Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-22

20 estaDllsH or ABOLISH slavery. 1t asserts the
principle of Neutrality-suspicious. as the only
true principle, leaving to the people of the
States and Territories, under the forms of the
Constitution, and the TO regulate the subject
at their own discretion. The Democratic
party could, therefore no more make use of
the strong arm of the Federal Government to
extend slavery than it can propose to make
use of it to prohibit slavery"
This was published in the Louisiana C0urier,
and a slip containing it forwarded to Mr.
BREcKIBIDGE by Gen. MILES TO which Mr..
BRECKENRIDGE replied -T-s- r ~
LEXINGTON, KY, October q, 1856
DEAR SIR {: | have received your friendly
letter of the 18th inst. with slip from the
Courier, containing your remarks at a meeting
IN New Orleans. You have reported me cor
rectly, and thank you for it. The attacks
upon me in some of the southern Opposition
papers are only intended for this canvass :;
they do not themselves believe the charges
they make. .
As you know, my remarks were reported
in meager and imperfect manner-still,
even as reported, there is nothing to war
rant the attack.
Hands off the whole subject by the Federal
Government Except for one or two protec-
tive purposes, mentioned in the Constitution)
the equal rights of all sections in the COM
mon territory, and the absolute power of
each new State to settle the question in its
Constitution-these are my doctrines and
those of our Platform, and, what is more, of
the Constitution. To claim that the Demo
cratic party, in its Federal relation, is an Or
ganization to extend slavery, is to advance
doctrine that is Constitutionally untrue, and,
III its logical consequences, luminous TO the
South.
l consider the assault on me so absurd as
to be unworthy Of further notice till, have
written to 80" OF the Courier, and author
lied him to give the charges an authoritative
denial, or not, in his discretion.
Yours. very truly,
JOHN g. BRECKINRIDGE.
Here is reasSerted the doctrine of non-in-
reference, and that "the people of le States
and territories" are left, ''u"der tie forms of
the Constitution" '.to regul .te the subject at
their own discretion" This letter was not
published at the time, but was ONLY used by
This fuglemen in Louisiana, - while the speech
was lett to work its own Interpretation in the
latitude in which it was delivered. Thus the
Janus faces of the Cincinnati platform were
preserved in all their fine lineaments, by the
candidate for the Vice-Presidency. OF the
ethics of this transaction it is unnecessary to
speak in this place. The fairness or unfair
ness of the course is well enough defined to
elicit its own praise or condemnation. But
the letter was suddenly brought to light
few weeks ago, to vindicate Mr.. BRECKINRIDGE
against the charge of having advocated squat
ter Sovereignty, and to justify his present
occupancy of the "slaye-code'' platform. The
words relied on for the latter purpose, are
evidently those contained in the parentheti-
cal exception to Hands off the whole sub
Ject," to-wit /: except for one or two pro-
tective purposes, mentioned il the COnstitu-
tiou." To show that these zone or two pro-
tective purposes" did not include, and were
gressional protection as now contended for,
we have but 10 refer back to Mr.. BRECKIN-
RIDGES resolution in the Kentucky Legisla-
ture, which expressly limits the exception 80
the African slave trade and to the recovery
of fugitive slaves" and declares that with
the exception of these special powers" the
Federal Government has ''no control over
the institution of slavery" 1t is thus seen
that the letter to Gen. MILES wholly fails to
relieve Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE OF the odium of
having been an advocate of territorial or
squatter sovereignty up to the day of his
election. And on that day every one who
understood his position and voted for him
Endorsed it, that far.
During his Vice-Presidential term, Nj
BRECKENRIDGE did nothing of serious polhi-
cal character, except to maintain a prudent
reserve on the Lecompton question whieit
was under discussion, and to declare himsdf
friendly to the election of Mr.. DOUGLAS ov,r
Mr.. LINCOLN, in their memorable struggle fer
the Senate in 1858. He then held that col
test TO be one between the democrats AM
Republicans of Illinois, and he snubbed tir
administration and was for DOUGLAS. Now |
however, we fiud him arrayed against DoUG
LAS in the death struggle of the democrati,
party for existence and when, if the argu-
ments of his friends are to be believed the
great contest for national existence is between
the Democracy aud Republicanism. II we
measure his patriotism by The standard de-
ducible from these facts we should conclude
that it was altogether subordinate to his am
bition
After his election to the Senate from Ken
lucky, Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE delivered speech
at Frankfort, which is rather muddy and
confused. While still the favored child of
fortune in the matter of getting office, he ex-
hibits something of the peniteDce of an er-
ring child of temptation and folly. In that
. \ l.
a generous, if not a contrite, self-abandon on
the decision of the Supreme Court in the
case of bred Scott-upon a dtct,am, it may be,
thrown out upon a point which was not nee
essary to decide the case. But fearing that
this might prove worthless, "broken reed,'
he thus seeks another reliance. Said he:
Il do not hesitate to say that the aim of
every good citizen should be to keep the
question of slavery out of Congress. It's agi-
tation there has been productive only of evil
to US. and that continually. In the present
condition of public affairs l can see no mo-
tive to thrust the territorial question on the
arena that has its origin in a
feeling of loyalty to the Union. At present
the slavery question, or this aspect of it is
not before Congress. No Southern Senator
or Representative proposes legislation upon
it. No complaint of violated rights comes
from any territory. No evidence is offered
that the constitution, the laws and the courts
are not competent to protect personal right
and private property. Hence, while l would
never abandon a constitutional right, espe-
cially after it bad been judicially determined,
neuer aCOuld f'renlaturety raise any question to
distract the country, when no voice demands it
North, South, East or West"
Again:
1T should be cause of cOngratulation to ev-
cry patriot that the territorial question is
nearly fought out. 1t is fought ont No man
of sense or observation ever supposed that
the Institution would penetrate into Mime
sofa, Nebraska, and other Northern terrific
ries. AS to the territory south of a certain
parallel of latitude, where slave property is