Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-16
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1850.
HON. JOHN BELL:
HPAST HISTORY CONNECTED WITH
THE PUBLIC SERVICE"

his
"PAST HISTORY Connected WITH
THE PUBLIC SERVICE"
HIS EARLY LEANING TOWARD THE ABoIITloNIsTs AM
HIS VOTE UPON VARIOUS QUESTIONS AFFECTING TIKI
RIGHTS OF SLAVERY PROM 1885 TO 1871.
We now come more Immediately to those " pend
ing issues of the day" upon which Mr.. BELL is
willing to give no further expression of opium than
is to be found in his past history connected with
the public service" Representing a slave-holding
community, and dependent so far as local popular
ity was concerned, upon, seeming readiness, at
least to sanction and maintain the rights and inter-
ests Of slavery, il would have been the sheerest
madness in him ever to have avowed himself an
open enemy to the institution. We might not be
justified IN asserting feet whatever our indi-
vdual opinions may be- that he is. sentiment, OPP
posed 20 slavery. This shall not inquire inoO 1t
matters but little to the South whether ABRAHAM LIN
coin and the majority Of his followers sincere
in their pretended love for the negro, merely
actuated By want of patriotism, and desire to
use TIE Government for unconstitutional and selfish
and sectional ends the effect is the same. So in
the case of Mr.. BELL 1t matters but little in what
light he may regard the moral status of slavery, or
how long he may have been identified with the insti-
AuAOus AZ d. puoAi| man. III has sloNA
betray its interests and abandon the rights of the
slsve-holding States Of the Union to advance the
fortunes Of a party or to subserve his own selfish
purposes. All we propose to do is to turn to the
record, ascertain what has been Mr.. BELLS course
on this question, draw our own deductions. and
leave an honest public to draw theirs; promising,
that in crisis Ike the present. involving questions
which lie at the very basis Of society, peace and
government itself, no man deserves 20 be invested
with the power, patronage and influence of the
Presidency who cannot show clean record and
furnish evidence of that order of craftsmanship
which rises above the narrow views of self and
party and looks to the welfare of the people
and the preservation of the Constitution. Let every
man before the American people be subjected to
this test, and the demands Of patriotism will have
been answered-not otherwise.
History viii bear US out that even in the time of
the formation of the Federal Union contracted
and illiberal spirit manifested itself on the part
of Northern States, and a corresponding apprehen-
sion on the part of Southern States, lest the Gov
eminent they were then forming might at some time
encroach upon their reserved rights. The Federal
rarty the advocates of Government Of powers less
restricted under the lead of Mr.. HAMILTON, found
its adhereHts almost exclusively at the North. The
Republican or Democratic party, the opponents
of this policy and the friends OF the separate and
Reserved rights of the States and of their perfect
equality under a written compact, in the lead of
Mr.. JEFFERSON, resided principally in the South.
The spirit of the old parties that originated with
the adoption of the Constitution, still lives and
shapes the policy of parties yet 1t has pervaded
every party more or less, that has risen in
N that day- N fhis
always finding its principal support in the same
Northern latitude.
The slste1aatic agitation Of the slavery question
commenced in 1885, and was put on foot by certain
faaatical associations in the Northern States com
monty known under the name Of abolition Socle-
ties which proposed to act aggressively upon the
institution in neighborlng and sister communities by
the propagandsm of ideas hostile to its perpetua-
ton. 1t was during this same year that GEORGE
Tuo,u,soN. a notorious British abolitiOnist, and
member of Parliament preached his anti-slavery |
crusade IN the Northern States, finding, 1t must be
said in truth his chief not his only auditors among
the members Of the "societies" we have named. |
The great mass of the Northern people turned away |
then from the counses of the British emissary with
equal contempt for the intrusion he Practiced and
abborrence for the civil disaecton which he sought
to sow in the public mind.
It was during this same year that Mr. BELL got up |
the WHITE dsaffection in the Democratic party and
prepared the way to lead them over to the ranks OF
the Northern Federalists his subsequent speeches
at Hartford and Boston conclasively show. JOHN
Or1NcEY ADAMS, the then recent President, was
leader of the Federal party, and also OF the Aholi-
ton fanaticism which coming into play.
By reference to TIE Congressional Journals Of De
cenber 18th and 2Sd 1885, it will be found that va
rious abolition petitions presented to that body
nv Mr. Ap,ys praving the abolition of slavery IN the
District of Columbia. which were promptly laid
upon the table Mr. BELL voting at first against
An,Ns. SlApE g. Co. in the qfi7ndtige. These peti-
tions. rapidly accumulating occasioning excite
menr and debate February s, of the next year Mr.
PrNczNEY of South Carolina introduced resolution
declaring that Congress had no power to interfere
with slavery in the States, and that 1t would De
violation of the public faith, unwise impohhe ana
DANGEROUS to the Union to abolish 1t IN the DISTRICT
NJ Columbia and raising a committee OF reference
instructed TO report in accordance with tins resou
lion setting forth such reasons as were best calcu
lated to enlighten the public mind to repress aeita
lion 10 allav excitement and to preserve the just
-ipbts of the people Of the sayeholding States Inc
committee in their report embodied three resolu-
o,s Coming m for action, the first question was,
shall the main question now be put which was
,orriad Mr.. BELL voting with ADAMS. SIADE Go.
n the nepative division Of the question was call
"A for The first resolution was then read, as fol-
ows:
THAT Congress possesses no constitutional au-
thoritv 10 interfere in any way with the institution
Of slavery in any of the States oil tllis 'oiiisu
eracy.'
The resolution was carried by ls2 to 9. Mr. Bel
dad not roie The second resolution read as FOL
lows: ,
That Congress ought not TO interfere IN any way
with slavery IN the District Of Columbia
Here Mr.. BELL voted in the affirmative But when
the preamble and third resolution came up which
read as follows:
And whereas, It Is extremely important and de- |
sirable that the agitation OF Tins subject should be
finally arrested. for the purpose OF restoring tran
ouilitv to the public mind, your committee resnect
fnIy recommend the adoption of the following adj
ditional resolution, VIZ;
aTbat all the petitions, memorials resolutions | I
,.,nostions or papers relating in any way, or 10
any evtent whatever, 10 the subject OF slavery or
+I aboIiton of slavery, shall without being printed
or referred be laid upon the table and that no furth
er action shall be had thereon.
Mr.. BELL again failed to rote. (See Cong. Debates,
vol. y. part 4. page 4O3O-Sl and 4O5l-52- 53-54)
Il will thus be seen that Mr.. BELL voted with ADAMS,
S1pE Co. to preret action on the resolutions, and
ho, the vote was taken, he voted that Con
cross aought not to interfere with slavery IN the
n;s+rict of Columbia but refused TO vote that Con-
-. ,ossessed sno authority" to interfere with 1t