Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-30
,ent. was dominant in the Fedora, Connects

, and was in the habit of using the Fedora
power for its special interests, was admitted
but the old parties winked at the evil. and d
not dare to grapple with it. One Admins
!. tration would interpose to prevent the Sout
American Patriots, in their struggle for indie
pendence, from making descent upon Cuba
lest in the resulting CONFUSION, the slave
might be emancipated, and dangerous shocl
be given to the slave system in the South
. Another would invite Great Britain to ente
into arran gements for the surrender of fugi
tive slaves in Canada. Another would peril
: niously insist upon the delivery of American
: slaves, who in the course of the domesti,
, slave trade had heen driven, by stress of wea
ther, into British colonial ports Anothe
would enter into secret and unau thorized ne
gotiatiOns for the purchase of Cuba with it
million of slaves, TO add to the security anC
, power of Slavery. And, for many successive
years, after 1884. the most high-handed ant
disgraceful measures were taken by Congress
to repress the mere discussion of the Question
of Slavery-by denying the right of petition
violating the freedom of discussion, interior
ing with the liberty of the press, and attemp
ting to subject the United States mail to Off
cial censorship.
All these acts and Outragcs demonstrated
the working of Slavery despotc and con
trolling element in our Federal Government
but the People generally were intent upon
other Questions, organized in Parties managed
to great extent by Shareholders, and they
regarded as fanaticai the efforts Of the few
Liberty men who sought to expose the evil
and apply the remedy.
Meantime, having effected a firm Judgement
in the Government, the Slave Interest aimed
to extend its area. and commenced that series
| of aggressive movements which, embracing
| Texas as its first acquisition, brought on the
war with Mexico, involved the country in the
agitation of the Wilmot PrOvisO, led to the
| passage of the Fugitive Slave act, and the
| abandonment of the policy of the Ordinance
! of 1877, until finally, in 1854, it repealed the
| Missouri Compromise, and through violence,
| fraud, and the power of an Administration
| utterly subservient to its policy, attempted
| to ste Slavery fact upon Kansas, and
establish it i'll theory in every Territory of the
| Union.
AT each successive aggI ession, Public Opin-
| ion was moved, party ties were lOosened, and
the number of those who desire to make the
| question of Slavery paramount, multiplied;
| but party attachments are powerful, and men
| dreaded to meet an issue which must nccessa-
rily arouse sectional strife and animOsity
When, however, in 1854, the Slave Power
embroidered by success and the apparent sub
servience of the Northern mind. boldly assail-
ed the Missouri COmprOmise-whch, coAsecra-
ting the whole of our Territory nOrti@of SO
deg. 36min. to Freedom was itself cOnserate
in the affections of the Northern People
abrogated it, and let loose Slavery Propagan-
dism upon Kansas, their patience gave way,
party ties were snapped asunder. old political
organizations were broken up, and suddenly
the masses of the People of the Free States
found themselves occupying, as Republicans,
the same ground on which the Free Soil men
had stood for so many years. The great
question or questions between Slavery and
Freedom were brought to trial. Two parties
emerged from the cOuvulsOn-the PdTty of
Sldrery. in possession of the machinery of the
Democratic Party, and its name, ard in pos
session of the Federal Government; and the
Party Of FTeedOn, composed Of Of eUry
Uariety Of poiaicdL opinion, but united by single
p1upoSe-the purpose to Orerthroto the Stare
Po,cer, aud bring the Federal Government
under the controle Of the observation-disclosures.
Now, will those gentlemen, who are trying
to get up Tariff excitement, and those who
are talking complacently of reconstruction
Of Parties. from which are to be banished all
sectional issues, and which are to include
Shareholders and non-slavehOlders alike
please answer few questions:
Have we msstatcd or exaggerated any of
the acts ana outrages of the Slave Power?
Do they not, taken together demonstrate the
existence of a Pro-Slavery DespOtism, which |
has established an ascendency in the Federal |
Government, Incompatible with the security, |
the honor, the independence, and the interests !
of the Observation-Disclosures of the country i'll all |!
sections? Was not this the judgment of the |
majority of the People of the Free States in |
1851? Was it not this convention that broke |
up the Wing Party, and for the time reduced |
the Democratic Party to a minority in nearly |
all of those States? Was not this idea the |
distinctive feature Of the campaign of 1856 |
and did it not determine the sufirages of near
ly fourteen hundred thousand voters? Did it
not give Speaker to the House of Represent
atives, and secure the electoral votes Of eleven
States to Mr.. Fremont? Is il not represented
by twenty members of the United States SEN
ate, to be increased at no distant day. until
they, shall constitute majority? Is a Party
like tbs, brOugh into being By the breath Of The
Pepie and trhich has direIfy atested as pO,rer by
such sces Of political UioOTies, 10 be recoHATuc-
led" OrL.rLst ASIDE By pO qLhdcks and managers
Has its work been done? Have the aggrcs-
sions that led to its development been repair
ed. have the aggrcssOrs been stripped of power!
Which of the issues of 1856 has been settled?
The St5re Po're- GgaiHS cLich you bdttLed mann
taqs its sent Cf empire and us agents are az Gctiye
as eDer. How are you to displace them by
your Protection movements and your recon-
structiOn of Parties? Since the election of
1856, that Power has taken another stride in
advance. 1t has obtained from the Supreme
Court an opinion iustifying its EXTREMIST pre-
opinion that the Constitution of
|
~, and protects them as property, in any Ter
ritnry of the Union. against all Congressional
Dr Territorial legislation. Not only against
but against the Popular Sovc-
'eignty of the Anti-LecOmpton Democrat. is
The authority of the Supreme Court arraycd.
and the Administration, speaking in behalf of
he so-called Democratic Party, accept the
alse and detcstable doctrine. Have Senators
CAMERON, SIMMONS, CoLIAMER and FoOT, so
oon forgotten these things; that they are
willing to substitute the Question of the
Tariff for the Question of Freedom, to super
ede the Republican Party, by PrOtcctionist
Organization? Is Mr. CAMERON, in his con- [
empt for existing parties, willing TO vote for {
Pro-Slavery man, provided he go for Tariff {
m Iron? Does not Mr.. SIMMONS think that {
he ascendency of Free Principles in the c
federal Government is necessary to the {
salvation of the country. a. ''home valua- 8
ion?" Is Mr.. FOoT so tired of the Republ- (
an platform, that he must needs exchange il /
or the BROAD high, Henry Clay platform of
American Industry. on which he hopes to
niliate with men of all parties and sections!
republicans. unless they are prepared to
rand their movement as a blunder, abandon :
heir work on the threshold, suffer themselves 1
q be drawn OFF upon obsolete issues, to be a
embarrassed and demoralizod by timid, con /
ervative, or sordid politicians would do well
o look to their leaders, and admonish them a
hat The great Question on which they organ \
zed in 1854, and went into the election of :.
$50, IS 10 giue piace 10 other until settled once
Dr all N fauor IF the Non Shareholders, against
he usurpftions Of lte Pro-SLaryy Interest.
Were the condition of all the Territnrics
Ncd by law was the case with the old
northwestern Territory-were the policy of
he ordinance of 1887 in full operation in all
ur Territories, the question could hardly be
D important as il is now. when Congressional /
elton is rcpudiated, when every Territory is
nd open to Slavery, when the power of pro-
,ction Is denied to its People by the Supreme
ourt, when Administration Intervention is 4
INSTITUTED for Intervention 10y Congress.
his state OF things renders the question far
iore momentous, and gives il a more perma-
ent form. a Is Ro'c more important than 10
he ADMINISTRATION so as 70 praeHl rs