Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-04-14

Iorily Of the Whole people, who wilfully cad mali
,ionslv refused TO vote in the former legally appoint
Cd elections and especially upon the constitution,
have stepped up and voted for ohcsrs TO be elected
under that constitution. These very men, who pro-
nouuce the constitution Of Kansas a fraud, swim
die a corrupt thing, thing conceived IN SIN ana
brought forth In inquiry by their own acts endorse
thi fraud: indoFse this sEindle, iqdorse this foul
conception Of sin and spawn Of iniquity; aeknoWl-
edge It's authority by the very act Of voting for oh-
GERS upder it. aud by virtue Of il. ii IL be SO cor
runt and oorruptiug It must have impaired some Of
the base elements, throughout all its functions and
fupetionaries. Can they now come in and say that
the Leeompton Constitution shall not be adopted by
Congress? That Kansas cannot come in under that
constitution because they did not vote OF would not
vote on il when they hadH chancsf This objection
ought not, under sny circumstances, TO beregaTded;
but BY their act of voting for State officers under
the constitution they are estOppedan forever barred
from putting in this plea. l. myself, would not
care one cent it would not affect my action in the
matter PARTICLE If they had persisted and said
away from the polls and never voted for l cannot
for q moment subscribe 10 the monstrous doctrine,
that because factious party, either majority or
minority, it makes no difference, refuse to avail
themselves Of the requirements and privileges ofthe
law and vote, that the action Of those who do VOTE
and who thereby seek to settle disturbing elements
is Vitisied, TO be considered null and void
This would indeed be a monstrous doctrine, subVer
sive of every principle Of popular government.
But even had this argument shadow Of claim
upon the consideration of Congress or the country
it is forever sieaeed in the fact that this consiu
ton was in the most solemn manner acknowledged
BY their vote for officers under it, All these things
psinly point out what course is to be pursued by
Congress-by the Represen atives Of the people on
this foor-and that is 10 admit Kansas under the
constitution she presents, the Lecompton eonstiiu-
ton, and put an eternal quetus TO her uaceasing
troubles; to restore peace not only within her own
distracted borders, but throughout the leBgth and
breadth of he land. The other neglected and
needful legislation of the country calls for it,
the people demand it, and look here to have it
settled. If the people ultimately find that they do
not want their domestic institutions settled accord
ing to this constitution, they can easily regulate
them in different manner. They have the sover-
egn power to do so at any time; and it lily becomes
those advocates and defenders of the Topeka con-
situtiOn--so radically sovereign as to be above and
in defiance of law-Isay it lily becomes them to
object to the adoption Of this constitution because
it cannot be changed until 1864 on account Of It's
schedule. The people are sovereign, aud they can
alter or abolish when they please. Law, order,
sound policy, the peace Of the country the harmo-
ny and nationality Of the Democratic party and
perhaps the perpetuity Of the Union, depend upon
this settlement of these distraeting questions.
Sir, think can safely say that the people Of the
principles Of the Kansas act to vote for the adms-
sion of Kansas under the constitution she should
legally and rightfuly present slavery or no slavery
However dear our Southern institutions may be
Watched however ardent may be the desire to plaut
them everywhere, and especially in the virgin soil
Of Kansas; yet, If the constitution of the people
said they did want slavery, the Democracy South
true to the great principles Of the act, would have
said, without murmur, let Il be 60. They we're
willing to stand or fall upon it. The constitution
comes with slavery form. The South stands pre-
eisely where she did when the chances were against
her. And will our friends of the North now falter!
VIII they open afresh the bleeding wounds of this
distracted Territory?
Sir, it may be that it would be different did this
constitution come in an auti-savery garb L
has ever been struggle for slave Stste to be ad-
mitted into this Union; the struggle is growing
fercer each succeeding time. 1t is almost as easV
for a camel to pass through the eye Of a needle as
for q slave State to be admitted iRtO this Union.
Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, all came in
through great tribuRtion; but, thanks to the con-
servative, Union-loving, constitutional men of the
North, they shrunk not then. Will they now? Who
has forgotten how the present enlightened Chief
Magistrate Of this great nation stood By the Consi-
tuition in these hours Of peril! How he welcomed
in the lonestarred Republic to this family of sove-
reign and independent Republics? How, too, when
the infant Arkansas presented at the baptismal
font, in the sWaddingclothes of her slavery consi-
tuition he stood godfather and sponsor for her when
she was baptized into the great family Of States
And in the present crisis he plants himself again
upon the side of the COnstitution-upon the side of
equal rights of all the States-upon the side Of the
doctrine of the platform upon which he was elected
of non-intervention. We're Congress now to inter
pose any obstacle to her immediate admission under
the constitution Of her own making in her own way
by prescribing new and different modes or quaif-
cations conditions, would it not be an interven-
ton? Should the President do the same, would it
not likewise be an Intervention? Should any power
from any quarter either Executive, Judicial State
Federal, attempt to give direction and control to
the matter would be Intervention vioative Of
the Kansas Nebraska act, at war with the equal
rights of all the States, and inimieal to the Consti
tutiong
Sir, the South has been loyal to the COnstitu-
ton. She has stood on that broad and patrio.
tic platform which guarantees to every State in this
Union equal rights, the one with the other. 1t is
all she Claims or has ever claimed. Nothing more
she Wants-nothing less is she willing TO put up
with. She has ever been amongst the foremost to
vindeste those rights, in peace and in war to crush
out fanaGcism, to trample under foot political here
sizes which tend to abridge the rights of people or
State Look to the last contest, which shook the
pillars of the Republic contest such as never be-
fore had an existence in this Government; not
contest in which alone the peaceful establishment Of
great political principles was involved not merely
whether this that policy should prevail; but it
was a contest in which were deeply involved the
liberties of the people, the perpetuty of the Repub
iC the existence Of the Government. A deadly !
blow was aimed at the very vtals of the Federal !
Constitution. This battle may be to fight again
God in his providence avert it. think that the
safety Of the Union rests with the conservative ee
ments and organization of the Democratic party,
North and South. 1t was the stay Of the nation |
in the last struggle. Ever be it Stand by the |
Constitution: stand by the great priuciple which
you, by your aid, have so nObly helped to inaugu-
rate; stand by the solemn decisions and DEGREES of
the high Judicial tribunals of the land-enlighten-
ed, learned pure, and patriotic monuments Of i'm |
partial judgment, Of lofty patriotism, of solid and
enduring wisdom. Do this, and all will be well /
but do it not and it may be the beginning of the |
end.