Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-24

ST. LOUIS. March IL 1850.
o Msssrs. P. Z. Fog. Editor Of The Missouri Demo
crh; d.. Rsulays, Eliior Of he Aaz5eger, and
other gentlemen;
SiRs :-B. Gratz Brown, Esq. as President Of the
Iissouri State Convention which sat at st. Louis on
he tenth Of this month, has officially made known
o me the proceedings Of that body, and by them 1
I'M enabled to know some Of you as delegates 70 the
Chicago Convention, representing the Repuohcan
party of Missouri
/ have received your letter propounding to me !
certain questions, seven in number which you [
suppose viii cover most if not ALL Of the grounds /
Of controversy in the approaching Presidential
election.
PRELIMINARY EXPLANATION
With pleasure viii answer your questions. Be
fore doing So allow me to glance &C the peculiar
circumstances in which placed, and the strange
ness Of the fact that !, a mere private man. am
called upon % make avowals and explanations WIN
any view to take me from the shades OF private
life and place me at the head Of the Nation came
TO this frontier in NY youth and settled in St. louis
when It was a mere village. All my manhood has
been spent in Missouri, and during all TINS time
have followed a profession which LETT my character
and conduct open 20 the observation OF society, ana
while ii has been my constant habit freely to eX
press my opinion Of public measures and public
men the people of Missouri, of all parties will bear
me witness that / have never Obtrusivey thrust
myself forward in pursuit Of official hOnors. l
have held no political Office, and sought for
stances confess the qualification which feel in re
ceiving the recent manifestations of the respect and
confidence of my fellow-citiZens. First the OppO-
sition members Of the Missouri Legislature declare
their preference for me as a candidate. Then fol-
lowed my nomination by convention composed of
all the elements Of the Opposition of this State
And now the Republicans OF Missouri, in their
separate convention held in st. Louis have reafirm
ed the nomination, and proposed, by their delegates
to present me to the National Convention, soon to
be held ct Chicago, candidate for the first Office
in the natiod.
These various demonstrations in nv own State
are dOubly gratifying to me- because they afford the
strongest proof that my name has been put forward
only IN a spirit Of harmony and peace, and with a
hope Of preventing all division and controversy
among those who, for their safety and the pub
lie good, ought to be united in their action.
For all this / am deeply grateful; and as far as
concerns me personally, must declare, in simple
truth, that if the movement go farther and pro-
duce no results still am paid and Overpaid for a
life of labor and for whatever of Jealous effort and
patient watching have been able to bestow in sup
port Of line of governmental policy which believe
to be for the present and permanent good Of the
/ country.
| Now, gentlemen, proceed to answer your ques-
tons briefly indeed, but fully, plainly and with all
possible franlness and do this the more willing
ly, because have received from individuals many
/ letters-tOO many to be separately answered-and
have seen in mary public journals articles making
/ urgent calls upon me for such a statement of my
views.
lsT-sIAvERT AND ITS EXTENSION IN THE TERRITORIES
On this subject in the States and in the Terrific
ries, have no new OpiniOns-no opinions formed il
relation to the present array Of parties. am co
eval with the Missouri question Of 1890, having
begun ny political life in the midst Of that struggle
] At that time my position required me to seek al
the means Of knowledge within nv reach, and tt
study the principles involved with all the powers
of my mind, and l arrived at the conclusions which
no subsequent events have caused me to change
The existence of negro slavery in our country haC
its beginning IN the early time of the colony anC
| was imposed by the mother country, against the
| will Of most Of the cOlonists 1t the time of the
/ Revolution and long after, it was commonly re
garded evil, temporary in its nature, and like
ly TO disappear in the course Of time; yet while Il
continued, misfortune to the country socially anC
politically. Thus was / taught by those who made
our Government, and neither the new light Of mod
ern civilization nor the discovery of a new system
of constitutional law and social philosophy has en-
abled me to detect the error Of their teaching.
