Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-03
speech of the Hon. John HelI.

Tennessee Legislature:
MR.. BELL. Mr.. President. the novel and,
as / think, extraordinary character of these
resolutions will trust, be a sufficient apollo
gy for me, if should extend my remarks
somewhat further ON them than, under other
circumstances, might seem appropriate and
meet for such an occasion.
The first thing which think will strike the
attention of every gentleman who has lis
tened to the reading of the preamble, and the
two resolutions of the series which have been
presented to the Senate will be the time or
date of their adoption by the Legislature of
Tennessee, which was on the 10th of this
month, nearly four years after the passage of
The kansas-Nebraska act You know. sir.
that il has been usual, in the past history of
this country, when the constituents of a Rep
resentatiVe in either branch OF Congress feel
themselves aggrieved by his course or vote
upon question materially affecting their in
terests, to express their displcasure and de-
clare their ceRsure promptly, within some
reasonable space of time after the knowledge
OF the obnoxious course or vote has rcachi d
them. This is sometimes done by calling pub
lie meetings of the people for that purpose
in other instances, by resolves of the Legisla-
ture, when it shall be assembled, if it he not
in session when the political transgression oc-
ours. In this case, in regard to my vote on
meeting OF the people called to censure or
disapprove my course, nor was there the least
excitement among the people on the subject
nor has there been any resolve of the Legisla-
ture of my State upon the subject until the
present month nor am | aware that have
lost political friend on that ground since the
passage of the kansas-N cbraska act
The next thing which will be apt to strike
the attention of those who have listened TO
NJ fh.aH t.Sf L
of these resolutions with some surprise is the
uncommon hardihood manifested by the ma
jority of the Legislature of my State to en-
dorse and approve, Internationally, the re-
peal of the Missouri Compromise, after the
mischievOus results of that measure have be-
come so patent and unmistakeable in the
developments Of the last four years They
cannot plead ignorance of those results. par
ticularly after the President had duly and
frankly informed them, in his late special mes
sage, that one of those results has been the
convulsion of the Union and has shaken it
to its very center; that il has lighted up the
flames of civil war in Kansas, and produced
dangerous sectional parties throughout the
Confederacy-U use the language of the
President) The question whether Kansas
shall become a slave State or IA free State. has
riveted the attention of the whole people to
such degree that no person has Thought of
anything else. Those who supported this
preamble and resolutions may have had some
reason to ignore the statement of the Presi-
dent, which they do not care to give to the
public in express terms That purpose may
be easily cOnjectured. But pass on
The majority OF the Legislature say, in the
first resolution of the series
''rhat we fully with the Hon. JoHx BELL as
70 the duty OF Senator when the voice OF his
tuency has decided against him on a question matcri-
ally affecting their interesting
The secoud resolution declares
''That in opinion the voice Of Mr. BrrL's conn
trymen OF Tennessee in the recent elections hos "
cared against his course on Tia, Nebraska biz
a question Of vital Importance 10 The South"
agree that the Kansas-Ncbraska bill was
question OF the deepest Importance to the
South but / disagree with the majority OF
the members of the Legislature of Tennessee
in the opinion expressed by them that the
people of Tennessee have dt clare against my
course in the recent elections. | take il tor
granted that by the ''recent elections" referred
TO in the second resolution--thc three general
elections which have taken place in Tennessee
since the passage of that act. are included
under the descriptive adjective recent :" and
proceed briefly to notice those elections in
the order in which they occurred
The first election which occurred in Ten.
nessee after the passage of the Kansas-Nc
braska act, was in August, 1855, about ffteer
months after the passage of the Kansas-Nc
braska act. The staple of the discussion il
the canvass which prect ded that election wa,
Americanism, or the principles and formul,
adopted by the party which had recently
sprung up in the country. This was so o,
both Sides pro and con. The Kansas Nebrasl,
bill may have been advtrt,d TO to SOME eN
tent, but l never heard during the pcndency
of that election, that the Kansas ebraski
r,uIa
in those districts the former representative o
which had voted against that bill. The result
of that election was that the party in opposi
ton to the Democracy, in other wOlds tn
Americans and Wings WHO did not d, lon,
properly 20 the American party, but who stoo,
in opposition to the Democracy, carried Tn
majority of the members of both Houses %
the Legislature but the Democratic candi
date for Governor defeated the American can
didate by some three thousand votes. hay,
not recently referred TO the statistics on thi
subject, and state them from my present recol
lection. | will not go into the particula
causes which led TO the defeat OF the Ameri
can candidate in that election, considering i
inexpedient under the circumstances becaus
to do so might lead To discussion between m
colleague and myself, who was the cand
date of the Democratic pasty in that cleo
ton.
In the canvass of that election did no
participate, even to the extent of making
single speech, not feeling called upon 10 d
30 by any attack upon my course upon III
Kansas-Nebraska bill. Nor was called upo
by the leaders of the American party TO sa
anything in their support, they feeling the ui
most confidence in their strength 10 carry ia
election without any aid from me-
II were technically minded ON srch sui
ject as this. mi ht bar all further proceeding
against me as to any pledges may have mad
by pleading that, upon questions of politics,
transgression, after SO great lapse of tim,
there ought TO be no reckoning; but disdai
such protection.
The next election which came of was I
November, ls56-two years and SIX month
after the passage of the Kansas Nebraska bill
In that election, as you know, sir, Mr.. Eli
more was the candidate OF the American PAL
ty; Mr.. Buchanan of the Democratic part,
In the canvass which preceded that election
Americanism. rs in 1850. was the principu
subject of controversy. The Kansas Nebra'
ka bill however, was occasionally Introduce
in the public discussions, aud, To some exten
debated; but, In the progress of the canvas
both these subjects, on the part of the leader
of the Democracy, came 20 be but little dive
upon; and, towards the close of the canvas
they may be said TO have been superseded a
together. The strong indications dcvelope
In the canvass at the North OF the probabl
success OF MIR. Fremont, the eanddate of thu
formidable Republican party which has ha
such potent effects in the elections of N
South, furnished more powerful aud efie.
tive argument for the Democratic leader
and they ayailed themselves OF It. Both Anne
leans and Wings Were appealed II, in the mo-
forcible and pathetic strains, TO waive all pa
ty preiudices, past and present, 10 discard a
pre- udices and party predictions. aud rail-
to the support of Mr.. Buchanan. Who, il ".
insisted, could alone detea, the e e. lon of NJ
Fremont. Ii was declared th 1t NJ. fillmo
had no chance ID be elected; q that, IL
should happen that Mr.. Fremont should
elected, the probability was that tn, Unis
would be dissolved; or, nj all events. that u
interests OF the South, particularly sn relate
70 the subject Of slavery, would be saerin