Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-12-23


my teachings there is a great moral principle of
right which lies at the foundation of all thngs that
it exists from eternity that it began with the Diety
himself, and will continue until the Termination of
His reign; that it reigns throughout all time as deep
and pervading as nature itself Now we are told
in the Senate of the United States, in the presence
of this intelligence, that polygamy may be right I'M
der some circumstances and wrong under others
The next question c)mes up under what eircum-
stances is it right? Ii is said to be right in Turkey
which is given as an illustration, and to be wrong
here If it is wrong, 1t violates a great truth. a
great moral TRUTH and no set Of circumstances can
make 1t right If my memory. serves me right, l
read the teachings the doctrines of a professor
called Hoffman, who, think, wrote about the year
1898, just two hundred years before the Virginia
resolutions were passed. like to remember eDOchs
eras, and great events. lie ait. down the doctrine
that truth was susceptible of division into two parts:
and all that was true in philosophy was false in
theology and all that true in theology was false in
philosophy This is sort of paradox and yet he found
ed sect and many fl0cked to his standard and in
cucated the doctrine that he taught 1t seems to me
that system of ethics would suit the doctrines which
have been recently ihculcated, and which proclaim |
that, under the circumstances of Turkey, polygamy
Is precisely right; while under the circuns of
the United States, it is precisely wrong | suppose
according that system, all that would be right in
Turkey would be wrong in the United States and all
that would be right here would be wrong there 1t |
to me, you might make another application Of
it. and say that all that is right in Repubicanism is
wrong in Democracy, and all that Is right in Democ
racy is wrong in Repubcanism- mean modern Re |
publIcanism. think we shall have to fall back on
the teachings of Professor Hoffman, If the svsten
of ethics recently incTcated to be fastened on the
country; but trust and hope it will not
So much for the honorable Senator from Illinois |
and his doctrines stated in the beginning that
what was saying in reference to the Senator from
Illinois, rather outside of the line of remark
which intended TO make on the OCCASION | stated
that should endeav0r to show that the recent de-
monstrations made at HaPpers Ferry had been the
legitimate result of certain teachings for great
number of years in this country. | shall begin by
calling the attention of the senate and country ~
doctrines promulgated in reference to the North and
South prior to the year $780, about ten years after
the Federal Government was formed. propose to
read an extract from the fourth volume of Mr. JEFF
Persons works, an entry under the head of Decem-
Der Is, 1903
The Rev Mr.. Coffin, OF New Engl nd is now here 80
cas donations for Gogs in Greene county, Tennessee tells
he wrote paper rcommeudatory the enterprise which
meant to ge s ned by Cerymen and similar for perso
in civil character, wished Mr. Adams
put his he being Unite States and
the application ing only for his and
Mr. Adams, after reading paper erng he saw
possibility Of continuing the Union OF the
dissolution must necessarily take place that he therefore,
no propret in recommending New England promote
literary institution in the south that giving
strength to who lie their enemies and therefore,
he would have nothing to do with it."
Thus we find that prior to the year 1900, when
simple application was made to the elder Adams
IOI lie usO OF his name Dy q New England man,
the Rev. Charles Coffin, to solicit subscriptions to
aid in building up an institution in the South it was
refused on the ground that the South would ulti-
mately become, and then in point of fact. the
enemy of the North and that as dissolution would
finally take place, 1t bad investment for north
ern men to put their funds in Southern institutions
referred TO this circumstance which is familiar to
me- as beginning Point, 4 specimen brick of the
building out Of which this whole fabric has been
reared against the south and her Institutions. In
the Twenty-Seventh Congress- at the extra session
John Quincy Adams said upon the celebrated 2lst
rule prohibiting the reception of abolition petitions
He would that il the free portion of this were
calle to expend their blood support
tha' cause VII CD had the and the dspelsure
mighty Upon it, ne wou III It this Congress would
ton expenditure Of blood reasure for that cause it
self would come within thu constitutional action Congress
that there would be longer petsnson that Congress
not e rght TO interfere with the institutions OF the South mas
muh the very fact u the people free portion
with hose insutons thai, the (the
suit OF which c'u tell the treaty making power
| to be equivalent tC universal emancipation"
! And do not see the whole idea to get I'D
! fOray, make descent on a Southern State estab-
! llsh provisional government, and if the Federal
Government is called upon to Interfere under the
| trelty-making power, we will emancpate all your
slaves! This idea has been longer inculcated than
many are willing to believe. Mr.. Adams's speech
| continues
This aswhlt he had would add to it now