Slavery a social relation, domestic institution
Within the States it exists by the local law and the
| Federal Government has no control over it there
| The Territories, whether acquired by conquest OF
peaceable purchase are subject and subordinate
not sovereign like the States. TIE nation is su
pTeme over them, and the National Government hai
the power to permit forbid slavery within them
Entertaining these views ] am opposed to the exten
sion Of slavery, and in my opinion the spirit anC
| the policy of the Government ought &c be agains
its extension
2D-DoEs THE CONSTITUTION CARRY SLAVERY INTO TIL
TERRITORIES
answer no. The Constitution Of the Untel
States does not carry slavery into the Territories
With much more show of reason may, it be SAT-
that it carries into all the States. But it does
carry slavery anywhere 1t only acts upon 1t wher
it finds it established by the local law. In cOnneC
ton with this point am asked to state my views o
H. I.#,,
| ed by the Supreme Court in that case. 1t Is m,
opinion, carefully considered that the Court deter
mined one single point of law only That is, tina
Scott the plaintiff, being negro, Of African descen
| not necessarily slave, could not be a citizen O
Missouri, and therefore could not sue in the Fedora
Court, and that for this reason, and this alone, tn
Circuit Court had no jurisdictionfOf the cause AIT
no power to give judgment between the parties
The only jurisdiction which the Supreme Court ha
Of the cause was for the purpose of correcting tn
error of the Circuit Court in assuming the power
decide on the merits Of the case This power tn
Supreme Court did exercise by setting tlside tn
judgment Of the Circuit Court upon the merits, an
by dismissing the suit without any judgment for q
against either party. This is all that the SupTem
| Court did and all that il had lawful power to dc
l consider 1t great misfortune that several of tn
learned Judges should have thought that their dut
required them to discuss and give opinions upO
various questions outside of the case as the cas-
was actually disposed CT by the Court All sue
] bDAaDIs are extra luulClsl anu OF No authority
But. besides this, it appears to that several @
the questions so discussed by the Judges are pOt
cal questions and therefore beyond the urisdiCtiO
Of the Judiciary. and proper only to be cOnsidere
and disposed Cf by the political departments. If
am right IN this, and It seems to me PLAIN, the pre-
Cedent is most unfortunate because it may lead to
dangerous conflict Of authority among the co-ord
nate branches Of the Government.
3D-As TO THE COLONIZATION OF THE FREE BLACKS.
For many years have been connected with tn
American Colonization Society of which the risin
young State of Liberia Is the first fruit / consde
the subject both humane and wise, benefcent alik
to the free blacks who emigrate and to the white
whom they leave behind But Africa is distant
| and presents so many obstacles to rapid settemen
that we cannot indulge the hope of drawing of il
that direction the growing numbers Of our fire.
black population The tropical regions Of America
think, offer a far better prospect both for an
for them.
am To ANY INEQUALITY OF RIGHT AMONG ANERl
CAN CITIZENS.
recognize distinctions among American cit
Zens but such are expressly laid down in tn
Constitution: and ! hold that our Government
all their rights everywhere and against all assail
ants; and to these rights there no difference
between citizens born. aud citizens made such b,
law.
| 5TH-AN IN FAVOR OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD
FROM THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE PACIT
/ OCEAN, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE GENERAL GOV.
ERNMENTs
les thoroughly. l do not only believe such
| road TO be of vast importance the means of in
creasing the population, wealth and power Of TIM
great valley. but necessary as the means of NatOna
defense, and Of preserving the integrity Of the
! Union.
/ 6TH-AW IS FAVOR OF MEASURE CALLED TIL
I HOMESTEAD BILL
Yes ] am for guarding the public lands as vel
/ as possible from the danger of becoming subec
/ Of common trade and speculation; for keeping
them for the actual of the people and for grant
ms tracts of suitable size to those who will actually
inhabit and improve them.
/ 7uI-AM Z IN FAVOR or THE IMMEDIATE ADMISSION OF
/ KANSAS UNDER THE wYANDoTTE CONSTITUTION.
think that Kansas ought to be admitted without
delay leaving her like all the other States, the sole
/ Judge of her own Constitution.
Thus, gentlemen, | believe / have ans cred al
your inquiries in a plain, Ineligible manner, and
/ ! hope To your satisfaction. l have not attempted
to support my answers by argument, for that could
not be done in a short letter. and restraining my
self from going into general politics, have contn-
! ed my remarks to the particular subjects upon
I which you requested NE to write
! Your obliged fellow citizen EDWARD BATES.
/ List Of Cadets Appointed cat Iarges5 by thc
president for 1860.
J. Edward Willoughby Anderson. son of the late
-. l. Al