Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-18
SATURDAY, AUGUST IS. iseo.
HON. JOHN BELL:
HIS
PAST FISTORK CONNECTED WITH
THE PUBLIC SERVICE"

HON. JOHN BELL:
HIS
PAST HISTORY CONNECTED WITH
THE PUBLIC SERVICE"
A CONTINUANCE OF THE SLAVERY RECORD
We ask the indulgence of such of our readers as
may weary with the length of this investigation.
Mr. BELL stands before the people of Tennessee
candidate for the most imJ ortant and responsible
trust known TO the Government He has sought to
avoid expression of opinion upon those grave mat
tiers of public concern which it is the right of the
people to know, and has left his past history
connected with the public service as the only
of determining his position and fitness for the
distinguished Office to which he aspires. We have
endeavored in this Investigation to be as brief
possible, not to do injustice TO the subject matter
What remains 10 be said has been the subject of
discussion in every for several years past
and we can therefore pass over it still more hur-
riedly.
We referred on yesterday to the troubles of 1885,
the Comprise measures advocated by Mr.. CLAY and
Others as means of senttlement and that Mr.. BELL
was still found with HAMEN. HALE & Co. in their
efforts to defeat them. He was unwilling that
Territorial governments should be organized upon
the principle of non-intervention," but desired
that their molly population, composed principally
of Indians and half-bred Mexicans, should ry a
new patent process, be speedily organized and
admitted into the Union as States-a process which
would have been equally effectual, and more
offensive, in cutting of the South from those Ter
rtories than if she WilmOt Provlso had been direct
lyapplied. Such population as then occupied
those Territories would have necessarily framed
anti-slavery Constitutions, slavery being already
prohibited there by the old Mexican laws.
But Gen TAYLOR died, during the tendency of
these measures, and his successor. Mr.. FILLMORE,
was constrained by the force of public sentiment to
change the policy of the administration. Dir. BELL
was left in embarrassing position. He could no
longer shield himself behind the weakness of Gen.
TAYLOR in his efforts to have accomplished the very
policy which was being urged by the free soil senti-
ment of the North. His embarrassment became
manifest to the Senate and to the country. He
labored through a dsjointed three-days speech, fill
ed with singular incongruities Ike the mutterings
of sick man. passing through altern' tie intervals of
delirium and reason now encouraging the North to
continued acts Of aggression, and now forewarnng
them that such aggression must lead to disunion-
here telling them that he felt the force of their
ultant EXPLANATIONS, that owing to the increasing
power of the free States, it is no longer the South
and the North it is now the NORTH and the South"
and that in the plentude of their power they must
not forget that in the South there is body of men
who have long continued faithful and Just TO Them
sustaining them iRter taUorite policy through every
vicssitude of political fortune - and then moral
izng upon the destiny of this singular people, the
African slaves whether at some day when subsis-
tence shall tread too closely upon the heels of pro
ductun, they shall become the sole pOssessOrs ofthe
country which has been the scene of their tolls,
whether they are destined TO make another great
epoch in the migrations of mankind, by second
exodus or under the lead of some second Noses
they shall rise up with their little ones" TO found
an empire of their own in the measureless wids of
the great Southern continent"
The compromise measures were finally adopted
and since that time he has held himself out TO the
world as one Of their original and best friends; and
vet as matter of fact after the death Of Gen.
TAYLOR and tae utter disrepute into which his plan
of settlement was thrown, find Mr.. BELL voting
for the only feature in the compromise justly OBJ
noxious to the South-the admission of California
with her utslavery-squatters sovereignty consti-
tuition formed by handful Of unstable ad-
yenturers without even the color of law-and
and dodginq tie vote on Utah. which left open those
Territories for the emigration VI the Southerners
with their peculiar property upon an equal footing
with the people from any other section of the Union,
leaving the people to determine their domestic in.
stitutons for themselves when they shall come to
form a State government We repeat that Mr.. BELL
voted consistently with the fanatics of the North for
that feature of the Compromise which was the
most unjust to the South and with them against
that feature pertaining the Territories that did
the greatest Justice and was most approved at the
South-(See Ap. to Cong. Globe, vol. 81, part I'd,
PIP 1873 anu I5s9-vol. %, part %, p. 1885
In 1852. Mr. BELLS party was Indignantly hurled
from power by an insulted people. Tie next grave
question upon which Aboltionism found pretext
TO its head against the rights of the South was
in connection with the labor Of Congress in provld
ing organized governments for the Territories OF
NebI aska and Kansas, in 1854 Early in the pro-
ceedings of the Senate, January of that year, Mr.
Dixon, Wing Senator from Kentucky, offered an
amendment to the BILL repeating by express words
tie Missouri Compromise of 1924 compromise
which had always been regarded as unjust to
the South, and which the North had uniformly
shown an unwillingness to observe, except when
it operated to their advantage. The Compromise
acts of 1850 had, for this reason, been passed
in disregard Of the Missouri restriction, virtually
repeating it, and the Kansas Nebraska bill, as
Introduced by the Committee on Territories also
disregarded it, and threw open the Territory
10 the free enjoyment Of whatever constitutional
right the people of the South had in them But Mr..
Dixon desired an express repeal of that odious re-
striction, and accordingly offered his amendment
remarking, g 1t las been said that was a Wing |
from Kentucky, and that the amendment proposed |
by me should be looked upon with suspcion by the
opposite party. Sir, merely wish to remark that
upon the subject Of slavery, l know no Whiggery !
and know no Democracy. l represent n slave !
holding constituency, and am here TO maintain the
rights of that people whenever they are presented
before the Senate" The Legislature of Tennessee |
was in session at the time. There was A u,annops
sentiment of approval from ali portions of the State
acting in conformity to which the Senatorial branch
of the Legislature passed the following resolution
shore being but one dissenting voice:
p,.o5,sd That the bill now pending before Con. |
- called the Nebraska bill, the leading princi- |
which is that Congress has no right to legislate
F.' ~. N. subject of slavery but that the is an
restitution over which the people alone N forming
nor rgaDic aao have full pow er ana c0hlr9i meets
nYv cordial Approval anu As 'N
of he bills creating the Territorial gov
,reep,s Of New Mexico and Utah, and we earnest
" request our Senator's and Representatives 10 give
Il their hearty support
THE resolution went from the Senate to the House
I'D ,bere Mr.. LANB, of Shelby, introduced res6iu-
go, in substance the same Mr.. McKNIoHT wing
f2on-osentative from the county Of Rutherford