gusstioEs outside Of purposes"
- If the Uni0n-haDg fre-eaters Of the South would
enlist Amsricanism in their crusade against those
whom they denomina'e @ansties' or negro stealers
at the North, they wiz End themselves mistaken;
sud if they cannot see any cd in the order unless
1t viii become their sectional ally in easoting SEQ
tional objects We soy to them that the order has
just as little use for them as they have fer the
order"
In 1850, many persons in the South were deluded
duto the belief that the Administration thea in
power was sound and national upon the slavery
question, Notwithstanding Mr.. FmLMoRE's famous
Erie Abolition letter Of 1885, merely because he had
signed as President, the Compromise measures Of
that year. none Of which did more than simple JUS
5ioe, while some did gross Injustice to the slave
holding States Of the Union. And YET hoW glaring
an error it was, IS is shown by thousand facts,
but one Of which C need refer to to accomplish
our purpose. AIlwho we're readers of the papers in
N 1851 during the discussion Of the merits of the
Compromise measures thenpassed, villremember the
memorable visit which the President and his Cabinet
a. - a., !
Dunkirk Railroad. On that tour Of discovery, many
labored and, evidently, prepared speeches were
made. st Buffalo, the home Of Inc President the
first Cabine5 officer the great DANIEL WEBSTER, was
Iut forward as the chosen orator 60 represent the
Administration. The main object Of this speech
seems to have been to reconcile Mr. FILIMoBE's old
Abolition friends, who had always stood y him,
but who were dissatisfied with part Of the then
recent Compromise acts. Mr.. WEBSTER defined bis
position, which was understood as the position Of
the Administration. His political friends approved
it as something like Presidents Message. 1t de-
lined the principles upon which his party stood on
she great questions Of State equality and the ad-
mission Of new States into the L MON. In speaking
Of the admission Of Louisiana Florida Texas, Cali
dornia, New Mexico, and Utah into The Union, he
said:
"My opinion remains unchanged, that it was not
in the original scope design OF the constitution
admit new States out Of the foreign territory, md
that, for one, ] never would consent and no matter
what may be said at the Syracuse Convention, or
any other assemblgge Of insane persons-I neUer
f1oHd consent that there should be Ga0tbeF foot OF 5dge
territory beyond gdat the Old thirteen Stats5 had al the
dine Of the formation Of the Union
That is because Louisiana CT other slave territory
happened TO contain slaves, therefore Mr. WEBSTER,
speaking for the FILLMORE Administration in 1851,
would not have admitted it, and yet this spec III was
spplsuded even at the South by the opponents to
the Democratic party, though it contained the
euintessense Of Block Repubioanisn Of the present
day.
This speech Of Mr.. WEBsTER's had the merit Of
olesuess andfranbness, but was no new doctrine in
that quarter 1t was as old as the federal platform
as old as the days Of the LOuisians treaty and Of the
federal opposition to JETFERsoN's Administration.
Howcleary and decidedly this policy was laid down,
how persoyeEngly it was adhered TO- how faotiously,
ct times, It was urged let the history Of the coun-
t.y, from 1903 to 1919, answer. We shall not do
more than auude to it, The principle then laid
down by the feJerals!s was, that it was putting the
Uniol peril, ii; was violating the national compact,
to adlsit new States formed without what we're the
territorial limits Of the old thirteen Sjetes. To