Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-02-07

SPEECH OF
HON. a. o. p. NICHOLSON.
-.,.,.. r,,.,e,,.,,, v,octrty,,
rr4rvrRrD IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE
JANUARY 80, 1860.

JANUARY 80, 1860.
A.. N,raots,S. Mr. President propose to-day
-, .,ars,ins the relations which subsist between Z
M systems Of labor that prevail in the two sections
of tie country, for the purpose OF aseerlalh'is
hafher there is conflict between them that IS II
reeoneilable and irrepressble ] enter unpon this
liseusson with an honest conviction that upon the
decision Of this question the destiny Of the hepuphc
depends The Legislature q Tennessee mas recently
nassed two resolutions on that subject. which VIII
take this occasion to read before proceed with my
,,,a,lrs fer making quotations from the speeches
of several prominent epubcans, they proceed TO re-
solve, as follows;
Rsolvd by he General Assembly Of tie sf1oo 7eaaes.
e Tht We recognise, the recent outbreak at aarpers
ev be natural fruits Of the reasonable frssst5s con
fio doctrine put forth by the great head Of the Black no
he duty Of national Of all parties throughout
Union, announce to the Eerld their sense OF rs many
md to crushing ont its authors as traitors to their coun
se- aI ne reservatonn cur republican institutions
po7T THAT We record IS tie the Tennessee
LEGISLATURE that declaration OF hr. Seward that respect
&c Si' Cav and Fraues 2 Blair win unite the
Black Republican party to prevent tue extension o. %
or and loyalty Southern people. and win but serve 70
make them more watehul exactng Of their public servants
/ in the national councils.
It viii be observed that these resolutions are ex-
messed in language of much severity. When II IS
! remembered that the State Of Tennessee has been
] for many years regarded as among the most con
servative of the southern members OF the OonleuS-
Taev the use Of language of this kind is peculiarly
significant of the present state OF popular eeilns
in the South. The people of that state are oeeply
/ imbued with that ardent devotion TO the heoefal
Union which illustrated the public lie OF ulelf uis
tin,,,isbeo citizen Andrew Jackson. 1t is because
they look upon ''the irrepresslble-connel doculne
as threatening the destruction OF the Sihois u'l-
thew Characterize it as reasonable and a,ydnots ana
cali ,7non conservative men Of all parties 20 ui1e
n shinp ont its authors as traitors to their eOun-
try and as deadly enemies to the puohc peace
the rights Of the States and the preservation OF our
| repub6ean insttHtiOns. This strong language eA-
| 7,resses the feelings Of people VINO Luly conpte-
kl 5 a7r,reeiate the benefits Of the Federal Union
az II came from the hands of our fathers ana VINO
are earnestly impressed with the conviction that Us
continued existence IS endangered by the prevalence
in the North Of the sectional doctrine WHICH sHey
2 denounce with so much energy
Mr. President, propose to continue TINS discus
sion with the view Of exposing the groundessness Vi
the assumption that there Is an lrreeohchaDle az
tagonism between the North and the oouth on 'ue
. subject Of labor; and with the further view y.
ointing ont the real nature of the sectional conlcI
which has already produced painful allehaVOu ~
tryeen the people of the two sections anu Wliloi
+ threatens their final and permanent arrangement
+ and separation. -,;.o.;ou ;, tho
o south approaching closely to actual hostultyi nc
= one can doubt who has given any attention 10 ulI
recent indications Of popular sentiment liFOusuou
IT that section of the Contederacy Inc iae iIi
n ronces which have engaged SO much OF Ihe puUlO
, mind cannot be truthfully regarded as the cauSe
of this unfortunate alienation Ihey nave server y
: give strong development to feeling "hcn ma I'd
its origin in the conviction that lAefe exists Al -.
z North a prevailing sentiment OF hatred OF slavery
tlat Is resolved to be satisfied with nothing snort .
its entire annihilaton With this convection alfeau
widely pervading the southern mlna II Is e41y ,i
re comprehend the influence when woulu DC FeeN.
m eVarted bv the late reasonable and numerous III
= vasion of a Southern State and especially by IN
evidences of popular sympathy Tor the IaIe o. 4.
