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

we're before the connty asked my friend from Ala
hama 20 read few paragra phs Of what be then said
Mr. CLAY read the following extracts from o
speech made By Mr.. Bell On the 14th of September,
1882
with regard to the constitutional power Of Congress
this subject would say that the only doubt have Of
the existence Il the paWer either 70 suppress the slave
trade or 10 sb0 slavery in this District e inspired BY
the respect have for toe opnlOn q 20 many disuguish
ed sn0 eminent meo both in and out Of Congress who
hold that Congress has such power Reldng the Con
suuOn oT myself believe that Congress nss oil the
power over the subject this District which the States
have within thsr respective jurisd ctlOns
But, however great my respect may be Tor the opIn
ions OF the question Of power, gbse age some
considerable Of such high account S. in my Judgment
to make desirable that unless By consent the
project of abolition shall DO wholly given up aud dsbard
ed the nnsu Of slavery existing the District should
be abolished at OnCe stthe present moment however the
excited Of public sentiment in the South growing OUT
OF territorial questions seems 70 forbid such course For
myself the e1t ment Of toe adjacent states ADD OF me
South generally we're less nalmed, would prefer that
course to keeping an open question Slavery ID the DIS
tIc OF Columbia is nov the only remaining ground Of
eonerOn, the onY remaining point o. oGjscon aud as
saut on the partof the ant slavery North do not In
Glade The fanatics. They will be saLhsd with nothing
short Of the exrncon Of slavery in the StateS bat all
others at the North dseian any intenuon, or oesga or
any constitutional power, TO interfere with slavery any
where bat IN The District Of Columbia would be glad
to see all cause Of disturbance and contention in the Dis
tct wholly removed but let say thai This can DeveF
be done By the abolition Of slavery, unless it be accom-
panied By some luss provision for the removal The
tecIIV6 control OF the saves alter tney shall nave 0Sen
emRncpsei With this qualification, and In order to
test the dsrm nation Of the North reg ard 10 any fur
the ard continued aggression upon southern feelings snt
the security OF southern properly, would be content to
See slavery the strict abolished to day In aspect
of the subject not that il wound not b. great
CONSERVATIVE measure b5h regards sac Union and the
interests Cf the South; this district relieved IT Gil
sources OF dssensOu We should be sPeeei enl ghtened
M the question hsr the North I'D stop there
I rals. rev and mOge dangerous issuesl'
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Tennessee. Connecting that
speech, which was made the bill before the Son
ate to abolish the slave trade in this District with
his uniform course on the reception Of petitions on
the subject Of slavery, We find that my colleague
makes greater concessions than know Of any other
southern man ever having made. After throwing in
| a good many conditions and pTovisOs, and i5 and
aEds, he concludes that he would be willing to
the institution Of slavery abolished in the District of
| Columbia to day First he would eonoede the pow
! er 10 abolish slavery in the DISTRICT of Columbia;
aud second, he was willing TO that power exer-
| eised. and then be could test how far the North
would 90 in reference to southern institutions. You
conoede the abolition Of slavery in the District Of
/ Columbia for the sake Of making test how far the
North will go you will cOncede the constitutional
power for the sake Of seeing how far they will go
If he comedies it here would it not be reasonable to
infer shat hs would favor the abolition Of slavery in
! the Territories? Most clearly.
! Who then has been compromising With the North?
| Who has been holding cut Inducements to the North
! to eneroach upon the South? Is it the Democratic
! partyf Have they been doing it, Have not south
ern men been catering for northern strength until
the whole northern wing Of their own party has been
abOlitionized? have no unkind things To say to-
wards the AbOlitionists. / am speaking of them as
/ a party. Who has held out inducements Who has
! invited them 20 encroach? My honorable COL
league. Then he talks about the deep interest, the
! great interest that men feel in slaves Who has
been throwing his banner to the North, to get north
srn votes and northern strength, and then talk
about the Democratic party producing all this agts-
ton? The bill to abolish the slave trade in this
/ District was one of the compromise measures Of
| 1850 I voted for most of those compromise meas
ures; but want it understood now, as it vas then,
that did not vote for them because they were com
| promise measures. Those for which voted for
voted for each By ITSELF j voted for because
they were right in themselves; those voted against
| voted against because believed they we're wrong
/ in themselves. Compromise All, yes; compro-
mise with the North, and abolish slavery in the Dis
trict Of Columbia and exercise the constitutional
power in the Territories, ami all for what? In the
language Of my honorable colleague-tO see how far
| the North will go
| of those measures which sustained because be-
ieVed it 70 be right think il is time for the North
/ and the South to abandon the idea of compromise.
