Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-16

Cass and Butler. LCbeers. / accepted the prop
sition, and we We7t hunting. daughter and if e.
cry man had done as well as myself, We would haS
carried the State by forty Thousand majority Tar
pause. Among those gentlemen, remember ID
names Of my friends, Thomas S. Redd, Nelson Dud
ley, Geo. P. Jouett, and oihers-who will doubles
recollect those facts if anything were necessar.
beyOrd my word. [AVoice-' None, nothing NOR
needed here "
Another charge. actively circulated tbroughou
the Southern States, asserts that was an Emancl
pa'iOnist in 1S49 at least voted for an Enaneipa
! ZIONIST Gentlemen, in connection with this aceu
salon feel it my duty TO call your attention to
paper which received last evening from one OF th'
Southern Stetes-called the Tusksgne alabama
| Rspubliea1--aud which contains letter writer By
one Of or own ctizens, in reference to my public
| position aud even in regard TO my private Affairs
| It was written by Hon. George B0bertcon, to a Mr.
| Alexander, Of Alabama and is dated August 23d
| 1850 quote much Of it as desire to comment
upon:
:. John C. Breekinridgs has not been counted here
! an EmancipRtonist however much he may have been
suspected by some for sympathy with his uncle the
! Rev Robert ]. Breckinridge He does not keep
| house and owns slaves, unless he retains two
/ that cams by his wife / know nothing of the in
vestment in Ohio, concerning -hich you inquire =
/ But we all know here that he was committed to
Squatter Sovereignty ever since his nomir alton in
| 1856, until fading that Douglas would overwheln
! him in the North he changed his creed, and, in his
Frankfort speech last January, turned SOutherner,
and advocated protection BY Congressional inter
| vention."
AS to the part Of that letter relating 10 my per-
sonal affairs, have to say that do not envy the
tssie or character of gentleman who would be en-
gagged in writing letters through the Union touching
the private business of his neighbors
Whilst he is incorrect in some of these statements,
l will not merit the contempt Of this audience, by
entering into details 10 regard to my private affairs
I A hot 10 MI
That part OF the letter which relates to Squatter
Sovereignty will be disposed Of in answering the
accusations Of other men; but | now on the
question Of emsncinstion. Observe the wording Of
the sentence; "John Breckinrijge has not been
counted here an emsncipationist, however much
he may have been suspected by some for sympathy
with his uncle Rev. Robert j. Breckiaridge!"
Now, if there is individual here, among the
thousands within the sound Of my voice. who ever
heard or knew of my sympahiziug with the doc
trines advanced by Rev. R. j. Brecsinridge, let him
now speak or forever after hold his peace 1Cheers
And when Hon. George Robertson will produce one
respec able man, in or out of the county of Fsytte,
who will gay that he believed or suspected that
was emsncipatiouist, will even confess that it
was proper to write that letter. CCheers. If the
gentleman means that there has always exist be-
tween Rev. Mr.. Breckinridge and myself those rsls-
tious of cordiality, respect and affection which
natural and proper, The insinuation is true. But
that is not the purpose Of the letter. 1t is in
nection with the subject of emancipation that he
speaking, ard he would convey the impression that
was suspected fsympathy with my uncle upon that
subject. That is the mesuing Of that letter.
Judge Robertson when called upon in regard to the
sutheniiciy Of the letter, replied that 1t genu
inc. but that it was confidential" A voice
Confidential to be published" don't think that
mends the case much. 1t would have been even
better to write it for the public than coniden-
tial letter. Don't you think so? A voice-''Yes."
