Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-24

ompromise-cOHcessIon after concession.
She has sued in vain for peace. She has i'm
plored ia vain for 4 cessation of this atrocious
| agitation, involvingas it does, her hopes, her
destiny, her very life. Her generous. buff
| most weak and impolitic surrenders of her
| rights, for the sake of the Union, have brought
no peace; they have served only to whet the
appetite of Northern rapacity, and add to It's
power. Esx&2 60
Upon the application of Missouri for adj
mission into the Union, the North met ftie
South, with the bold avowal that slavery was
a disqualification for membership in this
Union of co-equal sovereignties. Her appli-
cation was rejected at the Congressional ses
sion of 1S1S-l9, because of slavery. That
memorable controversy engendered intense
| sectional animosity. states arose in their
| sovereign majesty, and hurled at each other
| the thunders of defiance. and the mil hty strife
shook the eonfederaey to its foundation. But
| the genius of Compromise prevailed. Mis-
souri, was admitted into the Union, but the
South was required to yield her right TO car
ry slavery into all that part OF the Louisiana
purchase which lies North of SO deg. so min,
North latitude, embracing territory sufficient
| for dozen States, of the largest size. Aud
yet this ruinous and humiliating compro-
| mise, stamping us with inieriorty. ptunder
| ing us of our rights in the common territory,
usurping powers over US never granted by the
|
| slavery restriction and ultimate extermina-
| ton was not sufficient to appease the furious
| fanaticism of our foes. Blinded by their ha-
| tired of the South and Southern ms titutlons,
| they had no scruples in violating this Mis-
| souri, mpromise-immediatel and
ever afterwards letter aud spirit-in each
| part and all its parts! This bare statement
| of facts is the best commentary on the weak
and suicidal policy hitherto pursued by the
Southern States.
About the year 1885. the people of the
North began to clamor for the repeal of the
| Congressional rule prohibiting the reception
of Abolition petitions by Congress. 1t was
insisted, that the refusal by Congress to re-
ceive petitions to legislate on subjects beyond
| its jurisdiction was violation of the right of
petition, and that they only desired TO pre-
| serve that sacred right. The pretense was
| false. They desired to obtain hi:ler and
| stronger position whence thnv might assaii
| our institutions with more dt IDLY effect. Mr..
| Calhoun, the Wisest and most far-seeing of
| our statesmen, advised the South TO stand
| firm and boldly tender the issue OF peace on
this vital question or dsunion. His coun-
| sells were spurned, and he was fercely de-
nOunced, by even Southern men, as fac
| ZIONIST and selfish agitator. The South yield
| ed under the delusive hope of peace-but the
concession was despised. Immediately the
| fires of agitation 'were kindled atresh, and
scarcely week has passed from that day to
| this, during the sittings of Congress, when
ineendiary speeches have not been delivered
! on the floors of those bodies, and thence,
| printed at Government expense, distributed
| free in Government mails to the remotest
quarters of the South. Such is the return for
her peace offerings-such the response to her
| prayers for reposel
When the Compromise measures of 1850
were proposed, involving the loss OF Califor-
MIA, the dismemberment of Texas and the
| abolition of the Slave Trade in the District of
Columbia, the South was coniured to accept
| them as final settlement OF the slavery ques-
| ton. Long did she hesitate, because she felt
that she was being rudely deprived of just
| and valuable constitutional rights. But the
Compromise policy was still in the ascen-
dant. Mr. Fillmore declared the settlement
| to be "finality." Mr.. Clay had urged it
with all his power and eloquence on the ac-
ceptance of the South, and confidently as
| sured her that it would put an end to agita-
| ton There will be nothing" said he. ito
agitate about The great statesman was
| wide of the mark. Messrs. Webster, Cas-,
| Douglas, Foote, Stephens anu others-lead-
| ing men of both political partfes-pressed it
as measure of peace. They did not fully
comprehend the relations of the sections, nor
did they foresee the disastrous consequences
| that would necessarily follow in the wake of
| such legislation. The next Congress found
the Abolition cohorts again on the field,
strong defiant, eXultant--their black banners
| still unfurled and their victorious leaders i'm
patient for new victories. The South lost in
calculably by this most unfortunate COmpro-
mise, and received nothing in return save the
| enactment of law for the recovery of fugi-
| tive slaves-to which she was clearly entitled
under the Constitution. bat which requires
such an expenditure OF treasure and blood to
enforce its execution as to render it little else
! than dead letter on the statute books.
In 1854, the ausas-Nebraska bill was
brought forward. and constituted another OF
| the series of settlements. As understood and
construed in the South, 1T was based upon
| the principles of the Constitution as since eX-
\ pounded in a well-cousidered opinion by the
| Supreme Court of the United States. The
| South eagerly embraced it, in the vain ex-
peoUation that it would dispose OF the terri
| tOflal question fere-e~- rhnn oh certainly
| not unjust to the North, IN any view, yet IL
| met with the most virulent opposition from
that section. Its passage, as has been truly
| said, was followed by the most dlsgracetul
| chapter ever written in our history. Never
before famed the anti-slavery fanaticism in
| the North so fiercely. The South was met in
| a common Territory of the Union with or
| ganized, armed brute force, as if she had
| been buccanneering invader. The bloody
sequel is familiar. The genius and energy
| OF Southern men secured an ascendancy, and
the State of Kansas appeared at the Capitol
with slave Constitution in her hands. The
President and the Senate stood ready to adj
| NIT her-but the House OF Representatives:
dominated by free-soil majority, treated her
application with insult and scorn. Inc sec
tlons were directly at issue. But, as usual,
the South waVered, receded and finally &C
copied another compromise - the tngnsn
Conference bill-to cover her retreat. Ihis'
too, proves unsatisfactory to the North-she
was eager for clean victory-for the utter
| humiliation of the South. Those of It's sup
porters who did not repudate the measure
| are swept from their official places, and other
and more reckless free-soilers elevated to leg
islatiVe trusts and dignties. The tide of IA
| natical agitation rolls higher and wider-and
while the fell spirit which animates it is more
defiant and more intent on lis unholy purpo-
| ses, that infallible touch-stone. the ballot
box, .disclOses the fact that it is more power
| full than ever before since the origin of the
| Government.
Such has been the compromise policy. Be-
| hold its fruits The checks and Balances of
the Constitution neutralized or destroyed
| the South excluded from the Territories
| California and Kansas wrested from her--the
slave-trade abolished in the District of Co
lumhia-the fugitive slave law nullity-
the Supreme Court assailed-the churches
| diSbande1-national parties dissolved era
ven spirit of submission, and baser split of
party servility crushing the energies of our
distracted section-the North pervaded by a
hostile agitation, which, for violence and NIT
| Lightly, is unparalleled between friendly
States-an open and powerful crusade on foot
10 deprive us of our property and 10 elevate
| the negro to an equality with the white man
and the South in q hopeless minority in ey-
cry department of the Government depend
ing on nnmbers-in the Electoral College, in
the Senate, and in the House of Representa-
tivesi The glitteriug fruits promised us by
The so-called conservative craftsmanship of
the past, like the fruits on the shores of the
Dead Sea, turn to ashes on the lipsl