Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-05

ITIUII a D.
in despite of the Fathers will. Who shall hold this
mp to reflect. honor and justice among men Who
can attempt it and not say: The letter is dead and
the spirit is fled, For one DO not deprecate man
kind the object of men, for they too dyersi-
fed to admit of Classification. But having said this
much, have one word more before we close.
FRO be CONCLUDED TOMORROW
---------
Resolutions Adopted by the People OF
Greene County, in Mass We ting, at
GreenvIIIe, November 24th, 1850.
A correspondent furnishes for the UNION AND
AMERICAN, full account of the meeting held at
Greenvie on the cath inst, which has appeared in
our columns We subjon the resolutions adopted
en- that occasion which were drawn and approved
by members of all the parties:
WHEREAS, Great excitement exists in the United
States North and South. growing out of the
unnecessary agitattont of the Slavery question,
which agitation, has been caused 70 some
extent by non-slaveholdipg States, passing laws
in violation of the Federal Constitution to-
gether with the recent election of President and
Vice President of the United States, purely section
al in their character has forced some of the South
ern States in vindcation of their rights to take
position imperilng the existence of the Union and
which may lead to disruption and overthrow of
the government itself We, therefore, portion of
the people of Tennessee in common with our fellow
citizens, who ardently desire the preservation of
the Constitution, ana thereby tne perpeIuaIlOn OF
the Union have deemed 1T necessary and proper in
some public manner to express our opinion in regard
to the critical and threatening condition of our pub
lie affairs with the sincere hope that it may contr
butte in some degree, in bringing about an honorable
and satisfactory adjustment of all the conflicting
elements between the States, North and South, and
restore that peace and harmony. which should ever
characterize the States composing this great and
growing confederacy. Therefore,
Resolved, That we hold the Constitution of the
II -.
tive system and that upon its preservation, with all
its lust guarantees depend the peri etuity OF the
URiOn and we are willing to sustain it at all hazards
as a result from a street observance of the compact
and its guarantees. We are for the Union as an eff
feet. but not a cause.
ResoIved. That Congress has power conferred
upon it by the Constitution of the United States to
exclude, by legislative enactment, slave property
from the territories owned and belonging to all the
people and States composing this COnfederacy, and
cannot therefore authorize a greater power than
that which is conferred by the Constitution upon
Congress itSelf-the stream cannot rise above its
source.
Resolved That the Supreme Court of the United
States is by law and the Constitution, madethe final
arber in all questions which may arise in regard to
slave property in the Territories Of the United
States, and when so decided by said Court is the
supreme law of the land, and should be acquiesced
IN, and sustained SUCH by both the Northern and
Southern States.
ment amoag all civilized and christian people, is to
protect the citizen in the full enjoyment of his rights
as regards person and property; it is therefore the
duty of the government in obedience to the reason
and object of its creation in all its departments to
protect when necessary, the rights of persons and
property in tine Territories of the United States
and wherever else its constitutional authority now
extends or may hereafter extend.
ReSolted That the people are Sovereign, and the
true source of all political power, and whether in
n ~
the United States when forming a State Consttu-
tion having first taken all the regular steps have
the undoubted right and power in the formation Of
their Constitution, to prescribe and establish the
ture and character of their domestic Institutions
confer such. power upon the Legislature. In the
formation of such Constitution they have the right
and power TO establish exclude the institution of
slavery as they may deem wise and eypedIent. and
having formed their Constitution it beng 'Rcpub
can in Its character, are entitled to admission into
the Union, with or without slavery as may be pre-
scribed in their application, upon an equal footing
with the other States forming the Union.
ReS0lCed. That the recent election of a President
and Vice President, exclusively sectional in their
character. in connection with some of the free
States refusing TO execute the law restoring fug-
tives escaping from labor, is well calculated to
alarm and excite the deepest apprehensOns among
the Southern States. and arouse them to prompt
and immediate retaliatorT action, which to some
may seem rash and precipitate who have not con-
sidered and duly appreciated Southern wrongs and
Southern endurance.
