Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-20

derived by these reckless aecusers from Mr.. Doug
las late speech in the Senate, IN which both my
State and myself were freely misrepresented. I
take this occasion to correct both. The Democracy
of AIsBama, in ConFentIonin January, 1856 passed
series of resolutions affirming their views and
opinions of the great issue Of the day. The first
resolution declared
sThe perfect equality Of privileges, civil,
religious and POLITICAL Of every citizen Of this coun-
try, without reference to the place of his birth.
I'D. The unqualified right of the people OF the
slaye-hoding States to the protection of their pro-
perry 10 the States in the Territories and in the
wilderness in which the Territorial Governments
are as yet unOrganized. The Democratic platform
is based on the recognition not Of one, but OF
both of these principes-and wien efforts are made
to separate these two questions the Democratic
party, resting on its platform, says--fIFe cannot
compromise either proposition but stand united upon
bottn
And yet in the face Of this clear, concise, une-
aulvoeal recognition of that glorious principle /
adopted and confirmed by the Convention that i
nominated Breckiniidge and Lane, both Mr.. Douglas
and his Tennessee satellites made the assertion that
Alabama and myself in 1856 abandoned the doctrine
of protection and advocated the contrary doctrine
of Souatter Sovereignty! What measure of credit |
can any fair mind yield to the partizan statements
of such menu
Ipass on to the fifth allegation. The only truth in it
is that was leader in organizing 1.-THE Southern
League The two misstatements in it are first, that
it was HorgaDized avowedly to break up the Union,
second that the article quoted formed part OF Its
Constitution.
Its qroaOed as well as real object was the very
verseand its Constitution contains no such article
| az Messrs Carroll and Watterson have pretended
to quote with verbal accuracy To prove it, copy
here that Consttution-as follows;
coSs11rruoE IE4suk o. UNITED SOUTH
Rsv,no south is in need Of some efficient organ
lied mode concentrating puoc opinion upon public men and
% - tSs aSvanee n ami projection Of her ConsuOna
righsand OF this has enabled all political parties
Ana believing further it the duty Of the South to use
all proper to maintain her rights Fhin the Onlon Win
world in Tesumng tie powers
she has delegated to the Government in the event she
fails obtain justice in the Union, we orsaazs ourselves unde
ARTICLE Association shall b known as the AoHgo-
cru LEAGUE of United Southsrzers
Art Its officers shall OF President Vice President,
and Treasurer shall hold their Offices year. or
until their successors shall be elected
Art g. Election OF all officers shall be made annually, AID
AR. Any person may become member OF this League,
will pledge himself to cut its oects and shall sign
ART s. The object OF this League IS by OF proper
sct Of enforcinz The rights Of the Union
its primary l. No compromise Of those rights
recognition maintenance Of those rights paramount to the
safety Federal Administration or the success Of The ma
ona parties. g. The elevation to Che public councils Of the
q This IeaSae will nominate no candidate any Office
State or FEDERAL but pledged all honora
bic means the nomination. by the respective parties TO
which they belong sound pure Of the Southern
| Rights school.
In advocating the League, thus expressed my
views in lengthy speech, which was reported ana
published at the time:
4 And vet. as l have said elsewhere, and firmly
believe the South canEot get rid of these parties
or if she utterly destroys them, their destruction
j, would lead to an immediate dissolution OF the
Union.
THE great object to be attained is to elevate and
purify these great partiesand cause them, if pos
e sible to abandon the law of Compromise and to
. adopt the law of the Constitution in dealing with
| the Southern questions.
