Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-16
what shall be done with the slavery
Queationa

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tt The Editors Of The Nashvale Patrio:-I re-
greet to see, as / think do, the prospects of
the National Usion Party" continue to
wane, and am of the opinion that unless the
Baltimore Convention of the 9Th of May lay
down distinct. weil-defned platform igno-
ring none of the great issues of the day, es-
pecially the slavery question. and nominate
men Of national reputation, known ability,
and devotion 10 the Union. we had as well
abandon the field. for ''no chance" will be
much more obvious, and its cry mnch more
potent, than in 1856. | think we will have
20 give up the effort to stand between the two
great parties upon no other foundation than
depreciation of the slavery question. While
all we say of its evils are true, absolutely
true, yet have our denunciaticns, and will
they. restore peace to the country? The
storm of passion and feeling has acquired
such force and volume, that we are destined
to be overwhelmed. either by the fiery blasts
of the Sontb, or the frozen gales of the North,
unless we SHIFT our position into more de-
feasible harbor. While we as a party desire
TO ignore and .pretermit, as individuals, we
have our own private views that identify US
in feeling and sympathy, Notwithstanding
from supposed patriotic policy we suppress
the same, with either the Republican doc
trine, that slavery is wrong, per Sc. and should
be restricted, or with the antagonistical doc
trine that it is right, per Sc, aid shonld be cx-
tended, or with the don't care policy of
Douglas, that the people every where, aud at
all times, should be left perfectly free TO ex-
ciude or retain it. 1t does appear to me,
Messrs. Editors, that the doctrine of Mr.
Douglas is the only doctrine now promulga
ted that has the virtue or appearance of
compromise between the other two doctrines.
and | have no doubt. had we of the South The
same advantages over the North that the
North has over US in point of numbers, with
the motives and facilities for immigrating.
We would embrace the Douglas doctrine, and
possibly will any how, as in the opinion of
many there is nothing in the question practi-
cally but the "loaves and fishes.''
We have jealousy maintained that we are
the advocates of compromises on this subject
of slavery; if so, and Douglas should be NOM
many Of our party would fall into his sup
port, as the representative of the only tangi-
bic proposition to compromise. That this
question is destined to predominant in our
politics, so long any particular theory pro-
misses to give the party holding it control of
the government, seems 10 me to he liked
fact"
If We cannot periodically subscribe to
either of the three views, should we not hon
esily enquire if there be some other less sir
r,pressible" than the Republican and Demo
cratic, and less exceptional than the Squatter |
Sovereignty doctrine OF Mr.. Douglas seeing |
that one oil the three must inevitably be adop- |
ted in spite of our Observation-Disclosures, |
WREN i re is no peace.
propose to move on this subject at Balti- |
more and take this position. that the Consti-
tuition does not carry slavery anywhere, that |
it does not even provide for the acquisition
of Territory at all and in view of the i'm
practicability of acquiring Cuba honorably |
and peaceably, and in view that il is impol-
tic to acquire Canada aud Mexico if it were
practicable, declare that we have enough al
ready for several generations to come. But
that we may have theory ready to grapple
with any emergency, declare that all terri
tory coming free of African slavery, shall
have it prohibited, and all acquired having
African slavery existing shall have it pro-
tected by Congressional legislation unquali-
fidedy, according to the existence or nom
existence at the time acquired, and until the
people are allowed TO assume State Sover-
eighty, which should not he until sufficient
population exits TO give one representative
in Congress. This view dispenses with the
&" irrepressble conflict" of all free territory
or all slave territory, and mt the same time
avoids the absurdities of Squatter Sovereignty
and the dangers of strife and civil war, that
the theory invites as was demonstrated in
Kansas-and has the still further merit of
being in keeping with the notion of the faith
ers, who protected it where they found it.
and prohibited il where they found it not.
With such plank as this on slavery a de-
claration in favor of one Pacific Rail Road
by aid of the general government, a Home
stead bill, tariff for revenue, discrimina-
ting in favor Of American labor. relrench-
ment and reform. with JONI BELL for Presi-
dent and CoRwIN for Vice President, and if il
did not deter the Chicago Convention from
nominating ticket. would morally certain
defeat it, and the Charleston also before
the people, and though one of the other party
should take it upon itself to defeat us in
Congress, they would certainly regret it be
fore 1864 when our triumph would be GER
tain.
At any rate, we could not possibly do
worse than we did in 1856 So let us enter
the arena with something more tangible than
the "glittering generalities' of the Con
stitution, the Union and the laws" let us
say what We believe the Constitution Is,
what the Union is for and what the laws
should Je. 1t.
douglas and Seward.
The leading spirits of the Charleston Con-
vcutinn are cunereeating nj Washington. and