ReSOlUed. That we do in the most solemn manner
condemn and repudate the course and policy pursued
by portion Of the nOn-slaveholdng States in the
actment of laws by their respective Legislatures, i'm
posing fines and Imprisonment upon their citizens in
the event they execute the Fugitive Slave Law,
which law has been passed by the Congress of the
United States. in strict conformity with that prOyi
sion of the Constitution. which provides for the
restoration of fugitives from labor escap ng from
La.
the authorities of the Government, and wholly dis
regarding the solemn compact which is the cove
nant of Union between these States
RESOLVED, That we deeply sympathse with our
sister Southern States, and freely admit that there
is good cause for dissatisfaction and complaint on
their part on account of the recent election of sec
tonal candidates to the Presidency and Vice Presi
dency of the United States; yet we, portion of
the people of slayeholding community. not for
seeding or breaking up the Union of these States,
until every fair and honorable means have been ex-
hausted in trying to obtain the part of the non
saveholding States compliance with the spirit and
letter of the Constitution, and all its guarantees and
when this shall have been done, and the States in
open rebellion against the laws of the United States.
in refusing to execute the Fugitive Slave law, and
shall persist in their present unconstitutional course
and the Federal Government shall fail or refuse TO
execute the laws in good faith it, 1.-THE government
will not have accomplished the great design of its
creation, and will therefore in fact be a practical
from the compact, which formed the Union
Resolved That in the opinion of this meeting. no
State has the Constitutional right TO secede from the
Union without the consent of the other States which
ratified the compact; the compact when ratified,
formed the UulOn without making any provision
whatever for dissolution. It. (the compact) was
adopted by the States IN toto and forever rola reSer
ration or condition, hence secession of one
States from the Union, without the consent of the
others ratifyng the compact would be revolution.
-, rS,-i aoIr
while deny the right Of State, constitutional
", to secede from the Union. we admit the great /
and inherent right of revolution, abiding, and re-
naming with e~ery people but right. which should
rot be exercised kept in extreme cases, and in the
resort, when grievances are without rederss, and
oppression have become ntOlerable.
ResOlUed. That in opinion, we can more sue
,ussfully resist the aggression of Black Republican
SIN by remaining within the Union, than we can by
,ong out of it. and more especially So whilst there
n majority in both branches in the National Leg
stature opposed TO it. and the Supreme Court of the
United States the side Oflaw and the Constitution
RESOLVED, That in our opinion, it would be far |
better to involve the people OF the United States IN
lostlites with all the principal powers Of the earth
han in civil and servile war-if blood must be |
he'd be it So but let it not be the blood of the peo
lie composing these States, fighting against each 9th
r. let not the land which gave brother bIrth be |
renched with brothers blood : may Heaven avert |
catastrophe so shocking to every principle of hui
lanlty, Is the prayer OF every paTlOtlC Heart
RESOLVED THAT with the continual and cordial CO.
pePation of our Northern friends, we believe that
he triumph of the Black Republican party will be
ut temporary, and while we depricate
urther agitation now, believing that the country /
most needs repose we cannot resist the conviction
hat before this party has been long in power its
principles will be found in parctiee to be SO objec-
ionable that at the end of its constitutional term,
viii be put down and put out, by large majority
including the calm minded and well judging men of
he country, than that which now stands ready to
ail its inauspcious advent and that this in the
rst so it will be the last time in history that
he country will be subjected to the experiment of
sectional Administration"
Resolred That we are not willing to abandon our
Northern friends who have stood by the Consttu-
ion of the United States and in standing by it. have
our rights, and in their vindcauon have
zen struck down and now in their extremity we
annot and will not desert them by seeding or
therwise breaking up the Union.
Resolred THAT we will never give up our at
achment to such a form of government no, ne
er that the free, united and happy country,
whether of our birth or adoption. over all parts
If which it extends its ample protection; power
ul at home, powerful abroad, and prosperous be-
-ond all example in the history of the worlds
ndeared to us by thousand ties of patriotic re-
collection. and inspiring hope, and that we Will