Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-07

disclose QLLefdUce. reveal &
thought of mine hostile to the Constitution the
union of tie States. loud cheers. A voice" He
could notdo it. y The man does not live who has
power tocoupe my name, successfully, with the
slghtesttaint of dsloyalty the Constitution and
Union. kApplause.) But if there be nothing in my
character to justify this accusation, what there in
the Platform and principles upon which stand ?
1t mut if anywhere, be in the resolutions as to
property in the Territories. l will read these and
4 you ON judge whetEer they accord with the posi-
ton q the supreme Court and the Government, as
4 ] have shown it to-day. ~ wrTs =
later reading the resolutions, he continued j
That is the platform, and these are the principles
ayoyed. If they ara constitutional, they not
sectional; for the Constitution is broad enough TO
cover the whole Union. (CheersO He who stands
upon the Constitution can neither be sectional
\ dislnonist These principles are taken almost rer-
4 balm from the opinion of the Supreme Court.
Tley are supported by the precedenus and practice
Of the government They are principles upon
which we may well i've and by which we may
veil be willing to die. (Cheers) They are vital.
important, and they concern the rights of person
and property. They cannot be abstract minute, or
luuimportant. They concern the honor, equally, Of
Fthe States What has been the position of Kentucky
I upon that platform? The candidates for Governor
Of this State last year. both held that Territorial
Legislatures have no power to exclude our slave
! property, and each ccntended that every depart
ment of Government must protect it when it be-
came necessary. Mr.. Joshua f. Bell, believe,
went step further by thinking the time had now
| arrived when the Government should interfere.
Your conventions Endorsed those principles. and the
Senate and Commonwealth of Kentucky, by the
unanimous vote of both parties inGOrsed them as
being Constitutional and true by the following reso-
luton which must read-tis so apt, so pertinent,
so conclusive.
1.-THE resolutions of the last Legislature of Ken
lucky, here read, are necessarily omitted
| That is, word for word, tie opinion of TIE Su-
preme Court and the resolution of the National
Democratic Convention, on which | stand to day
Both parties in Kentucky. at the polls and by unan-
| nous votes in the Legislature have declared that
these principles are those of the Constitution. 1
might pause here but support of these principles
want the authority of MIR. Crittenden himself.
(AiPPPlausel
Whatever doubts he may have to my fidelity
to the Constitution and Union do not believe that
! he would advocate principles which he believed
were unconstitutional or calculated to destroy the
Union of this country and if / can have his saEe-
ton and Endorsement for the principles adS6ale,
1t will go great way in proving that they sd con
stitutOnal and not disuaiolist. s
Mr.. B. read the 81, 4th and - rs rasolu-
tons and referred to Mr.. lens vote, for
them, and said:] There hay lleSFote of my dis
thguished friend declaring that these questions are
! not minute nor unimpOrtaLt; that the union of the
States rests upon the equality Of rights among theI1
that neither Congress the Territorial Legsla-
ture has right TO infringe the constitutional right
of any citizen, and that, If any right be assaed by
Congress to interfere to protect that right; precisely
the principles upon which we stand to-day
(Cheers My distinguished friend followed these
resolutions by speech which find In the Daily
Globe 1t IS true he expressed a hope that the
time mig ht never come when it would be necessary
for Congress TO intervene to protect these rights
| trust that the time will never come when any
Territorial authority will be reckless OF its
sttutlonal obligations as to make it necessary fer
Congress to declare It's acts VOID. [Cbeers.l But
in his speech he sustains the position which we
stood IN language which compares well with the
dec ision Of the Supreme Court. He says-[The
extract read from Mr.. C's speech declares that
Territorial Government is creature of Congress,
endowed only with the powers conferred upon it by
lis creator, and with no particle Of sovereignty
Futher III the same speech, Mr.. G, the fol-
lowing language: [&r. G. goes on to say that the
Territorial Government has no sovereign or indie
pendent right to act on this subject. The Supreme
Court of the United States determined that every
citizen of the United States may 60 that Terri
tory. carrying his slaves with hun and holding them
there. My opinion is that the Constitution is to
p o eet that prSpsrty which it has authorized to go
there. Therefore, when the proper or extreme case
occurs, VIXEN property going there Under. the Su-
preme Court OF the Unted States shall require such
nterpOsition that it is the duty of Congress TO
terpose and grant prOtecton-nOby and well said
in language worthy of his exalted character and
reputation MIR. Douglas says and to-day stands
upon 1t and claims your votes upon it. that Terri
the supreme Court may be- has the right to exclude
slave property from territOry that you may take
1t there, but 1t ust be held subject to such laws
the local legislature may make. The Supreme
Court says the Territorial Legislature cannot ex-
cude it. and Mr. c. says nothing can strike him as
more inconsistent aud contradictory than to say
tat, while You may go there, there is somebody
stronger mightier than the Constitution, which
take away that which the Constitution says
you may hold and enjoy. just what Mr. Douglas
asserts, and which, if not recognized, he will rend
and destroy he goes [Applause.l | derive
some satisfaction from the fact that the Hon. John
J. Crlttenden, whose name and authority will 90 tar
in this Union, has declared in the Senate and recog
niZed by his oath Senator, the PRINCIPLES upon
which we stand. as the principles of the Constitu-
ton. [Cheers.l !
