Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-07


relations, pro-slavery party-that it was neither
such party. nor an anti-slavery party-that It re
Jects the interference of the Federal Government
whether to introduce or exclude slavery. and lief
.he terrltofles open to common Settlement from al
the Statesthat each State was entitled to form il
own Constitution, to enter the Union, without dis
crlminatlon by Congress account of its allowance
or prohibition of slavery, and that the statement
that ne advocated squatter sovereignty was IN.
Mr.. Breckenridge continued In the autumn o.
the same year received Louisiana paper, con
tanning remarks made by General Niles, who heard
my speech, IN which he denied had admitted this
doctrine of territorial power. He sent me sir
containing his speech in the month. before the
Presidential election. l answered him. saving
Hands on the whole subject by the Federal Gov
eminent, except for one or two protective purposes
mentioned lnthe Constitution the equal rights OF
all sections In the common territory, and the abso
Lutte power of each State &c settle the question
in its Constitution" These are my doctrines, and
those of our platform and what is more, of the
Constitution. ICheers.1 sss
Now, fellow-eitizens, against the statement Of
that distinguished Senator, in which he undertakes
to prove allegations against myself, by himself,
thus oppose my own statement Next, IN proof,
read to you from my speech in 1854, in. Congress
the article in the lexington paper, before the Pres
dental election; the testimony of Gen. Miles, wh
heard that speech at Tippecanoe; my own letter j
answer to the latter gentleman, CONSUMING my opi
Ion of the question at that time. and what has ever
since been nv opinion. T A voce-"Now you are ta1-
ng"1 think have proven, as fully as could be *
pectedIin the limits of aspeech, that the charge is IN
founded in fact and will add that the position is
sumed was that taken by al the Southern friendsof
the Nebraska BILL and by portion of its NOrth!rn
friends. These were our private opinions; thsse
were the opinions we taught on all proper occasions
but we did not undertake to force all others to agree
to them. We had agreed to refer that to the
highest tribunal in the Union.
Now, gentlemen, having indicated myself and
the Constitutional Democracy from the charge of
having abandoned the position we took in 1854 and
1856, turn upon my acruser and undertake to
show that he. himself, abandoned the agreement he
solemnly made at the time the Kansas -Nebra.ka
bill passed the Congress of the United States reat
applause,l and ] do not make myself witness
against him to do it. will prove it by himself.
TVoices-"Good, good,n and applause.l
On the I'd day of July, 1856, in debate upon bill
to authorize the people of Kansas to form colsti
tuition preparatory to admission into the Union as
State, when the question arose as to what was the
true meaning of the Kansas-Nebraska bill and the
limitation of the power Of the Territorial Govern
ment, Mr.. Trumbull offered the following amend
ment SIS an additional section to the bill And be
it further enacted that the provision in the act
organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas,
which declares it to be the true intent and mean
ing of said act not to legisate slavery in any Terri
tory or State, nor to exclude it therefron, but to
regulate their domestic Institutions in their own
way subject only to the Constitution of the United
States was intended to and does confer upon or
leave to the people of the Territory of Kansas, full
power atany time through its Territorial Legislature
TO exclude sayeryfrom said Territory To recognize
and regulate it therein" That was Mr.. Trumbulfs
amendment, against which an overwhelming
jorty of the Senate voted including Gen. Cass and
Senator Douglas. Let me- however, Mr.. Douglas
the justice to say he voted against Ihatamendment
not ecause he did not believe the Territorial Legis
lature had the power to exclude slavery from the
Territory but because he did not believe it was
consistent to decide the question egisstivey, which
they had agreed to leave to the Court
Gen. Cass says there Mr.. Breckenridge quotes
from Gen. Cass to show that the South and North
differed about the powers that might be given Ter
rtorial legislature and that the Kansas bill left
that to be adjudicated by the Court Wy which alone
the constitutional question could be settledD FL
naly, (Mr. Breckenridge continued MIR. Douglas in
the same debate, used the following language in
speaking OF the attempt of his colleague to coerce
an opinion out of him upon the question whether
the Territorial Legislature had the power to ex-
clude slave property before they became State.
said-(Mr Breckenridge here read from Mr.. Doug
las speech declaration that this point in the Ne
braska bill judicial question which he could
not discuss, because by the bill, it was referred TO
the cOurts).
Mr. Breckenridge continued: On the 18th of NAY
last, in the Senate, Mr.. Douglas said-(here Mr..
