Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-31
THE CANVASS.
CARTHAGE. Oct. %, 1860.

L. OCI- u 1cOU-
EDITORS PATRIOT Hon John s. Brien,
representing Col. Taylor, the Union Elector
for Bell and Everett for the State at large.
and Col Whitthorne, the Breckenridge Elec-
tor, addressed the people at this place to-day
on the great political questions that are now
agitating the public mind.
Judge Brien led in the discussion. His
speech was one of the most logical and i'm
pressive we have ever heard. 1t was fall of
fact, argument and eloquence. 1t is impos-
sible for us to do him justice in this report.
He showed that the main question in this
Presidential contest is, not so much how
the government shall be administered as
whether it shall be preserved and perpetuated
with all our Constitutional rights, or be
broken up and destroyed on a speculative,
impractical, not to say unconstitutional
issue. 81
The Judge discussed the Territorial ques-
ton with great force, and in this connection
put some pointed and special questions to
Col. Wbitthorne. The Judge pressed him to
answer, if the eight Cotton States South, did
or not secede from the Democratic Conven-
ton because that Convention refused to incor-
pOratc in its platform the doctrine of inter
vention ny Congress on the subject Of slavery
in the Territories? If Col. w. and his party
do not contemplate the passage Of law by
Congress protecting slavery in the Terrific
ries? If that was not the meaning Of the
present Breckinridge Democratic platform,
explanatory or the Cincinnati platform {?
Aud do not the leaders of the Breckenridge
wing of Democracy in those eight seeding
Cotton States now so understand and con-
strue the platform
1t would seem by all rules of debate known
to Us, that the Judge was entitled to specific
and categorical answers to these leading
questions. But not so with Col. w, who
totally failed to meet these plain interroga-
tories. although the Judge pressed him for
an uncquivocal answer, both in his opening
address and his rejoinder. True, Col. W.
finally said he was non-interventionist and
for Popular Sovereignty, and that, before
breaking up this Union, be would be in favor
of appealing 10 the Federal Government in
all its departments-the Legislative, Judicial
and Executive-and asked the Judge to take
this as his answer TO the said several ques-
tons.
But the greatest farce was Col. WIS plea
of infancy. He said Judge Brien was one of
the very ablest jurists in the State, the most
adroit able debater, and well known to the
people here, and appealed to the people not
to be carried away by the Irresistible force of
the Judges distinguished ability that he
Col. W. was quite young and inexperi-
enced man ;and hoped they would not forget
his facts and arguments.
Well, Col. W. may be an infant. What!
tell US that man thirty-ive or forty years
Old the prospective candidate of the Brock
inridge wing of the Tennessee Democracy
for the next Governorship Of the State, and
one of the acknowledged leaders and ablest
infant? It will not do, gentlemen, will not
do. Now, we might believe it, were it not
for the above facts.
The Judge, in bis address dwelt upon the
dangerous tendency of the Black Republican
party North. as well as the disunionists
South showed that this Northern Black Re
publican party are peculiarly sectional, and
stand upon a sectional platform, inimical to
to Southern rights and subversive of the
Constitution. That they claim that Congress
must intervene to prohibit slavery in the
territories; and by means of their "irrepres-
sihle conflict" doctrine finally destroy Afri-
can slavery everywhere. They, the Black
Il rpubIicans, however, insist that they wish
to ultimately accomplish this end in the
Union. and that they are not for dissolution
Of the Union. Can any one doubt that such
doctrine, so repugnant to the South, and SO
much in violation Of their Constitutional
rights, if attempted to be carried out ia prac-
ticc. would prove disastrous to the Nation.
and destroy the Government? This sectional
party North was but small ten years ago. It
has gained most of its numbers, strength and
" gor on account of the violated pledges of
The Democratic party, growing out of their
the to great doctrine of nOn-in-
ervention, embodied, in spirit, in the Con-
,titution, and carried into the compromise
OF $780, 10y the Union men of that |
lay, led on by the immortal Sage Of Ash
and. Upon this principle of selEgovern-
nent, the people of a territory, when assem-
lied in solemn Convention to frame Con- |
titulion preparatory to asking admission in
0 the Union as State, shall then say by |
heir decree whether they will or will not adj
nit or have slavery among them. That is
he doctrine of the Constitution. And upon
his question the Judge maintained that he
gas not with either the Breckenridge or
Douglas platforms or the principles advocat-
d by them, but against both. That if de-
locracy had strictly adhered to this princi-
lie Of non-intervention as they pledged them
elves to the American people in 1852, at
we would not now behold So vast
nd portentious cloud of Black Rrpubli-
anism in the North, threatening to over
helm and destroy our Southern rights. That
ne reckless legislation and violated promi-
IS of the Democratic party have contribu-
ID to the growth of Northern Republican,
IN, and they are responsible for its present
.ariul aspect. That the Breckenridge De-
locracy are in favor of Intervention by Con-
ress to protect slavery in the territories;
nd admitting the right of Congress to inter-
cue for one thing is equal to admitting it's
ght to intervene for another, touching the
lme subject matter. Thus we have two sec
Onal parties aGl -eing upon the duty as well
s the po,cer of Congress to intervene but
iflering as to the purpose or motive of in
ervention; and in the latter respect stand in
Irect antagonism with each other, and are
kewise in opposition to the constitutional
nnL ri of rnnr-i t.r.r-nntin-, |