that his opinion, If the decision House. days
ago. should be reversed and rule that the House
would receiTeno petition this subject the people the North
aOSOAfSd run al tlOL 70 obey
from Congress"
Here is the whole doctrine laid down, broad and
| wide, upon which these recent depredations were
| to be committed. They have been tie result of
| teachings like these. The idea was thrown out as
! to the manner in which the Federal Government
could be caused to ntePpOse, and how by its inter
position, under the treaty-Inaking power all the
southern slaves were to be emancIpated. This was
what Mr.. Adams said in the Twenty-Seventh Con-
gress-sixteen years ago. About that time in a let
ter written to the Abotonists Of Pittsburg, on the
subject of anti-slayery societies, he said
"on the suie: of abolition abolition societies, anti slavery
societies. or tbs liberty party have been member Of
of But, opposition slavery, 20 far as any OF
these sentiments elieve nearly with theirs
the world firmly believe Whether shall be done pesceabt
bIooi, God only it will accomplished L have
no doubt; AID by whatever way, say, let it cone"
| If it is to come by blood let it come that was
his language then. Now, lot me ask my brethren of
the North, what to infer from teachings like
these? We find that before 1900 it was predicted
by prominent influential men, that this Union was
not 20 stand TINT the South was your enemy. In
1870 1871 and S42 find the same doctrine reit-
Grated by Mr. Adams the second We find in the letter
which have Just read. that he says he firmly believes
the end will come and. by whatever means even if
it comes by blood let it come. Are we prepared to
submit to a state of things like this Are we to
hear these teachings year after year. and behold the
recent Developments. and say that we feel no aD-
prehensiQn? If l were to 60 into the speeches of
| Senator's could show you that the same idea and
| the same doctrine. IN reference to dissolution of
these States has been inculcated by the Senator
from Massachusetts Mr.. WILSON, and the Senator
from Ohio, Mr. WADE1 We find the same doctrine
promulgated by the Senator from New York mr..
! SEWARD in remarkable speech delivered not in
this body, but before portion of his constituents.
REMARKED before, that presented specimen brick,
and | want to follow it up. | speak now of Mr..
SEWARD as politician, making a speech to the peO-
pie at Rochester, have right to do and shall
not misrepresent him if | know it. In that speech,
the honorable Senator from New York said;
Hitherto the two systems have existed in different States
but side by side within the American UnoI This has happened
because the Union confederation Of States But another
aspect the United States constitute only nson Increase Of
population which filling the States out to their very bores
together with extended Of railroads and
intimate rapidly bringing higher
perfect soca unity consolidation Thus these antagonsc
results
The Senator continues want to quote him fully
and fairly, and not tear a portion of the speech
from the context, and thus do him injustice:
shall tell you what this collision means? They who
think that accidental unnecessary the work Of interested
fanaesl and therefore ephemer mistake the
altogether It eprebe conflict between oppos and
enduring forces and that the United States and
will, later become eher entirely saVeholdng
South Carolina sugar plantations
will ultimately be tei by free labor and Cha-estn and New
Orleans for legitimate merchandise alone, else
the fields and wheat fields Of Massachusetts and New York
must again he surrendered by their farmers to slave culture and
to the production and Boston New York
markets for trade in the bodies and souls Of
1t failure to apprehen this great truth that induces
unsuccessful attempts final compromise between the
slave free States is the existence Of this fact that
renders all such pretended compromises when ade vain and
sphemera Startling this saying appear fellow
citizens, tits by original modern one"
The doctrine here proclaimed is, that there is an
irrepressble conflict between slave labor and free
labor. hope the Senate will pardon me if digress
again from the line of my argument, to combat
what, conceive, is a false proposition which has
no foundation in truth The premises of the Sena-
tor are wholly incorrect; but, as long as the con-
illusions drawn from them not cOnihatted. they
have the strength as if the premises cor
rect, Now, sir is there, in fact, conflict between
slave labor and free labor? If know myself, want
to be fair and honest this subject and as humble
as conceive myself to be- and as poor estimate
as put any argument of mime, wish to God that
/ might to-day speak to the citizens of every free
State in this COnteGeracy. and could get them, with
appropriated minds to look at this proposition it
is. What sir conflict, an rrepressibe conflict be-
| tween free and slave labor! 1t is untrue. 1t 4
mistaken application of an old principle to an inn
proper case. There is a conflict always going on
between capital and labor; but there is not a con-
iict between two kinds of labor. BY sOphstry and
ingenuity, 3 principle which is conceded by all, is
! applied to wrong case. There is 4 war always
going on between capital and labor but there Is a
material difference between two descriptions of Ia