Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-06-08
Er.n tie Memphis Enauirer.

ing, June 4M.
Maj d. said:-I am happy to meet my fell
low-citizens on this occasion. Iwent TO Bal
timore as one of the Delegates of Shelby, and
was selected-to announce the vote the
State, which was unanimous for MI. Bell as
the candidate of the friends OF the Constliu-
ton and Union for the fret office IN the GIT
of the people, and for Mr. Everett as their
candidate for The second Office In giving
these votes, felt that Twas acting 10 &C
cordance with the dictates Of the highest pat
riotisnn, and that [ would be sustained Dy
those throughout the country. VINO leii inaI
tbere were considerations higher than party
involved IN the present. contest lot the ffes-
idency. E.,,,
from tbc newspaper accounts of the proceed
inps Of the Convention, that it was dlstln-
puisbed above all others for the unity OF SEN
Iirnent which it displayed, and for the or
der, dignity, and patriotism. winch marked
all its resolutions. There were no controFer-
sizes about Squatter Sovereignty, no meta
physical enquiries into the doctrines OF State
rights. no apologies for the mistakes or mis-
apprehensiUns of those who imagine that
platforms can check the corruptions of party,
or restore the Government to its original
purity. The men who composed that Con-
vention did not assemble as a party. They
went there to correct the excuses of party,
to lead their countTymen to the path OF pat
riotisrn, and to strengthen the bonds of the
Union which have been $50 much weakened
by late events. The men who were there
had no agency in those -counsels which pro-
duced civil war in Kansas. They had no
thing to do with the miserable struggle
which has divided what is called the Demo-
cratic party one portion of which conterds
that Squatfer SOveignty is the panacea for
all th6'evils which have grown out of the
IL.
portion declaring that this same Squatter
Sovereignty is worse than Abolitionisn, and
is totally inconsistent with Southern honor,
and with the equality of the States OF the
Union.
No. gentlemen. The Convention which NOM
mated Bell and Everett had no sins of this
sort to answer for. They were men who de-
rived their political faith from the Fathers OF
the Revolution-from the great minds which
founded and reformed our system-frem The
example of such men as Washington. Jeffer-
son. Madison and Jackson. The men of that
Convention saw that the Union is in danger
from the violent sectional contest which has
grown out OF the attempt 10 inteTpolate into
our system of government the idea that
there is higher law than the Constitution.
They saw that the excitement created by the
attempt of South Carolina to nullify the
reFeuue laws of the land, had been artfully
under pretense of preserving the equality OF
the States, party tests had been Gre
ated. which, If persisted in. would
inevitably produce a dismemberment OF
the COnfederacy.@ In view of this danger
the Convention unanimously resolved that
it was best 10 appeal TO the people of the
United States, and invoke them to come once
more TO the STANDARD of the Constitution, the
Union and the enforcement of the laws.
This, in fact. constitutes the only platform
upon which they would consent to make
their nominations for the Presidency and
Vice Presidency. And il is not a little re-
markable. gentlemen. that there was not |
dissenting voice tn this decision of the Con- |
ventiOn. The sentiment which gave rise 10 |
it WITS not only spontaneous, but it was uni |
versal thus aliording us the hope that it has |
a strong hold upon The hearts of the people |
throughout the Union, and that it will be |
yet effective ia giving peace and tranquility |
to the country at large
Is thee any politician who Gao feel him
self disparaged, when told that it is time 10
ret urn 10 the good old fashions of the Re
public. when Washington relieved Pennsyl |
vania OF an insurrectiOnary movement with
in her limits-when Jefferson overihrew the
attempt through the alien and sedition laws
to strengthen The Federal Government at the
expense of State Tights-when Jackson, by
appeals to the patriotism of the land. rebuked
successfully the spirit of disunion. These
great patriots did this by invoking the spirit
OF the Constitution. the Union, and the Laws,
as the source of all our national greatness
and the highest guarantee we possess fer the
maintenance of our civil and religious liner
ties.
If there he any politician in the land not
satisfied with our Constitution and Union,
| am for getting rid of him, and have not /
the slightest doubt that such will be the feel
ing Of his constituents when him they find
out
Notice for a moment if you please. the
present dssension III what is called the DEM
ocratic party. This party brought into power
Mr. Pierce. by Il fusion of the nulliiers and
the free-soilers. 1t took up Squatter Sever
eighty in order to cOalesce its discordant ele-
ments. and to get rid of the Wilmot Proviso.
This fusion has served the purpose of the
party until now, when it was discovered that
Squatter Sovereignty cannot be used any
longer. The extremists of the South declare
that it is a constitutional impossibility- the
of the North denounce it as
utterly incompetent to prevent the extension
of slavery Between the extremes. there is
alleged to exist q national Democracy which
asserts that Sqaatter Sovereignty is simple
reference of the question of slavery to the
people of the Territory, who can do what
ever they please with slavery. provided they
do not violate the Constitution. This con-
slider as all humbuggery the necessary re-
sort of politicians who have obtained power
by unworthy means, and who seek to hold it
by new inventions equally at war with the
spirit OF our Constitution, and with the tran
guilty of the whole Union. The only remedy
Tor such legislation, is to return TO the Con-
stitution and the Union, and to administer I
the Government IN the sense in which our
fathers did it.
Every man of common sense must see that |
a territory can possess no power which it does
not derive rom Congress-that if the terrific
rial legislature excludes slavery, it is the same
thing as if Congress did il, and that the &C
ton of the courts applies well to Congress
as to the territory, if there is law passed |
excluding slavery from the territories, which |
are the common property of the people of the
United States. This whole question, then,
which has been at work ever since Gen. Cass
started ii; has been some fourteen years per
forming its circuit of agitation and strife, and |
comes at last to the beginning point, and |
stands where our fathers LETT it. Whether or
not Congress can exclude slavery from the |
common territory OF the Union, has always |
been Judicial question, and never could have |
made an embarrassing one but Tor the inter
meddling Ofdesigning politicians.
Let Us look at this question little more |
in detail, in order that we may the bet
ter understand the triekery Of this modern
sham Democracy. When Mr.. Van Duran was
brought forward in 1886. it will be remem-
bered by many of you that he was questioned |
on This very subject, of the power of Congress |
TO regulate slavery in the territories of the |
United States. His answer to such ques-
tions was that he could not bring his mind to |
believe that Congress did not possess the |
same power over the territories of the United |
States that the States themselves did over the |
territory within their limits but that whilst |
entertaining this opinion, he thought it would |
be highly unjust and inexpedient to exercise |
this power within the District of Columbia. |
Yet The Democracy of that day, and particu- |