Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-12-03

action" says Mr.. DOUoLAs, as exclusion Is
non-action also ''unfFehdly legislation - II not
what did the Senator mean By specifying g I'M
friendly legislation as the means Of exclusionf
We hope Judge 2. may be able TO satisfy his own
conscience with regard TO the consistency and hon
ssiy Of his course We are not satisfied Of either
liza. fla
The Banner concludes notice Of 3 recent article
IN the Sosthsrn prssestatpe reviewing the positions
q the Honorable s. A.. sAITH on the subject Of
slavery IN the Territories with the following rather
singular Undergraduates: .1-5 .le= SECS
What has our neighbOr to say on this subiset2
Win he favor with his opinion of Bon. s. A.
Smith ard Of the Southern Representative
Il would take Us some time to give full analssys
Of tie character Of our distinguished Representatives
from the third District He possesses such yarie-
ty Of estimable qualities both as politician sud
man that We cannot undertake 10 write them out for
our nsighbOr's benefit His opinions on the terrific
rial question do not correspond with those express
ed BY Judge DOUGLAS in his FreepOri speech as will
be seen by comparison of the following extracts.
Mr. SMITH says;
haze he'd that 6 territorial capacity the settlers
had the right 70 sreuds skaUegy Yet majority Of
the people in q territory viii decide the question
after all In territory we must have laws not 10
establish but TO protect the Institution Of sarsru and
# majority Of tIs people Of territory are opposed to
the iastiution they UiH not refuse pass iars for s
protection and g not 90 there IL on the contrary
they are in favor oft, they will pass laws for its
protection, and it viii 60 there. It viii 90 there or
not, according TO The popular sentbus of the peorle
Of the territories
Judge DoUGLAs, in his speech at FreepOrt, said .
'sThe next question Mr.. Lincoln propounded to
me is, "Csn The people Of territory exclude slave
~ from their limits by any fair means before it
comes into the Union as q State i answer en-
phatically as Mr.. Lincoln has heard me answer a
hundred times, on every stump in Illinois, that in
my Opiuion, the people Of territory can be- EqlgfgI
means exclude slavery before comes "a as State
TCheers Mr.. Lincoln knew that had given that
answer over and over again. He heard me arg1se
the Nebraska bill that principle all over The
State, in 1854, and 55, and Sc and he has now no
excuse to pretend to have any doubt upon that sub
jeet Whatever the Supreme Court may hereafter
decide the abstract question of whether slave
~ may 60 in under the Constitution or not the
people Of territory have the lawful means to admit
or exclude It as they please for the reason that
slavery cannot exist q day or In hour anywhere
unless supported by local police regulations fur
nishing remediessand means of enforcing the right
Of holding slaves. Those local and police regula-
tons only be furnished by the local Legislature
II the peePle Of the territory opposed slavery
they will elect members to the Legislature who will
adopt unfTeEdy Liquidation to it. If they are for it,
lHe VIII duOpJ the leglslaIYe measures friendly 10
slavery Hence, no matter what may be the deCis>
ion Of the Supreme Court on the abstract question:
si the right Of the people to make it slave terri
tory free territory, is perfect and complete
der the Nebraska Bill. hope Mr.. Lincoln will deem
my answer satisfactory on this point"
The difference between Mr.. SMITH and Judge
DoUaLAs lie, that the latter thinks the territorial
legislature can and the former thinks it cannot ex-
cluds slavery by unfriendly legislation.
Mr. DoUaLAs contends for the principle that The
local legislature has right to prohibit the instu
tion, Mr. Smith denies that right As a matter Of
fact Mr. SMITH believes that slavery viii not 90
where. the people do not want it; as a matter Of
right, Judge DOUGLAs holds that it may be positively
excluded by Legislative enactment. To use the
language Of Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS it is precisely
the difference between the man who contends for
the right and the man who acknowledges the power
tOrOb. . s.s..-. .-
Our contemporary sees fit to ask US our opinion
of the Southern Representative, With all respect
10 our esteemed neighbor must say that the ques-
ton is an improper, we will say an impairment
one. It is somewhat as il msn should come into
crowd and ask you what you think Of the company
Our relations with the Southern representative have
been kind and agreeable, We have received from it
such courtesy as we expected from the dignity and
elevation of tone which characterize its Columns and
wehave no right to hold it accountable for the indie
pendent assertion Of IFS sentiments however much
they msy differ from our own. Sill