Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-19
rho canva..--DIseus.lon at Camden.
CAMDEN, Oct. Is, 1860.

GENTLEMEN Gen. w. @. WHIrTHoRNE,
Breckinridge EIector for the State at large,
and the Hon. JOHN s. BRIES, of your city,
spoke here to-day-the latter taking the
place of Hon. N g. TAYLOR, who was called
h"me by private engagements. There was
pretty good turn out of the people.
Gen. WHITrHoRNE opened the discussion,
leading off on the Slavery question, and treat
ing it precisely as all Democratic speakers
Methodist Church bad split upon the ques-
lion, and that il had broken up the old Wing
party. He did not say, as be might truth
fully have done, that the persistent agitation
Of the question by The Democracy, had given
1T sufficient strength not only to sever church
es and overthrow parties, but to place the
Union in the most deadly peril. He said that
the result of the election of Republican
President would be dissolution of the
Union. When asked. however, by Judge
would or would not be in favor of dissolu-
ton OF The Union, be was silent, even when
the question was repeated. He then Sex
pounded" the doctrine of Congressional Pro-
lection a Ia mode, and alter telling us all the
hnOw-NOthing party ever did or said, which
was extremely entertaining, as it was all en-
tirely new and fresh, he touched upon the
record Of Mr.. Bell. He did not discuss that
record, but pronounced Mr.. Bell an ally of
the AbOliuOnists, stating as evidence OF the
f4at ha q, ba IF hnit-
ton petitions, and acknowledged the power
OF Congress to abolish slavery in the District
of Columbia. This is about the sum and
substance of Gen. WIS speech. l had often
heard him before, and expected he would
make a powerful speech; but was disap-
pointed. He did not sustain his reputation.
Ia short, he made failure. 1t may be at
tributable though, TO the fact that he was
somewhat indispOsed.
After few Introductory remarks, Judge
BRIEN answered Gen. W. on Mr. Bells record.
He said he had known Mr.. Bell personally for
many years-had known him as well as a
private citizen could know man occupying
Mr.. Bells exalted position, and be knew
that the South had no truer, frmer and stead
fIst friend. He admitted that Mr.. Bell
voted years ago for the reception of
Abolition petitions, but said he never
even dreamed of voting to entertain or
grant such petitions. The right of petition,
said Judge b., was right which the Consti-
tuition guarantees alike to the people of ev
cry section of the Union and is right Con-
infrinra yrithot1f fo
itself power the Constitution does not give
it Mr.. Bell favOr,d the reception of AbO-
lItiOn petitions, not because he favored the
object of the petitioners, but because they,
as American citizens, had the right to petit
ton Congress, as all other American citizens
have, and Congress had no tight to deny them
a hearing. No man in the Union was farther
from desire to grant such petitions than
Mr.. Bell; he simply voted to receive them, as
did Others of the best men in Congress, be-
cause, it was his sworn duty to do so.
Judge BRIEN said Mr.. Bell acknowledged
the power OF Congress to abolish slavery in
the District of Columbia, as does every 9TH
er man who knows anything about the pow
ers of Congress; but Mr.. Bell had always OPP
posed The exercise of that power. Congress,
said Judge b., has the exclusive control of
the District of Columbia; it is to that terri
tory what the Legislature of Tennessee is to
the State, and has the absolute power to con-
troll its institutiOns-the power to build
them up or t, ar them down at pleasure. The
District of Columbia belongs to the nation.
aud the nation has the power, through its
epresentative-its accredited agent-to do
there as it pleases. Deny Congress that
power, and you deny the nation the power to
CONT oil its own affairs.
Judge BIEN then proceeded to show that
Brcckiarid gc has 10 chance whatever of an
el, C ion. and that his only hope of receiving
"a single electoral vote North is in the success
% the fusion ticket in New York, in which
case be will get seven votes in that State,
but cannot get another North of Mason and
DiXOn's line. These propositions, l will say
here, G n. WHITTHORNE did not attempt to
cunt.overt. Judge BRIEN maintained that the
aim of many OF the leaders of the Breckenridge
party is to break up the Union. He said Mr..
Breckenridge had r, ad in a late speech extracts
ircm the speech of leading Republicans
TO show the Object of the r publican party
with regard To the institution of slavery,
and following his example, he would show
by extracts from the speeches of leading
Br' ckiuridge Democrats the designs of
the Breckenridge party upon the Union.
In doing his be asserted that every promi-
n Mt disunionist and secessiOnist in the South
i, earnestly supporting Mr.. Breckenridge for
The Presidency, and challenged Gen. WHIT
THORNE to deny it. He asked Gen. W. the
questions: "Do you regard the election of
Lincoln (aud you say his election is very
probably as a sufficient cause for a dissoIu-
ton of the Union = and lis the Breckinridge
party in favor of a dissolution of the Union
in case protection by Congress is not given
to slavery in the territories? ?" To these
questions Gen. W. made no answer. In his
ryjuinder Judge B. turned to him and repeat
ed them, and called upon him TO answer yes
or no but he answered never a word. Judge
B. then said he himself did not regard the
constitutional election of Republican Presi-
dent as sufficient cause for carrying out the
scheme of the disunionists, and went on to
depict in the most eloquent language the
terrible results OF resort to such extreme
measures.
have seldom seen men better pleased with
a spe, ch than were the Union men here to-
day with that of Judge BRIEN. They ex-
pressed their appreciation by frequent bursts
ofapplause. 1 will not say. as is the custom
Of Democratic letter-writers, that be '.literal-
ly demolished his opponent" but 1 ,OM say
that his effort was more than satisfactory to
his friends. We want nc ADLER champion
than he, and we bid him God-speed in his
crusade against the enemies of the Constitu-
ton aud the Union.
The Breckenridge Democracy claim ma
iOrity of some Seventy-odd in this county hut