Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-08-28


We cannot undertake rejected communications.
Alletters business should directed Messrs E. G.
EASTMAN & Co. and personally 70 either Of the Pro-
prietOrs
MIR. BentOn's BOok---SOuth CarOIina---Mr.
CaIhOun--Mr. Polk.
CCoNCLUDED
At the close of the 26th Congress, thirteen infiu-
entisl memoers among whom we're the Hon J. q.
Adams, n. B. Calhoun, Gov. Slade, Mr.. Morgan, Of
New York, end Mr.. Howard, of Michigan, all unit
! ed in a manifesto in opposition to Texas annexs-
| ton, in which they used the following language
awe hesitate not TO say that annexation effected
| by any act proceedings of the Federal Govern
ment or any of its departments would be identical
! with dissolution. 1t would be violation of
national compact, its objects, designs and the great
elementary principles which entered into its forma-
| tor OF a character 30 deep and fundamental and
would be an attempt to intermix an institution
| slavery and a power, of a nature unjust in
themselves so Injurious to the interests and abhoT
rent the feelings of the people of the free States
as in our opinion not ony TO inevitably res 1t in
dissolution of the Union, but fully TO justify it."
In q great and studied address, delivered by Hon
]. Q. Adams to the young men Of Boston, reported
in the National Infegencsr 18th October, 1874, he
used these striking and significant words: Young
men of Boston, your trial is spproacbing-the spirit
of freedom and the spirit Of slavery are drawing
together for the deadly conflict OF arms, The an
pexation of Texas to this Union is the blast Of the
trumpet for foreign, civil, serVie and Indian war,
of which the government Of your country, fallen
into faithless hands, have already twice given the
signal; first by shameless treaty, rejected by
ylruous Senate and again By the glove of defiance
hurled by the apostle of nullihcauon at the avow-
ed policy of the British empire, peacefully to pro-
mote the extinction of slavery throughout: the
world &C."
Mir webster, while Secretary of State, made
speech at Buffalo, much referred TO ST the tme in
which he said 81 never would consent tast there
should be one foot of slave territory beyond what
the old thirteen States had the time of the forma
tion of their Uniou.' In the same speech he fur
ther SAYS as TO the annexation of Texas: Il sought
an occasion to proclaim my utter aversion TO any
such measure and determined to resist it with all
nv strength to the last. l will net OF kereaf-
ter consent to be numbered among those who intro
duced new slave power into The Union"
Butt is useless to quote more. know it is com
monty believed that the New England AMI North
ern people have always been loyal and Union low
ing Aud this is eminenfly true as to far the
greater part of them. But there has always been q
party snoOgst them, in reality, deeply hostile to
the Federal Union. They wanted strong govern
ment approaching the forms OF the British Govern
menf in the convention that proposed the presen;
Consultation for the adoption of the separate and
Independent States of the COnfederacy. This was
manifested in that convention by their proposition
of Senate for life and that the President Of the
United Ststes should appoint the Governors Of the
different States, &c.
Il was The same feelings that prompted them to
desire stronger Government, in the adoption OF
the alien and sedition laws, and manifested itself
in 1896 by strong aud decided sympathy for the
stable and hereditary institutions of Great Britain,
as contra distinguished to the principles Of the
French, which seemed to look, at that period, to
more enlarged and popular liberty. The same
feelings were exhibited in their deep hostility TO
the acquisition of Louisiana, and then broke forth
under the embargo Of Jefferson, aud became open
ly reasonable during the war of 1872 with Great
Britain, as the records of the Hartford Convention
prove beyond the possibility denial It again
showed itself when we acquired Florida in 1919,
and Texas in 1874. And again it appeared in op-
position 10 that brilliant war with Mexico, through
whose ;riumphs he star of empire dashed its light
over tt distant Pacific.
They have ever been opposed 10 the progress and
power Of the C3lfederacy. Msny are under great
deluson in supposing that it is from the South only
that complaints have been made against the Union,
and violent threats Illuminated.
