Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-25
FRIDAY, MARCH Is. 1859.
The Northern Democracy and the
Slavery Question.

II was proclaimed in the Democratic State
Convention, recently held in this place, by
prominent member of that body. that the
coming election in this State would turn upon
what he called " the niger question:"
The alleged soundness on that question of
the Northern Democracy has constituted the
principal part of the capital stock of the De-
mocratic politicians of the South for years
past, and they. or portion of the subordi-
nate ones, are not TO be expected to reIinquish
the use Of it, if by any means they can con-
tinue to employ it proftably. 1t is proper.
therefore, that the facts should be constantly
kept before the people of the South by the
speakers and journals of the Opposition.
Once more to the facts then
The distinguished Democratic Senator from
Virginia, Mr.. HUNTER, in the debate in the
Senate, on the 23rd ult., said:
al differ from the Senator from Illinois
Mr.. Douglasl in regard to the [Kansas-Ne-
braska] bill, the history of its inception,
and what was intended by it, As under
stand it, we stood in this position: the South
ern Senators, | Believe almost without an
exception, know did for one, as have al
ways done from the time first made my ap-
peardnce on this Oor-maintained that the
South had the right, under the Constitution,
OF protection OF this property Tslave proper
tyl In the Territories; on the other hand
Senators from the free States denied that
right. None of them would give it to usn
Again, Mr.. HUNTER said
The case then stood thus: Whilst the
Southern men maintained, on one side, land
II UaS hot h., - a., III,
10 the protection Of their property under the
Constitution, those from the free States main
tanned the opposite opinion. There could
hav" been no accord between them on that
point"
viii it be pretended that these statements
OF Mr.. HUNTER, made in presence of the
Senate, and passing unquestionNd, were I'M
true, in point of fact? No. That will not
be done by any Democratic politician or
organ in the whole South.
The fact, then. is undeniabIy established,
that the Northern Democratic Senators in
the very act of voting for the Kansas ebras-
ka bill, dzaed that the South had the right,
under the Constitution, of protection of slave
property in the Territories.
But il may be said, that the existence of
the right has been decided by the Supreme
Court in the bred Scott case, and that the
Northern Democracy have acquiesced, or con-
Cured, in that decision. On that point hear
Senator Poem, of Ohio, who, after Mr.. DoUG-
LAS, is the ablest of the Democratic Sena-
tor from the free States, and who has ever
warred against the Republican party and
been warred against by it. Hear him.
"But the Senator from Virginia saws il is
ali decided. How decided? The Supreme
Court decided it, "and forth
with we are told that the Supreme Court of
the United States has become the appointed
expOunder of Democratic principles. Since
when? Since they declared the Bank of the
United States TO be constitutional. which you
repudiate in your platform? Since the Judges
Of the Court held the old sedition laws of
John Adams to be constitutional, which you
repudiate in your platform? Who constituted
the Judges OF the Supreme Court, The makers
or expounders Of Democratic principles?
Certainly not Thomas Jefferson. who pro-
nounced them the sappers and miners of the
Constitution; certainly not Andrew Jackson,
who told them he would interpret his own
oath, as well as his own principles, according
to his views of the Constitution. No court
shall make me a platform. When we get to
going by courts it seems 10 me we have
departed from the whole spirit and principle
Of the Democratic party.
But the Senator from Virginia speaks of
their rights under the Constitutions: he says
that the Constitution gives them the right to
carry slaves into the Territories. Where!
Will the Senator give me the article and sec
ton! Where is it! There is no such provis-