Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-28


Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Tennessee. The geutlemsn,
u mis- former remarks, gave the explanation of 1t.
md told him had not reached that point, and If
be had waited few moments / would have made the 1
same explanation he put in my mouth But / vas 4
going show, Mr. President that the people Of the
non-slave holding States would ultimately become /
the advocates Of the institution of slavery. Why i
Is the South no market for the productions Of the
States Where does the pork, |
where do their horses, where do the mules, where 1
do the large proportion Of all the articles Of our
come from? From Ohio, Indiana ana |
Illinois, large proportion is furnished. Well, /
then. just in proportion you create demand m
the South for those articles the northern producers
become interested in the institutions Of the South,
and just in proportion the South can get high
price for her cotton, she will pay high price for
every hog, every mule and every horse she buys. |
just 20 with the North in the manufacture Of
articles. They 60 manufacturing, and the South
is market for hem. Cotton is the great staple |
they consume. Hence, they become interested in |
the production Of eOtaon- The south is interested
in the articles consumed by the North, and, in
turn the South is G market for their manufactured
articles.
have said that the three hundred aud forty
seven thousand Shareholders in the South having
interest in slaves to the amount Of 500 600 000
the best friends, instead Of being antagonists
to northern labor. Why do say s9l Their CAPT |
their capital is invested 10 labor, they become inter
ested in hunting up new markets. in devi8iHg ways
and means for the consumption Of the products Of
slave labor; and therefore obtaining higher price
for those productions aud inst in proportion as
they realize higher price for labor, in the very
same prOpOr'ioR they are protecting the labor Of
he white man Ia the 81 lYehOldlng States The
necessity Of the production Of cotton and rice,
when population reaches a certain point, and its
consumption comes up 10 the product will cause
the northern mind to be Teeenclled 10 the institu
tion OF slavery.
Why is Great Britain so much opposed to the
institution of slavery here She sees and knows
there are 81 500 00O,O 600 invested in labor. That
labor brings about influence advocating high
prices for labor In what does the capital Of Grea
Britain consist? It is in stocks and in money 1t
occupies position that arrays it against high
prices for labor. The capital Of Great Britain is
in the field against the world in opposition to high
prices Of labor Her object is TO reduce labor down
the lowest point she get it. The interest Of
the southern man. his capital being in labor, is to
bring it up the highest price If Great Britain can
succeed in inducing the United States to change
to withdraw her capital out of labor, aud put 1t in
stocks or money, what would be the effeetl The
entire capital Of the United States would at once
be arrayed on the side of Great Britain, and on the
side of the arstocracy Of wealth against high prices
for labor.
This number of persons and this immense amount
of capital and talent connected with slave labor,
make the South the surest and the most reliable ad-
yocate the northern has for high prices for |
labor; and the time will when there will be a
perfect reciprocity in this country. The time will
come, if we act as brethren and members Of the |
same great Confederacy, when the northern man |
will see TO be his interest to stand by the instItu
ton of slave labor; when the southern man will
it to be his interest stand by the Union, to stand
by the agriculurists, and by the manufacturer.
Then, let us sll 90 on tremendously and glOriousy |
together, and fill up and carry out our destiny.
Take a simple illustration. man at the South has
thousand dollars invested il LABOR Does not that
man try get the highest price he for the pro-
ducts of that labor? Take another man who has a |
thousand dollars in money. He has labor to buy, |
and does he not try get labor cheap as he can
for his thousand dollars Most unquestOnably he /
does The law is unerring and well established, and /
if il were we'll understood throughout the whole |
country, all the strife and turmoil with reference to
the institution of slavery would be swept away, and
the couatry everywhere TesOnciled. The Senator |
from Virginia, think Interrupted me too soon IN |
supplying what he supposed to be deficiency in my
statement.