Tnera has been far more violence and hostility
manifested by portion Of the Northern people
than Was ever exhibited in the South. Until 1890
it was the South that strengthened the Union ana
bore it successfully through all lis struggles an
conflicts against domestic and foreign foes with
disineIested devotion and loyalty unpaIal eled 4
the history OF any people having such diversified
local governments and interests, Besides this gen.
eral hostility to the strengthening and progress
the tdGral Union by party in the Northern States
the o. ges of history show for yesrs ever since the
" Missouri Compromise, systematic consent of
action, by large and dOgmatlcal party, to de- |
feat every that might strengthen the South
ern States, or secure their permanent peace and |
safely in the Confederaey. 1t further shows that
they were thoroughly undeTsto d by the British |
Government and that this fapaticsl Northern par
Il fba ipztir -
and that the public OF Great Britain made their
calculations upon it, In all their movements The |
weak sning of our power by the dissolution of the
Union, was their political object, and they used |
portion of base and indignant party in the Unit |
ed States their tools and instruments history, |
in after times, will SO record it. These oircum-
stances which have briefly brought together are |
necessary to illustrate the deep importance of Tex
as anne Kation, involving it did policy Of pro-
found interest which Was 1T the time, the centre |
principle upon which the whole Democratic party |
revolv1d. And yet, MIR. Benton has, to q great eKs
tent, suppressed it, and made grave movements rest
upon far inferior consideration Where he has /
treated of this question, it is only to present the
views of partizan opponent, who went of with
faclion Of the Democratic party under the lead OF
Mr.. Van Burer.
Previous to the meeting of the Baltimore Conven-
ton, in l944 to nominate President and Vice-Pres-
ident, Blr. Clay aud Mr.. an Buren, both wrote let
ters agsinst the annexation of Texas. They were,
at that time, considered thu respective leaders Of
the Whig aud Democratic parties. The canvass, as
to who shoud be the selected candidates of the two
parties, had settled down pretty much TO them. l.
was great point to be gained, to concste that ul
ira portion Of the Northern people who we're sgainst
it. endeavoring TO sink the issue as far the Wing
party might be concerned. This letter was, think !
written from Raleigh, North Carolina, while Mr.
Clay was there; and Mr.. Van Buren wrote similar
letter from Albany, New York. They were sent to
Il. l.
in the Nation ~ IntegeHcsT; or. II net PTectSey the
same dag, one appeared the day after the other The
coincidence was so striking, and the circumstances
so peculiar that all sagaoOu5 men instantly con-
cluded that the letters written by concert, aud
under full understanding between the leaders of
the two great parties; and that they we're determine
ed to sinS that issue in the election, and fall back
simply upon The old Issues Of 1910. Mr.. Clay suslaR
ed himself by his heroic viii and transcendaDt tall
. ats as head Of his party, and was nominated and
then prostrated by the issue Mr. Van Buren, could
not make his party follow, and they nominated
another upon that issue, thus saving the Democrat
party This, in my opinion, is the true polit C i
history of that day, and it is great mistake to
suppose that it turned upon men, or was at all ef-
fected by intrigues. 1t was the ground swell of a
mighty people, resolved to work out their own de t-
ny by extending their power and protection to q
kindred people, identified with them by all the ties
that can bind man to his felllW-maa 1t rose above
men and defed the shackles oflesders and this trrk
no man was in better position to realize in allMs
ovsrV helming power, than CO.. Bentonhimself Its
progress and history furnished his opponents with
massey blocks of granite from which to construct his
political mausoleum, ard no maz5le shaft raised
thereon, at this period, matter how polished or
what COrinlhian capital may adorn it, can ever d-
vert the public gaze from the material and real
structure beneath And when he supposes that the
condition" upon which South Carolina was to
vote for Mr.. Polk turned upon contemplate in-
trigne to dismiss Messrs Blair and Rvss as govern
ment organs and substitute another organ less hos
tile to Mr.. Calhoun, and that this the main OBJ
ject Of my visit to Mr. Polk in august, 1874. he