Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-03-31


going South / alude to it in no disparsgIng spirit
and only for the sake Of illustrating my idea
but it is good deal ike the language we used TO
hear when was a boy ; and l suppose most OF US
heard it:
''Tle wires in and wires out,
Leaving the poole all in doubt
Whetherthe snake that made the track,
Is going North or coming back
We can understand that. To one set Of resOl u
tions passed by the Legislature, he Acknowledges
no obedience; repudiates and denies the right, the
great doctrine Of instruction. and in the next place
says will vote 10 let LecOmptOn in; yet will tell
the North am against in the one instance dis
regarding instructions, in the next instance acknow
edging and obeying them. The reason why this
great doctrine of instruction is to be disregarded is
that his own language has been couched in the res
olutions and presented TO him. Here l must dis
claim, on the part of the members Of the Legisla-
ture who passed the resolutions, any intention to
insult the honorable Senator, wound his feelings
byusing his own declaration, which is strong Ian.
guage that if his course here should fail to NEE!
the appreciation Of the people Of Tennessee, he
would not be seen here one day longer. do not
refer to this in the spirit Of Boosting demagOgism.
| know that with some it is considered to be the
great error Of my lfe that stand forth the adyo-
cate of popular sovereignty and Of the Judgment of
power being with the people, II err ia this,
shall err where have always been, and wish always
to be- l have become too old, have gone too fsF
in the advocacy Of this great doctrine Of free gov
eminent, and man being the source Of power and
capable Of governing himself, now to retraee my
steps Whenever that great principle is attacked,
if It comes within my sphere, or involves my duty
in the slightest degree, humble and poor my abil-
ity may be- the people shall have the benefit Of this
great principle to the extent Of my power.
We see i 4 this instance, and there may be others,
honorable Senators and members Of Legislatures
setting themselves up, and bidding defiance to pop
ular sentiment Would to God the voice Of the peO-
pie could be heard and felt than it is through
out the land fit could should be relieved from
a great deal of improper improVident, and extrsV-
agant legislation; and large portion Of it is fixed
upon them in violation of their will. know there
are mauy who are brought up, raised in sphere
far removed from the mass Of the people-men who
have no confidence in the great mass. think
know their prejudIces; l think know their points
of honor; think know the leading principles that
control the great of the people; and they are
far higher far more honorable, than those that
tuate the leaders and rulers. do not say it out of
disparagement OF disrespect speak Of it fact.
1t Is the interest of the Of the people to do
light in all governmental affairs and they more
TO be relied upon than those whose interest 1t is to
violate great principles. This being so, they can
be trusted and relied upon. Hence, as far as am
concerned always feel anxious to see popular SEN
| Gments, when fairly and fully expressed, Obeyed
and complied with.
But my honorable colleague, some now or other
was going to say in covering retreat on this sub
ject and apolOgzIng or eLcusing his pOsiuon-lugs
in the idea Of slavery, and makes the remark l
viii not infer that he intends anything by it, that he
has a great and deep interest in slaves and iRti-
mates that he may he relied upon more than one
who has not quite such deep interest in slaves
can only speak for myself Mr.. President. I will
not say that his nsinuatiOn his allUsion was to
me. l have not got many slaves; have got few /;
but I made them by the industry Of these hands
Iar fIn NJ I 0yvn
me more labor and toll than some who own thou
sands, and got them because they were the sons Of
mOneyed people. Upon the question of slavery,
should like TO compare notes, to discover who is the
soundest in principle and in votes this great
question? Who is il that has co.Operated with the
North in the inroads and advances they have made
on this institution which is 50 vital to the South -
Who is it that has been constantly throwing out,
IL were tubs to the whale lures to the North hold
ing on to the South with one hand, and throwing
out inducements TO the North with the other? Have
l ever done that? Have l ever given any vote, or
made any speech in the Congress of the United
States that indicates any such thing?
Pardon me if l am inclined to be egOtistieal.