cannot enlarge. appeal to you if Ihave not with
reasonable certainty Imay say concIusively lrepelled
the accusations against If have not shown that 1t
is neither l. the party which nominated me, but
Mr. Douglas, who has broken faith; that by agree
ment at the time of the passage of the kansaS-Ne
braska bill the constitutional pOrHt to be left
the Supreme Court. Have 1 not shown that the
Supreme Court sustained construction of the
Constitution? Have not shown that the agree
men thus made has been violated by the declaration
that subordinate authority may deny the constitu
tiOnal right andSexcude slave property when the |
Court says it has not that power? Who has aban-
dOnCd the ground violated the agreement?
have shown that the principles upon which We |
stand have been endorsed and sanctioned by the |
practice Of the Government, affirmed by the highest
judicial tribunals in the world, voted TO be true By
two political parties in Kentucky in 1859, unGni- |
mousIy attested by both branches of the Legisa-
ture, an Overwhelming majority Of the whole Dem
cratic party of Kentucky, and declared by Mr..
TO be sound and true [Cheers think
have piled up pyramid of fact and argument in
support Of these principles which ought to com
mend itself to the consideration of every intelligent
man. have tried to do it by legitimate facts and
am not conscious OF having appealed
to any prejudice.
Fellew-citizens, you bear with a little
Onger? { vOice-''Yes, week-go on"
L know of but one political orgazatlon before the
United States which asserts the principles | have
TO expound. The Republican organiza-
ion has taken precisely opposite principles. They
Jay, we have no rights IN the Territories with our
property: They say Congress has right TO exclude
and it is its duty to do SO, and they willing TO
Zee the Territorial Legislature do it, if Congress
Ices not.
In regard to the platform adopted by tie conven-
ion which nominated Mr. Bell, of Tennessee and
DR.. Everett, of Massachusetts,, [ have only TO say
hat certainly it announces no pr ncipe at all upon
his subJect-none whatever. Gentlemen tell us |
hey advocating the claims of these distinguish
d gentlemen upon the principle of the Constitution
he Union, and the enforcement of the laws. pre-
ume that there is scarcely in this assembly,
erhaps one North or South, who will admit that | I
Increment of the laws but yet they entertain the
lOsl diverse and opposite opinions as TO the best
node of sustaining the Constitution and the charac
sr of the laws to be enforced mir. Seward Mr. | I
iddings, and Mr.. Burngame will tell you they are
Dr. the Union, but their own sort of UniUn they
'ant They say they are for the Constitution. but a
ley construe the Constitution so as TO take away
Il our rights. They tell you they are for the en-
)rcement of the lawS, hut they for laws which
vould take away our property. [Cheers.l For the 4
Mon, the Constitution and the laws, they shake
ands with you on that; but you cannot agree on u
ngle thing under heaven afterwards Laughter
nd cheers Then this platform, gentlemen de-
ares practically nothing and have nothing fur @
Ter say about it, [gOou! goOdl but the platform r
read to you does cOntana distinct enunciation
certain principles which touch the rights of prop
'ty and person IN the Territories, and what We re
lrd to be the equal rights of the States and we u
ant to know if the people OF Kentucky are ready u
IT the issue. We appeal yOG not i'll behalf of any CO
dividual, but to stand by your own principles, c!
unded on the Constitution OF the country. lGries Ct
good Now. il it be true that am not dis 10
lionst if it be true that the political principles az
lvocate are not disuniOn principles, but the re
nciples of the Constitution is 1t not right hard to "a
tablIsh disuniOn on sound men with constitutional
n1iples? ICries Of that's 50 y That, gentlemen, u
oud seem to exhaust the subject SOHnd men
it'll constitutional principles, Which principles M
I'VE announced in the form recognized in American W
'tcs to be asserted by Of the ballot-bOx. II
But a word upon another subject Although az
Il.