Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-13


ern men which. it seems to me, equal any
thing that las been said at the South; senti-
ments which | regret to notice, and in which
l trust no large portion OF our northern
brethren here agree. / will call the atten-
ton Of the House to few extrs cts lately
published, showing the circumstances under
which we have assembled here. and the ne
cessity there exists for wise and moderate
counseis upon our part. L will read. in adj
dition to what was read by one gentleman
from Virginia, one or two extracts: ~--------
There is a higher law than the COnstitu-
ton which regulates cur authority over the
domain Slavery must be abolished, and we
must do It,"
That sentiment is ascribed TO William Fl.
Seward, The next extract is taken from the
New York Tribune.
The time is astapproaching when the cry
will become too oyerpowering to resist
Rather than tolerate national slavery as it
now exists, let the Union be dissolved at
once, and then the sin OF slavery will rest
where il belongs" ..f-.s--.s
The next sentiment which viii read is as
cribtd to Joshua r. Giddings, formerly a
member of Congress. Ii is:
Il look forward to the day when there
shall be servile Insurrection in the South;
when the black man, armed with British bay
onets, and led on by British officers, shall
assert his freedom, and wage a war of exter-
mutation against his master. And though
we may not mock at their calamity, nor
laugh when their fear cometh, yet we will
hail il as the dawn of a political millennium"
Mr.. Hutchins. | suppose that the gentle
man from Tennessee has heard that Mr..
Giddings has, over and over again denied the
utterance OF that sentiment when he was
A Member. On this very floor.
Mr.. Huchins. Yes; aud in his published
communicat TO the country.
Mr.. Cox. Yes; but the gentleman knows
that he has never taken back the spirit of it.
Mr.. Leake- l undertake to say, that years
ago, when | was member OF this House,
heard him utter the sentiment.
Mr.. Cox. 1t can be found in the Appendix
to the Congressional Globe, as modified; but
The spirit is the same exactly as that read by
the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr.. Nelson. l have no desire to do injus-
tice to any gentleman; and, therefore, will
give the authority for my statement. 1t is
the DenlocTGtic Standard, a paper of which |
kdow nothing, but has been sent to my add
dress since came here. The date of the pa
per Is November &c, 1859.
Several Members. Where is it pubishedl
Mr.. Nelson. 1t is published at Concord,
New Hampshire. find various other sea-
tinents of the same character here. This
sentiment is ascribed to Horace Greedy -.
Il have no doubt but the free and slave
The Union is not worth supporting in con-
nection with the South"
And here is a sentiment ascribed to another
northern gentleman. lam SO little acquant-
ed with any OF the members OF this House.
that | really am unable to say at this mo
ment whether the gentleman is a member of
this House or not. Unless my impressions
are erroneous, he was at one time member
of this House. 1t is Mr.. Arson p Burling-
me- taF. I ont iSa h
ed to him; and if he never gave utteranee to
it, why, of course, have no desire to do him
injustice:
The times demand, and we must have,
an anti-slavery Constitution. an anti-slavery
Bible, and anti-slavery God.'
Now, Mr.. Clerk, without taking up the
time of the House with reading other ex
tracts of the same kind, L will state that my
object in adveTting to them is to show that,
as we all know, we have in this Union ex-
tremists at the North and extremists at the
South. i could multiply extracts. There
was time in the history of this land when
the Hartford convention stunk in the nos
trils of the American people; when the man
who cried out disunion or secession, was re-
garded at least as moral traitor to his
country. Those halcyon days have passed
away, and now what once struck the public
mind with horror what once was regarded rs
which seems to meet with a response in the
North and with an utterance in the South
[, for one, Mr.. Clerk. am opposed To this
feeling OF disunion, no matter whence 1t
comes. prolonged applause in the galleries
and upon the floor /, for one, am opposed
TO this slavery agitation. no matter whether
il comes from the South or from the North.
[Renewed applause.l
1t seems to me that there is very little for
oh / frnp al
State, and, although | am not man of
wealth, l own a few slaves and am not
ashamed to say ii here. / say, sir, that am
opposed to this sentiment, no matter whence
il comes or by whom it is given utterance.
do think that we, or rather the two great
parties of the land. are fighting n battle alto
gether in advance of the time. To borrow the
idea though l cannot quote the language of
hat eminent and distinguished man. Mr.. Web
ster, the question of slavery has been practical
ly settled in regard TO much the greater por
Lion of this Union. 1t has been settled. as he
in substance said, by the laws of nature and
by the laws of climate. By the action of the
people it has heen settled since in regard to
Kansas and Nebraska. 1t cannot reasonably
be expected to exist in Utah. The people of
California have settled ii for themselves.
Where, then are we to have this contest in
regard TO slavery? Why this agitationi If
there is any portion of this wide land in re-
gard to which the question of slavery can be
appropriate IL must be Arizona: and take
il for grant,d that il will be some years be-
fore Arizona will apply for admission into
the American Union. Why this agitation,
then? Why this unatnral excitement? Why,
before we have fairly seated ourselves
in the Hall of the House of Representatives,
spring frebrand into our deliberations?
Why Indulge in elimination aud rccrimina-
ZION? Why this asperity of feeling! Why
shall we not enter upon an organization of
The House, and come up to the expression of
the sentiment, which. / trust, il common to
us all, that this slavery agitation Is protitless
and useless-common to Us all, mean. eX-
cept it may be the ultra men of the North
and the ultra men of the South.
And, Mr. Clerk, there is one remarkable
thing which should have stated a moment
ago. l will say it now. There is one re-
markable thing of these disnnionists, North
and South. What is IL state il far the
purpose of respectfully submitting that there
is something wrong on both sides. What is
il? Why that. whilst they disagree on the
subject of slavery and various other subjects.
they unite in agreeing upon "A dissolution of
the Union rs common remedy for antagon-
is;ic evils. state this as the ciearest and
most conclusive proof that this slavery agita-
ton should cease. Unless am misinformed,
there are no places where this question can
arise, except in Arizona or in the admission
at the States which at some future period
may be carved out of Texas. In reference to
the latter, the question was settled by the
Texas annexation resolutions. and we must
cast ourselves upon the Integrity and for
beaunee aud moderation Of the North not TO
repeal those resolutions. for it was most I'M
fortunate for the country that the compro-
mise MEASURES of 1920 and 1850 were repeal
cd. sny this without intending personally
to ref CT upon any gentleman.
know that many patriotic men Of The
North aud South voted under mistake for
the ansu-Nebraska bill of 1854; but, 80 far