Sir, carry out the homestead policy, attach the |
people the SOIL induce them love the Government,
and You will have the North recOnCled to the South,
and the South to the North, and we shall not have
nvidious doctrines preached to stir up bad feelings
in either section. know that in my own State, and /
in the other southern States, the men who do not |
own slaves are among the first to take care Of the
institution They will submit TO no encroachment |
from abroad, no interference from other sections.
have said, Mr.. President much more than in |
tended to say and fear. in rather adesultory man
ner, but l hope l have made myself understood on |
the subject OF slavery. heard that some gentleman
going to offer amendment to this bill, pro- |
Viding that the Government should furnish every 1
man with slave. So far as l an concerned, if 1t !
suited him, and his inclination led him that way, |
wish to God every head of family in the United 1
States had one to take the drudgery and mental |
service off his family. would have objection to /
thai; but this lnation intended as slur upon
my proposition. l want that TO be determined by |
Congress Of the United States. do not want this /
body to interfere by innuendO or by amendment, pre-
scrbing that the people shall have this the other
desire to leave that be determined by the people
of the respective States and not by the Congress Of
the United States.
hope Mr. President that this bill will be passed.
think it involves The very first principles Of the
Government; it is founded upon craftsmanship, hu-
manity, philanthropy, aud even upon Christianity
itself l know the argument has been made, why |
pei portion Of the peOp pie to 90 and take some
of TINS land aud not another The law Is in general
terms; it places it in the power of every man who
will go to tIke portion Of the land The Senator
from Alabama sugges to me that person, in order
TO get the benefit Of this BILL must prove that be Is
not the owner Of other land. An amendment was
yesterday inserted in the bill striking out that pro
vision Then it places all on equality to 60 and
take. Why should this not be done? 1t was con-
ceded yesterday that the land was owned by the
people. There are over three million heads OF fam-
lies in the United States; and if every man who is
the head Of family we're to take quarter section
Of public land there would still be nearly four mil
lion quarter sections left. If some people go aud
lake quarter sections 1t does not interfere with the
rights of Others for he who goes takes only part
hat hioh IL md halo
10 anybody else. The domain belongs to the whole
people; the equity is in the great Of the
people; the Government holds the fee and passes the
title, but the beneficial interest is in the people
There are, l have said, two quarter sections Of
and for every head of a family in the United States;
and we merely propose to permit head Of a family
% take one half of that which belongs to him.
| believe the passage Of this bill will strengthen
he bonds of the Union It will give a better vO-
ing population, and just in proportion men be-
ZONE interested in property, they will become re
'Onciled to all the institutions of property in the
country in whatever shape they may exist Take
he institution Of slavery, for instance: would you
ather trust it to the merces Of people liable to be
uled by the mobs Of which my honorable friend
rom South Carolina spoke, would you prefer an
Onest set of landholders2 Which would be the most
eliable? Who would guaranty the greatest security
0 our institutions, when they come to the test Of
he bsllOt-bOX?
Mr. President, hope the Senate will pass this
ill l think it will be the beginning of a new state
f thiDgs-a new era.
So far as am cOncerned-I say it not in an spirit
boast regOlism-ifthis bill were passed, and the
ystem it inauguratss carried out granting rea.
enable quantity of land for q mans family, look
lg far into the distance see what is to result from
"a stable, an Industrious, a hardy, Christian,
community growing cut Of it, should
eel that the great object of my little mission was
UTILIZED. All that 1 desire is the honor and the
redit of being of the American Congress to con-
ummate and to carry out this great scheme that is
elevate our raCeand to make institutions more
ornament. want no reputation as some have in
nusted You may talk about Jacobinism, Red
epubicauism, and so on. pass by such insinua
Ons as the Idle wind which l regard not.
know the motives that prompt me to action. I
an 60 back TO that period in my own history when
could not say had home. This being so, when
cast my eyes from extreme of the United States
the other, and behold the great number that are
Omeless, feel for them. 1 believe this bill would
NJ them in possession of homes; and want to see
lem realizing that sweet conception when each 7
au can proclaim, d" have home; an abiding
lace for my wife and for my children l am not
lie tenant Of another; l my own ruler; AMI
Irrn- TO- IL