Though may not own quite so many slaves as some
others, though : may not have quite so deep an in
terest in the subject sOmo others when you meas
ure interest by dollars and cen.s get ] claim to
understand ;he philosophy and the basis Of the in
stituuon Of slavery as well as, and I do not know
that would be very vain in TO say better, than
some VINO own their hundreds. Ny position is more
dGfeasible if it required defense. think it is the
most unfortunate thing thst ever befel Senators here
that they become candidates for the Presidency.
Whenever a Senator fixes his eyes upon the presi-
dental mansion as the acme Of his ambition, nine
teen times out Of twenty he falls by the way side.
It has been so with the most distinguished men that
have ever gone before US who have participated in
the most trying and struggles of the country
bidding for northern and southern votes l aveW
L.. H.. -, .
end ofthe Capitol; have avowed them at home in ref
erence TO the great question Ofsavery and Twill say
is nv honorable colleague has lugged it in, thrown
10 IN that think Understandable basis on which the
institution Of slavery rests. We may make our
speeches to please the North, please the South, as
may suit US best and subserve our interests most
but just as long as men organized as they are
physically and mentally, one having mere brains
and more intellectual power than another, there will
be different classes in society. Take the physical
alone, without reference to the intellectual, and
force him In coutac, vita the principles Of prOduc
ton, and you Will see that, under certain Circum
stances, one Is enabled to produce than anoth
eT. This results from our organic structure.
Let me illustrate my meaning by an example
Here are two men, one of whom has double the
physical strength Of the other. Let US talk about
things plainly and homely. know this may be
considered in bad taste by some; but sometimes the
simplest SMILES best explain a subject. Take these
two men, the having twice the physical strength
Of the other, and put them TO making rails know
that is not senatorial term, but il is a common
thing in this country. The man of double physical
strength will make twice many rails in the course
of the day as the other. Is not that difference
between men? The man Of double the physical
strength will increase in wealth, in anything to
which you apply his labor, twice as rapidly as the
other man SO il is with the exercise Of his brain
This grows out Of the organic structure Of mankind
When you form a community out Of individuals
and physical; and as society moves on through tae
we ind some occupying the lower places and some CO.
cupyng the higher places. lido net care whether you
call il slavery servitude; the man who has mental
offices TO perform is the slave or servant, care not
whether he is white black. Servituds slavery
grows out Of the organic structure Of man. All the
talk which hear in depreciation of the existence
of slavery is idle. and great portion of it mere
twaddle. Slavery exists; 1t is an ingredient of So
Ciety, growing out of man mental and physical or
ganizatiou; and the only question for to discuss
Is what kind of slavery we shall have; not the eX-
isence Of slavery for it is in society; it is ee
ment, an ingredient that you cannot get rid Of so
long maus organic structure is what 1t is. Will |
you have white or black slavery? Shall It be vol
uutary or involuntary? These are the only ques-
tons. As to he great thing ITSELF about which
there seems TO be much difficulty, It exists beyond
the reach and the control Of man, unless he can re-
construct society: and after he has done that
I know where stand on this question / know
What / could have done if / had been disposed TO
Dander and appeal 10 the fanstiCsm that exists on
his question, even in my own State Shall it be
given out here to the country that, because l do
not own quite many slaves because my interest in
he institution is not quite so deep that of some
,tbers nv position is not as sound on the question
IS thai of any other member'of the Senate? Where
las nv honorable colleague been on the question Of
lsvery2 He assaults the Democratic party and
charges it with being the cause Of the agitation that
las occurred on this subject Who has been looking
n that direction; the Democratic party or my hon
rabe colleague? Go back to his course in refer
nee to abolition petitions and where does he stand!
looking North Who that lives at the South has
yer gone furtherNorth than my honorable colleague
n this subject? l should like to know the man who
ss ever bid higher? want the North TO know what
oOd candidate they would have had if they hsd
een disposed to select my honorable colleague. On
Il questions connected with slavery, beginning with
be abolition petitions his leaning has been to the