| You have Constitution which guarantees certain
rights 10 all the States composing this COnfederacy
Stand BY the Constitution. Make no compromise
/
South, the South oOncede its rights to the North,
but maintain the Constitution as is and thereby
to each and all the States of this COnfederacy
| their constitutional rights. Was there ever q COM
/ promise made in which some one was not Wronged,
in which some Of the parties did not lose? There
is great principle ofright somewhere; let US sscer
tain where the right is and let the North and the
! South maintain it, neither making concessions.
! What has been the history Of compromises in this
Government? In 1920 We had compromise, The
nation agitated; dissolution was threatened be-
/ fore tic compromise was made; and after the com
! promise was made, it became a fixed, permanent
subject Of contention and agitation and discussion
until 1t was repealed. GU getup great agitation,
and settle it by a compromise; and then you keep
/ up an agitation as to what the compromise means,
or what is the extent Of its obligation. think it is
! time TO quit compromising In 1850 several mea-
! sIres we're passed as compromise measures. They
| produced great agitation. A dissolution of the
Union was threatened, and in 1851 some great psci-
/ hcatOrs came fOrWard-men who were willing to be
sacrificed upon the altar Of their country on another
! compromise That compromise has since been
continual and unceasing source Of agitation. Is it
not time for the North and the South to quit COM
| promising! There is a great principle Of right
somewhere. Let us find out what is the right, and
abide by it.
Whenever there is & difficulty between vice and
virtue, vice can get up agitation, issue with
virtue, and of course vice is always ready to COM
!
vice obtains the ascendancy. Whenever there is a
contest between truth and slsehoOd andits settled
| by compromise, truth gives way and falsehOOd
! triumphs. Is it not time to stop compromising I
think We have compromised enough, and l will say
here in my place to-day, that believe the agitation
which has taken place, first in getting up cOmpro-
misses, and then upon the compromises after they
made, has done more to make the institution of
slavery permanent than all the other action Of the
Federal Government. The constant outside pres
sure, the agitation Of the question in the free States
has done more TO give the institution of slavery
strength and sohdity in the southern States than
anything else that has taken place in the country.
Among southern men the philosophy the nature, the
character of the institution Of slavery are better
derstOOd than formerly. The southern mind to day.
is more recOnciled to the institution of slavery and
better satisfied with it. than it has been since
the institution has existed. This is the fact and
it is not worth while to disguise it.
Then let us agree, North and South, to abide by
the Constitution Of the country, and have no more
compromises. We have been compromised and con-
SerYatised until there is hardly any Constitution
left We first compromise and settle a question
wrong, and then must all turn conservatives and
stand by the wrong that has been accomplished by
the compromise Compromise l almost wish the
term was stricken out of the English language Con-
servatism It's the argument of despots and tyrans
one that entails existing institutionin its present
form, whether it be right or wrong. We must COM
promise, and nfiot great wrong on thecountry; and
then all are to turn conservatives and stand by the
wrong that has been inflicted on the country So we
see where this compromising spirit has carried us.
We see the lure that has been thrown out by my
honorable colleague and others to induce northern
men to encrOach on the South. Notwithstanding
his illusions to his deep interest in slavery and an
that, we where he stands.
The Legislature of Tennessee have manifested no
disrespect in these resolutions. They have exercised
the privilege and power that has been exercised by
most Of the States Of this Confederacy.
TO BE CONTINUED.
THE COALITION IN THE SENATE