is author which were exhibited in many OF the Norl
ern States. ,,
at Of the public men of our country, no one has cor
+ributed so much to the conviction, which nave re
farl.ed TO as existing in the south, as tls oeHatO
from New York. Mr.. Seward ms repeated ueCi I
It raons made in the Senate and out OF IT, curing W
~ last ten wears in which he has proclaimed an ul
. co7,nror1ising warfare upon slavery, IN connecu0
" with his acknowledged abilities and ms constant
IA growing power as the leader OF great SCI
ed organization have made the impression on Lne pe
m le of the South that their constitutional rlsH.s d
=" n imminent merrill 1t because Of this promnenc
P" of tbat Senator in originating and prosecuting u
mt ORGANIZED aggressiOns upon the institutions "a Vi
r south that the Legislature of my state ho1 uli =
in snoDsible as its chief author and It IS LOT lle san
=" 9son tbat propose to controvert the doctrln
IT. which Underies the organization through whose PEI
ng ,nent asce7dencv the senatoP hopes 10 accOInps
rs his GRAND object of notwithstanding the doestlc a
es social institutions Of the South by giving
ne on the ID of March 1885, that Senator deliyere
pc sneech in this body in which he defined his pos
he o1 on the subject of free and slave laDowlth
of fcient dlstinctness for my present purpose Il
~ said:
IN ,. Ia, At last apprehendei its rights, interests
OF power and its destiny, and is organizing itself . %
lis government Of the Republic, 1. "l the Terr
and resoutely here It viii meet you +S I.vr
lst tories md ost Of tenWherever may 60 70 extend
1t has driven you California and in Kansas; " VIII
of da Won soon in Delaware Maryland, virginia assoNi
rot Texas: it will meet you in Arizona IN Cen'ra 30 -
j, 10 Cuba. The Invasion viii be not mercy ,ie demand
Oe rept il YOU yield seasonaby TO its just ana molA Ia i
ld advances You may indeed get start under or near ne
and seem safe for time but it will be only shoIt I'M
Oh - Won viii found states only free labor to mainan al
IRE occ1oy The interest Of the white races demands w
emancipation Of all Whether that ,i
to Allowed to take eject with neelful and wise
sudden change and disaster Or be hurried on ny -
fsv labor throughout Republic the rssponsiialig W
RESI- not on the sgitationS you oau ss INT II viii he
10 iTsrt error Of the system ITSELF and TO the error "hi
~ he Sf1n than that Of the white The white man nee
@ this continent 70 labor upon His head is clear ms : s''O
: 49,. = h. viii obre the Government of the United states
ne abandon Intervention favor OF slave labor ana
intervention in favor OF free labor and free States
er- The Senator from New Iork seems to have delI
rec cred this speech under military lhspl'atiOH
er personifes free labor rs an urddeT, ana us i
as vance is represented jHUdSiO. Slave iaOor
-, TO be iaUqded in Delaware, Maryland, virginia al
''0 everywhere else on the continent tlaI 1t may
9 found. The inUdSiOD is TO be harmless; ana q,
and banefcent if the shareholders submit seasohaol
TIa ;n,,oder Is toaccOmpsh ''the Ultimate endRcY
ZION of all men," and the only question lett 10 De
AIR. cided is whether this shall be contaminated WI
be- needful and wise precautions against suuueh Gan
ew and disaster or be HURRIED on By VIOLENCE hAe'
. | or any sucb relation as cause and effect exists
tween the fgludliUe InYasen OF Virginia ny the q
DIN ator from New York and its actual invasion -
ana John Brown, shall not undertake 70 ueelae'
cry remarkable coincidence between the iguratlYe a
-, tbe actual INVASION however, has much the appei
ance of prophecy and its fultillment. IN MS acc
ration of war against slave labor the Senator seer
ID TO assume that his army OF invasion VIII colpr
= an who are free-abor men. In the southern Sa
IL tbepe IS q million of free labOring men, who VIII
ing dionsutly repHdate his authority TO enlst ulem
With any such conflict IN the northern STATES uere
pe- an army OF moro than mllon ana quarter
brave free-abor men, who VIII spprn the pIopo
c 10 to to march under the Senator's banner In who
YES name then and on whose authority Qoes ne spes
when he declares that 'free-laboP Is 8iganHHi
itself to assume the GoyeH1ment OF the AePAult'
'Ieu Not in the nameiOf freeabOr IN the Solthi H9b
The tbat of the Constitution-OVmg free-labor OF {
mar North but in that of the Republican organlzaIi'
that and as to his authority to speak IN that name ma
no question. 1t is, therefore, the kepuDhcah par
ny sueaking by the mouth of It's great leader WI
the ,5rocaims war of determination against slave
0ht | HOP which demands the ultimate nc-patloh
- ali men" and which presents the alternative
~ peaceful submission or violent enforcement
But Mr.. President, the question now forces ITS
sas mon ms is there any such conflict between the s
: toms of free labor and slave labor. as assumed
: =" tbe Senator from New York: and, especially
hef there such conflict as to justify the strong lS4i
to in which the demand for the humiliation CT sl'
o Labor is put forward? The Senator says 1.-THE int
est of the white race demands the ultimate enai
iein' nation of all men" Again, he says 'the white II
late needs this continent TO labor on Ills head Is Gle
min ~ , il strong and his necessities are fixed.
Ia ,5,,sf and ,eiR have it." To my MIMI this soul
acre ike the stand and deliver argument Of
Liobyavman, than the philosophic reasoning o
ssa- national statesman ...,
-, me Senator assumes that there is an '"inheI'
i'''A o,- in the slave labor system which must OF
cessitv work out its final destruction de has
this enIiqitened US by specifying in hat the -err
the ;+s nor nv what process he arrives at the C
Re cnsion tht the permanence Of the system is imp
SHE. In the absence of such enightenment' ?
-. coed to controyert the assumption that there Is
5 d rinciple OF antagonism between the two syste
cling fnccnnatibe with their permanent EaFpqmous
< at istence in our Government.
opai Without touching at present the questqn, o.
2FAl Liz, ID connected with slavery, Iproceed 70
Fged Ne relations of the two systems OF labor
o,estio3s "a pure political economy. The lead