TO effect this the South needs TO cultivated more
enlarged and generous faith in the patriotism OF all
her peope without distinction of party. She needs
the power of public Opirion-in other words, she
needs some organized systematic method Of gather
: inc and bringing to bear upon the great pdbhc
questions the opinions of her people. In this par
o ticuar she has always been singularly deficient
and hence her public have been left too much to
follow their own Devices and to be influenced by an
tagonistc influences. Generally speaking 1t IS only
o at elections that the peoples voice is heard--and
then unfortunately the spirit of party is strongly
in the ascendant and party candidate IS held to De
e the best man "at all hazards We want some
d means of arousing and concentrating public opinion
on the great Southern issue, at any hour IN Which
If is needed
THE party press does not express the public sen
4 mept of the people, general thing If 1t IS the
press of the party IN power Is apt to De confronted
BY mere partizans, and to approve or dsapproVe OF
" measures. according as they bear upon the ascen
dancy of their party If it is the press of the party
out Of power public measures are apt be scanned
re with view to attack more than to secure the as
cendancy of the right
c. ave want as much of unity among people al
a. II Is possble to obtain The bitterness of party
" feuds is proverbial. We wish to counterdct /
3 here In the South
IL There is platform upon which We as individuals
ne can all unite in sentiment Ii Is the platform OF tn
ne Constitution National parties may be considered
as inseparable from the (ballOt box. He did no
propose so quixOtc thing as an attempt to uproo
ne them But ne desired TO the formations of asso
nd Citations all over the SOuth-cOmposed of men Of al
o. parties still retaining in good faith, their old part
nd relationsbut meeting together upon the platform
of of the Constitution for the purpose OF bringing
III bear great moral influence upon all parties"
r The Constitution of the League then shows tina
its syowed obiect" was not to break up the Unior
he but to use all proper means to maintain our right
within the the Union" The extract from my speec
he shows that advocated it. not as means of destroy
in ing Democracy. but as purifier OF, and an aid
CHI the true men of that grand old Democracy to res
nd enc il from the fatal embraces and counses of sue
mere partizans as VIM. H. Carroll and H. NJ. Waiter
al SON. men whose intelects never rose to comprt
hension of the principles Of the party nor a6oV
SIS that of its mere organization for distributing offices
as and hope that may be allowed to congratulate
To- myself and my old friends of the League and ma
also congratulate the whole South that brief as
ny its career and small were its enrolled number
ST. the chief mighty living principles of the Leagu
u have eavened all parties South and there is tOda
union of all Southern States in taver of tina: prl
ts ciple to wit-no compromises OF the constltl
tional rights of the South
ne The seventh allegation is that wrote the Slaugl
So ter letter. did write it. 1t private-not d.
signed for publication, and therefore its expression
m are loose and not well weighed as would hav
So desired Still there is not an idea in it that do NJ
now entertain.
70 But the letter does not urge disunion-does NJ
ne advocate disruption either of Democracy of tn
Union. Mr.. Slaughter had written to me urging m
to to abandon the Democracy, the great obstacle
~. l.rl 20 info
Id scheme He called the Democratic party Augea
stable and his scheme would clean it out Idenle
So that his scheme could succeed. He predicted goo
from its overthrow. The letter refuses assent
lst his prediction. To wean him from his chimerics
and short sighted policy, suggested to him to al
as in extending the League to destroy the party
of which in the SINE letter had refused to give coun
an tenanceto but elevate an purify the true men
the country And for what purpose? The Dougla
papers and orators following the idea given by Nh
ur Douglas himself, answer and say that proclalme
zee nv purpose in that letter to be to precptate tn
cotton States into revolution" l say that this Is
gross perverson of the letter and spirit of that doc
he ument The letter itself says that the purpose
es prompt resistance to the Rert aggression that
I'M a proper nlonent" tins resistance can be made.
fl This and this alone, is the oense in that letter
Ie When it was written had in my head no scheme
lat dsunion. have had none since-l have none now
he Then as now. for usicg all proper means TO
it maintaining rights within the Unlon-tlen
til now to elevate purify, and bring the Democrati
partV strict OI
,a of our constitutional right and to ignore all furthe
H. compromises To this end have honestly lahore
TO up to this hour. The whole tone and tenor of tina
of letter is to prepare for enforcing the platform
&C. the Union State Convention OF Georgia ION the mex
he aggression" at "a proper moment" When tina
m hour arrives, shall be found prepared That di
he not have invew the destruction Of the party and
the Union at Charleston is made evident by the fac
rs that when its disruption complete, on the ad
as iournment at Charleston, by the secession @
ar eight Democratic and cotton States, so far frOI
ms notwithstanding all efforts to heal the bresch-s
he far from endeavOring widen it, and thus make
I'll perpetual-so far from exultng over 1t, and look
ing upon it, as charged and falsely charged IN tn
of eighth and last allegation, las the period which wa
looked forward to (by mel when the Democrah
nv | marty and the Union we're TO be overwhelmed i
one common ruin" the country well knows that o
an soon as a wellgrOunded hope of harmony being re
Ne stored was held out. seized upon that hope, an
IL used all nv influence with reluctant friends to oh
W. tain a reunion of the Democracy at Baltimore.
m That reunion was not effected at Baltimore