Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-04-23


Mr.. BLAra. ask the gentleman how be as
,ertains that
Mr. ZoLLIcoFVER understand Il from pas.
sage In the report of the Republican investigating
committee. at the last Congress II quotes the
census taken month before the election
Mr.BLAR. That there was majority OF pro-
slavery men there ?
Mr.. ZoLHcoFFER That there was majority
Of outhern men there.
Mr.. BLAIR. WE'LL that is very different af-
fair.
Mr.. ZoLLooFFER: think there are very few
men from the South such as the member from
Missouri.
Mr.. BLAIR. That is a matter Of opinion.
ZoLncoFFER. Then II it is a matter Of opinion
you need not have interrupted the
When the congressional delegate was elected
when the second Territorial Legislature were cleo
ted--in short, in all elections, except those held
without authority Of law, or under the Topeka
constitution, this cry Of "fraud" has been kept
up. until there are really honest and good men
who have had their minds misled with the belief
that the constitution was carried by frauds.
think there Is no evidence Of this that ought for
moment TO shake our conclusions upon this
question.
The assumption that the vote on the 4th of jan
uary, taken under so-ca He'd law Of the Terrific.
rial Legislature, upon the ratification Of the con-
stituton, is evidence that majority OF the people
That law was itself nudity, and the Legislature
that enacted IL had authority whatever to inter-
NEEDLE with the constitution. The election " as
conducted alone by the Free-sol party, and we
have no guarantee that a large number of the re-
pufed ten thousand votes cast were not spurious.
A comparison Of the number Of votes cast with
those cast at the precincts at other elections,
strongly indicate this. There is reason TO suppose
that many of those voters were Germans, who
are not citizens of the United States. have
heard it said that there are 500 or 1000 German
aliens there. who not entitled to vote, but who
are among the most noisy of the men that follow
Lane, and sustain the Topeka movements of those
who are disturbing the peace of the Territory,
and endeavoring to run honest men out of it. But
the constitution had already been adopted, and the
whole work finished, before this vote was taken.
Every step has been regularly taken. The sense
of the people had been ascertaiued, by ballot. In
favor of a conven'i ion the convention had been
called and the delegates had been elected by the
people, with instructions TO make a constitution
those delegates had accordingly made constitu
ton The only question which had produced d.
vision had been submitted to popular vote, and
settled according law and the time, and all the
circumstances, had TRANSFERRED, when, according to
the letter of the instrument ITSELF "this coLstitu
ton shall take effect and be IN force" How then
could Territorial Legislature subsequently inter-
pose process to annul the constitution II that
Legislature could do so, could those which
may come after IL which assumption places the
Legislature at all times above the sovereign power,
which is competent 10 make and unmake constitu-
tons. Such an assumption would at any time
place II in the power of the Legislature to deprive
the people of a constitution by a mere accidental
legislative majority and, if put in force in the
State governments. would soon render our durable
written Constitutes as chanEeable and uncertain
as the statuary laws.
1t has been objected that, in the final vote upon
al. N n
tiers were required to swear that they would sup
port the constitution, when adopted. do not so
understand it, If they were really law abiding men.
They were then themselves deciding tho question,
by their votes, whether it was to be free or
slave State. II they held majority, they could
make il a Tree State, and cheerfuy support 1t. If
they had not majority, and It were made slave
State against their votes, still, in justice they
should have been willing to support 1t II was at
least as hard upon one side IS upon the other
As to Lanes men, who had so violently ress ed
all government but that inaugurated at Topeka, IL
was but just that they, if they voted upon the
constitution, should be required to swear TO sup
port it when adopted. Their past conduct had
made this eminently proper.
Complaint is also made that the schedule to
the constitution provides that all who In Office
shall hold their offices, and all laws in existence,
shall continue in existence, until changed by laws
enacted under the State constitution. Yet such
provision as tlls is almost universally lncorp r
ated, In the States, on the adoption Of a cou-
stitution and it is wisely done to guard against
any arrangement incident TO a fu ndamentai change
of government.
The truth is, that when gentlemen say they will
nev,r vote for the admission Of another slave State
into the Union. they do but lay bare that leading
sentiment which prompts majority of those who
oppose this bill They are wholly un willing to
give TO the institutions of the South fair and
equal chance In the terri cries which balong in
common to all. When the Sou 9TH agr reed, in 1870.
to the drawing the line of 369 3d. for the sake of
peace and compromise, the North did not become
satisfied but the very next wear, BY a majority Of
her representatives, voted to violate it. From that
day 10 this, there never has been instance in
which slave State has asked Tor admission into
the Union, whether north or South of that line.
in which northern men have not opposed II, on
account of 'avery, regardless of that compromise;
a compromise that prohibited slavery north of 369
30' and gave security for its establishment
south of that line The north was unwilling TO
extend that line to the Pacific to give tho South
any respite from the struggle to restrict slavery
south of the line where il had been established.
Hence in 1850, southern men began TO ask them
selves. is this fart Then it was that Henry Clay
said, in the Senate:
81 put II 10 gentlemen of the south, are they
prepared to be satisfied with the line of 360 80,
interdicting slavery north Of that line, and given
them no security for the admission of slavery
south of that lne7"
Mr.. Clay stated that, in considering a plan Of
compromise in 1850, "the idea of the Missouri
Compromise, as 1t has been termed, came under nv
I his review, was considered by me, him.. and
finally rejected" And he added; at was high
time that the wounds which the Wilmot proviso
had inflicted should be healed up and closed; and
that to avoid ia all future time the agitation
which must be produced by the conflict ofopinion
the slavery question, the true principle tohich
ought to regulate the action Of Congress in forming
territorial governments for each newly acquired
domain, is to refrain from Mlegislafion on the sub
ject the territory acquired so long as IL retains
the territorial form Of government.
"This "true prnciple" having been applied
and the anti-slayery restriction line having been
removed in 1854, those NorIhren men who haG
been unwilling to i've the South peace while that
line was established compromise. sud
denly discovered that they were greatly outraged
by its repeal They have kept up the agitation
ever since With or without Compromise line,
under any and all circumstances, they have nsDe
been willing and tpiH neper be willing 10 admit