Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-26


who voted against him, and every one of
which nine with single exception had been
.'put overheard" the first chance their con-
stituents had to remove them.
That the second objection against him was
that he voted for the Lecompton- Constitution. 1
He said when that question arose be saw that
the same persons were opposed to the Lecomp-
ton-Constitution, who had opposed the Kansas
and Nebraska bill; the same persons who had
opposed the registry of the names of the
voters-the same persons who had framed the
anti Slavery Topeka Constitution; the same
persons who bad taken up arms and drilled
themselves day after day and week after
week preparing TO resist the execution of
the law; and the same persons who had all
ready plunged the country into a civil war.
That he saw the abolitiouists were using
every effort to manufacture sufficient num-
Der Offree states to enable them to alter the
Constitution of the United States and thus
abolish slavery throughout the Union. That
there were now only fifteen slave states to
eighteen free states, and there were eleven
territories which would soon be knocking at
the door of Congress for admission into the
Union as free states, which would increase the
number to twenty-nine. That Delaware I'M
suited in climate and occupation to the in
stitution would require, but the question to
be raised by some popular leader, to abandon
slavery ''and fall like ripened pear into the
lap of abolitionsm." That. there would be
thirty free to fifteen slave states-a majority
of two thirds, and as there was no territory
out of which any additional slave states could
be formed, the result would be that the con-
stitution would be so altered as to abolish
slavery in every state in the Union; would
turn our negroes loose upon us armed with
British bayoncts, and the hearthstone of the
STAKEHOLDER would be drenched in his own
blood shed by the hands of his bondsmen."
That it was the constant boast of the abo-
litionists. that they would alter the constitu-
ton of the United States. so as to abolish
slavery in every slaveholding State, and that
they would ''wiiness the ruin and disolation
of the South, if not with joy, at least with
out sympathy" That under all these cir
| cumstances be could as a friend of the South.
but feel great anxiety that Kansas should
come into the Union as a slave State and that
! it was his duty to use every exertion within
constitutional limits to effect that object.
That in a legal point Of view he held that
when the people of Kansas appointed dele
gates to frame a State constitution, they
parted with all their power over the subject,
were bound by the constitution, framed by
IL 4 II -
that it should be re-submitted to the people
for ratification. He therefore thought that
as no legal or constitutional principles were
violated, he was left free to act out the die
tates of his judgment and preference in
voting for the Lecompton Constitutions; and
here again he found himself with the whole
body of his Southern constituents only six
Representatives and two Senators from the
slavehOlding States, voting against the Lee
compton Constitution. That in voting for
the Kansas Nebraska BILL and the Lecompton
Constitution, he thought he was rejecting the
wishes of his district, and the interests of the
South. and had therefore expected the APP
proval of his constituents. But that during
the last session of Congress the Western
Weekly Revier0 bad poured out its
continued denunciations upon his course
in relation to these questions, and that
the articles had been copied into
Northern papers, laid upon his table in the
House of Representatives, and thrust into his
face by Black Republican members with a
sneering qualification, that he should see from
paper published in one of his counties that
the people of his own district disapproved
| his votes upon these two questions. And if
| it was matter of so much rejoicing to the
aboitionists that he should be assailed by
one newspaper, how much more would it be
| that be should be "cashiered and put over
board by his whole party and defeated when
he had offered for reelection" He quoted
| from the American Platform at Philadelphia.
and the Opposition Platform of March 20,
1859 to show that they endorsed his position
upon the Kansas-Nebraska bill
He said another objection which had been
raised to him, was that he took sides with
the Democrats in the report made by the in
vestigating committee upon the Navy Depart
| ment. He said that the committee was APP
pointed at the instance of Black Republ-
can, and was composed Of two Republicans
one of whom was charman-two Demo
Gratis GALL four of whom were able and ex-
perienced lawyers) and himself. He soon
saw that the investigation was assuming the
shape OF a prosecution by the two Republi-
cans and defence by the two Democrats,
and that he would hold the balance of power
nd bn rala nf lot
the parties That the investigation was one
of the greatest latitude consuming much
time and making about one thousand pages
of closely printed matter; that not only did
he listen with patience to the examination of
the witnesses but took up the whole testimony
after il had been reduced to writing and
studical il with all the care which the serious
ness of the charges demanded. That his de-
iiberate and impartial judgment was embo-
died in the report to Congress; that he had
furnished each newspaper in his district with
a published copy of that report with all the
might examine, aud he was perfectly willing
to risk the result of any intelligent and i'm
partial decision that might be made by any
one who would take the trouble to investigate
the matter for himself. 1t was true that it
was the custom for administration members
to have the nomination of the master-work-
men in the navy yards, aud that in this way
incompetent persons bad got into office, be-
cause they were the personal and political
friends Of the members OF Congress. through
whose instrumentaiity they had been appoint
ed. But as the committee said in their re-
port though they considered it bad practice
and recommended It's discantinuanee, vet