Breckenridge read from Douglas speech an extract
concluding with the assertion 1--WE agreed to re-
fer it to the Judiciary. We agreed to abide by their
decisiOn.') | think | have shown that upon the
point OF dispute between the friends OF the Kansas
bill IS to the power of Territorial Legislature to
exclude slave property, it agreed refer it
the Supreme Court, and when ithad been judicially
determined, should abide by their decision.
Now bea- with me while reada very little from
the decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States in the bred Scott case. Let US for moment
turn to the calm enlightened judicial utterance of
the most august tribunal upon the earth. Ire
peated applause.) This opinion was cOncurred III
by all the judges except two, and was uttered by
the llustriOus Chief Justice Of the United States.
The Court says: ... .E
They all looked to the period when they should
come into the Union State, as the time when
the territorial authorities might act the subject
Of property and hold exclude the slave property
Of the South" [Applause.l |
Time will not allow me to do much more than |
'tate these propositions butt will read short alb
stracts from the celebrated report made by the |
committee of thirteen, OF which Mr.. Clay was
chairman, which resulted il the compromise meas |
ares of 1850, 1t is calm, lucid, has cap-trap |
phrases, and puts one in mind of the language used
by the Supreme Court. -.s. -.. e.. ... .- |
[Ar. B. here quoted from Congressional Globe |
ToL u, part l, page 945.l .r /
That was non-lnterveutiCn in 1850. Il was no /
Interference to exclude by Congress or the territOr
al legislature but to leave the question to be decd
d by the people when they CAME to form their |
'tate Constitution Mr.. B. here read from q |
peech of Daniel Webster where the position was
AIKEN that territorial governments were in a state
# pupllage under the protection of the general
government; that they had no power not given by
congress, and that 1t is duty to provide for the
eOple of the territory a government to keep the
eace; to secure their property; TO assign to them
subordinate legislature; authority 10 that the
rejection of their persons and the security of their
property are all regularly provided for and to
maintain them IN that state until they grow into
efficient Importance, in point Of population, to be
Omitted into the Union State upon the same
oOting with the original States.l
Mr.. B. conmT DIDO you supGos blat Daniel
Webster, after the opinion of the supreme Court
nat have read to you, would have considered it
ecoming him to point out some contrivsnce or de
ice by which the Territorial Legislature could
ioate the constitutional rights of the Southern
tates? Not he-nor would Clay, nor any of the
reat and good men who figured in the earlier days
your history. [Cheers,l
The judges and governors of these Territorial ?
Overnments are appointed by the President and
enate of the United States, and paid of the
ublic treGsury-sO that the very legislature which
ley invoke TO exclude your property from the Ter
tories is whose daily expenses are paid out of
e Treasury, out of money to which that very pro
erty contributes by taxation [Applausel The I
ractce of the government has been always differ
IT. Mr.. B. here entered into an argument to show
at Congress has power to protect property in the
err:orles and in refutation of the position recently
ken by the Senator from Illinois, that Congress !
I'd never exercised this power.] .f - {
The principles | have tried feebly to yindicate
IRE, are the principles upon which the Constitu-
Dnal Democracy stands to-day and they are the t
lily principles upon which any human being will {
'etend to charge them with purposes of disunion t
they the principles of the constitution and the
uon, then we are ConstitutOnalIsts and Unionists
ries of " that's SOL and yet for two or three a
Onths you have heard loud and incessant clamor f
at and those Democrats with whom ! am con- '
cited are disunlon organization, who seek to |
eak up the coptedeFafy Of the States hardly h
low, so far as it is personal charge against my s
If, how to answer il Ia voice" tell him it's a
>" as repeated by anonymous writer's and wan C
ring orators over the country. Their whole stock Il
trade is Disunion, Disunon. This man and his h
rty attempt to break up the Union of the States o
wv can principles be sectional or dlsuniOnist, e
lich are based upon the constitution? And TIE g
'ge number of young gentlemen who are engaged v
ringing bells STILL with tongues long and heads Il
empty as the bells which they ring, cry Disunion il
rolOnged laughter and cheers. Il
From sources yet more eminent, comes the infor- o
Ition that and the political organization with u
itch am connected are laborng for disruption of a.
confederacy. do not reply now to what Mr. p
ugas says all oyer New England, in Virginia and e
anywhere he goes, because it is quite natural for p
as much interested he, to think that
Try man who opposes his principles must he "
uniOnist. ICheers and laughter.l Indeed by his III
arations, we must all be Disunonists in Ken p
XIV, for he declares that those who assert that