Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-01-21

-eeOfut101, II states lis substance anu puf-
,ort to be.sfhe duty of our Representatives
n congress to avoid any steps which would
nd in placing the officers and important COM
mittees of Congress under their (Republiean)
rould myself have no doubt about this
,,o;no the meaning of those who passed that
even fits Language did=not fur
n;sb its own unmistakable construction. CO.
orar.t;orl with men of ultra-anti-slarery sem
timents is something to which Tennessee De-
mocrats do not object. if to the Demoerucy II
,,;.lJ, d. spoits Ny colleague and his party |
> s,to,a-a,ed in 1852 with Free-Soilers In the
Nor,b IN the election of Mr.. Pierce. He did |
:, 49, nth bis eyes open, for the metropoli- |
Ian organ of his party. the Washington Union |
used Ills language during that canvass:
..Tbe Free-Soii Democratic leaders of the |
North are regular Po,Iion OF the Democratc
nsrtv and General Pierce, If elected. will
,nate no d;stincSton between them and the
Democracy in TIE distribution of Official pat
ronaoo and in the selection Of agents for adj
miuistering the Government"
Nv coll apue is not so much opposed to
sucb cfioperation. as some might imagine from
his speecil. provided il would give somebody
inside of the Democratic party the offices and
their perquisites. So much, Mr.. Clerk, for
this reason assigned by my coIleagee for not
voting for Mr.. Gilmer. But he says the STD
ms of Mr.. Gilmer is well known to the coun-
try. What does he mean by that? 1t means
something or nothing. My colleague says
he has high regard for Mr.. Gilmer person
aIly. IF so. then Of course he has reference
10 his political status. ] ask my colleague
what that is? ] ask him, if be desires the OPP
portuniiy. to tell the House aud the country
what il is that Mr.. GilDer has done Whicn
fixes this political sf0tus, which he would IN
innate is bad. and which prevents his voting
for him? He declines to do it. The only
thing Mr.. Gilmer has done. as understand
from Democrats themselves, is. that he voted
against the Lecompton Constitution
Mr.. Eiberidge. With the permission OF my
colleague | desire to correct the impression
that Mr. Gilmer voted against the Lecomp-
ton constitution. | say to my colleague 'nal
Mr.. Gilmer opposed and voted against the
Senate bill: er rather he voted for the Crit
tenden Montgomery amendment which was
substituted for the Senate bill: and hnaiIy
he voted with the Administration party In
| this House for the English bill. which passed
| this House and the Senate, aud received the
! approval of the President, and was pronounc-
ed by distin guished members OF that party a
better bill than the Senate bill Itself So he stands
| in the same position, in regard to the English
bill and the final action of Congress upon
| the admission of Kansas, as the great body OF
the Democratic party themselves
Mr. Hatton. Yes. sir; be voted against
the Senate bill for the admission of Kansas
under the Lecompton constitution. and sub
sequently voted for the English bill with the
Democratic party But this constitutes no
reason why Democrats should not cast their
vOfes for him. My colleague (Mr. Avery1
furnished me with an answer to this oigec-
ton when, in his place. he announced to the
House sthat it not patriotic to be max
ing points upon LCcompton or anti-Lecomp-
ton, when the rights and interests OF the Sou d
were at stake. and The Union in peril"
More than that, Mr.. Clerk. When Mr.. Gill
mer cast that vote. be did what many South
ern gentlemen, whose integrity to the South
has not been questioned. have said he ought to
have done Senator Hammond. of South Car
DINA, said to the people OF that State, III ref
erence to that bill, that
..h ,Oas STEPPED IN fraud outrage and blood. and
Southern men lCoi haze done a0eu 10 hare kicked
it out Of Congress"
And Mr. Forsyth. of Alabama, in recent
letter to Mr.. Samplord. in speaking of this
language of Senator Hammond's indorsed IL
as swell said"
So much for that objection to the gentle
man from North Carolina. But be introduce
ed some resolutions, said the honorable gen
tleman from Virginia, Mr.. Smith, J this morn
ing. That is difficulty in the way OF my
colleague, [Mr. Avery.] who said those reso-
lutions were calculated, if not intended, to
have the effect of conducting of from the
head of Mr. Sherman the thunderbolt that
had forged by the Democrats for his destruc-
ton. My colleagues Imagination Is excited.
He is profuse in his figures, and they are
charged with electricity. Now, with view
OF quieting my friend, will tell him (and
speak for myself and the honorable gentle
man from North Caroliha) that that resolu-
ton was intended to have no such effect, nor
could it have answered any such purpose. 1t
IL hi. ,l....l. A.t 10
strike all OF every section who were stirring
up sectional strife. or who were attempting
to agitate the slavery question for party pur-
poses. | speak for Mr.. Gilmer and for my
self when / say that no language can TOO
strongly characterize the infamy of that Hell
per book, or that of the man who approves OF
its abominable doctrines.
Mr.. Etherdge. AS do not propose to oc-
cupy the floor at any time at length in regard
to the resolutions passed by the Tennessee
Legislature, and which have been this morn
ing referred to, or in regard to any OF the
various subjects discusstd in this pi eliminaTy
struggle Cor Speaker, | viii. however, by my
colleagues permission, say few words Just
here, in regard to the resolutions sent to us
from the Tennessee Legislature. For good
many of the members OF that body have
some respect; for portion OF them have, OF
COURSE, no i'll Will, because | do not person.
which. in fact, controlled the party majority
of that body, or a portion oft. in the passage
of the resolutions referred TO by my colleague.
have nothing but contempt. The Demo-
cratic members of that Legislature, or por
ton of them, politically hate me, am sure,
and the sentiment is no doubt mutual. Tor,
politically, loathe aud despise them. / say,
to-day, that have no more respect for those
resolutions than | would have Tor a private
IA Git ii Inv Y or 81 n
hundred gentlemen anywhere in the state.
They have no right To instruct Inc. A pOr-
ton OF The Democrats who voted for those
resolutions followed me through my district
IN the last canvass followed me like the
cuttle-fsh, q believe that is the name,) list
eniug TO what | said; but their political opin-
ions-I may say their importauce-was in-
quilted aud swallowed up in the Interest that
my canvass elected in that district. The
people of my district (and say it, | trust,
With becoming mOdesty.) OF all parties have
tenfoid more respect to-day for my judgment,
Tor my willingness and dis position 10 do just
what is right and best for my whole country,
han they have Tor many ct tho c ahO. With
out authority, attempt to dictate my public
conduct. 60 far as ! am concerned, intend
be governed by what | conceive to be my
iuty; and, so far as these resolutions are con-
cerned, repudiate the right Of the Legisla-
ture of'rcnnessee 10 instruct me to do what
am not pledged TO do, or anything which
my Judgment does not approve. While will
not say that their conduct has been imperti-
nent, | will say that shall treat those re-
solves with no more consideration than |
would attach 10 request; made by an equal
number OF my Respectable ielIow-citizeus
anywhere in my S,ate--no more and no less
Mr.. HattOn. When i was Interrupted by
my colleague | was remarking on the reso-
luton introduced by the gentleman from
North Carolina SO far from the object OF
that resolution being TO shield anybody, / re-
peat that it was the purpose oil The gentle
man who introduced 1t To strike not only ut
such approve OF Helpers book, hui all
dangerous agiators OF the subj CT of slavery. |
But theIe rs another difficulty. MIR. Gil |
mer is an 4mer,cTR." How strangely such al |