Rut I hava nfha In ina In
dag besides such confidential letters as that
[Lsughter l come to the fact The only time
that the question Of emancipation has been raised
in Kentucky in my day, was in l849 when We we're
electing delegates TO the convention to form a new
constitution. Then DR.. Breckenridge and Mr.. Shy
were emancipation candidates. l, a candidate
for the Legislature, csnVassed the county 10 the
best of my ability in opposition to emancipation,
believing the interests of both races in the Com
monWeslth would be promoted by the continuance
of their present relations and on that issue, you
know, l was elected At the polls DR.. Rreckinridge
voted agsinst me, and voted against him. (cheers)
because representing oposiie principles; and
just so would it be again under similar circ1mstan
ces. So much for that charge.
| have seen pamphlets published AID circulated
all the Union, for the purpose of proving that
vas Know Nothing in the year 1866. in the State
of Kentucky Laughter. have no doubt that
. very consIdera BILE portion of those listening TO me
were members Of that order; and if there is a man
among you who belonged 10 the order, who ever
saw me in one of your odges, or who d es not know
that was recognized from the beginning as one of
the most incorporating opponents, let him be
good enough to say SO now. voice" He amt
here Why, gentlemen, l believe l was one of
the frsl in Congress who took position against the
organisst en-; and when l returned home TO the
State Of Ken ueky, in the spring of 1885, finding it
making great progress in the Commonwealth,
although asd Withdrawn from pubic life to sttend
to my private affairs, l opposed it in repeated
speeches all over this part of the State. Cheers.
This statement may not be very acceptable TO some
gentlemen within the sound of my voice; but do
not want to deceive aOy man. i stand upon my
principles and an willing 10 svoW them without
the slightest regard to consequences. Applause ]
Gentlemen, | am represented, to this day IS hsv-
ing declared that would make political discrim-
instion between one of my own religious belief and
another, and be ween a native and a nsturslized
citizen. l never uttered such sentiment. Loud
cheers
The underlying principle with this, that
tie condition Of citizenship being once obtained,
question, either of birth or religion, should be al
lowed to mingle with political consideration. Zap
plsuse. l deem it only necessary to make these
statements here succinclly aud pass on, because l
speaking TO assembled thousands who know the
injustice of the charges.
But, fellow citizens, to come to more extended
topics It has been asserted that and the puliti-
cal orgsniza alton with which stand connected have
abandoned the ground on which we stood in regard
to the Territorial question in 1854 and 1856 that
we then occupied a position which is now occupied
by Mr.. Douglas aud his friends / deDy it; and
shall proceed to disproVe IT, both as 10 myself
and the Constitutional Democratic party.
You have heard good deal Of what is called my
Tippecanoe speech. went to the States of Indiana,
Michigan and Pennsylvania, aud addressed the
people in the autumn of 1866 None of these
speeches were ever written out beforehand and DO
one Of them prepared by me- except by the briefest
notes; and Of the reports which various persons
chose TO make not enc was ever revised or seen by
me. have been amused to see the various versions
Of what they call the Hppecan9e speech. For ex.
ample Ihave in my hand paper which represents
me as saying at lippecanOe, the people of the
Territories, under the Kansas Nebraska act, have
the full right to abolish prohibit slavery, just
State UoVlG which principle is as old republi-
caE governmy mt Itself" Not only did never utter
such opinion, hut until recently, had no reason
to believe anybody ever represented me as having
uttered it. II is only within few weeks thst / !
remember to have seen it in any newspaper. But |
have very high accuser n this subect-no less
person than the eminent Senator from illinois. l |
have no time to spare Ia comments upon the prOpri
ETY. or delicacy Of gentleman who is before the |
country for the cfice of President, introducing the
name Of one who also q candidate and giving his
personal testimony to that gentemsps opinions.
snail waste tihe in the discussion of The pro-
prize y Of such course. l wish to meet the accu-
sstion.
The Hon Stephen A. Douglas, in public address,
made recently iu Concord, New Hampshire, says:
:" There is not an honest man in all America that
will deny thai James Buchanan and JOhH c. Breok
inrdge, in 1856, were pledged to the doctrine of |
by Congress with slavery in the
Territories" Mark the word as it is here, "non-
81 made speeches from the same
stand wita John c. Breekiuridge, in 1885, when he
wss advoosiing his own claims to the YicePresden-
cT and heard him 60 to extreme length in favor Of
Popular Sovereignty in the Territories" Then,
speaking of certain other gentlemen from the South,
o he in fhaN