Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-01-06

the good Of the common Coullrys ana "iio 81 p-iy
from misguided judgments, played upen by the
gambling politicians Of the Black Republican party
OF similar character with the speech Of Coy.
Johnson, though confined to a single point is the
peech recently delivered in the Senate BY that stern
old soldier, patriot and statesman Gen. 5o LANE
the MARION of the Mexican war. The greater palt
Of this speech we copy below Il is not speech
that would elicit the voeiferous applause Of the
Black Republican endorsers Of the Infamous end
incendiary HnPER pamphlet, or secure admission
into an Abolition paper that went in MOURNING over
the righteous hanging Of OsskwGTTANE Brown and
in this it differs as Union speech from the one re-
Gently delivered By Mr.. NELSON, Tennessee repre-
sentative at Washington. 1t is not speech which,
if it had ben delivered before Union meeting at
the North. eEould have been terrible bomb shell,
the explos on Of which would have endangered the
unity Of its proceedings = and in this it differs from
the recent letter Of Mr.. FILLMORE to the Union meet
ing in New York The favor extended to the speech
Of Mr. NELSON snd the letter Of Mr.. FILLMORE may
serve to penetrate the veil Of prejudice which has
heretofore obscured the understandings Of many we'll
meaning followers Of the Opposition leaders in Ten
nessee, when those Well-meaning men reflect that
ethe Republican party in the language Of its Chica-
20 organ, us mere fusion Of men agreeing upon
ss question (slayery) and differing upon almost all
others" end when they further reflect that what is
acceptable to that party must be regarded by them
As at least not injurious to their interests party
Senator LANE SAID: I hold that the Territory of
the country IS the common property Of the whole
country that the people Of every State OF this Union
have equal rights in the Territories. and that while
thew remain ia a territorial condition. the inhabI-
tauts cannot By Enfriendly legislation, or By sys
tam Of UNEQUAL taxation dehar the people of any
STATE from admission there; in other words, that
they cannot BY legislation, infringe on the rights Of
the people Of any State. But let me give an illus
tration hope the Senate viii allog me to make
case.
Application has been made to Congress, during
the last two three years for the organization OF
a territorial government in Arizona. Arizona is in
the southern porti9a OF our country. The climate
/ is warm; the soil y adapted 70 the production Of
lcotton; il is rich III mineral resources. have no
doubt that slave labor cOuid be used 20 advantage
1 in Arizona. believe it could be probably used
there for the production Of cotton. Isaw the cot
ton fields on the ella In the winter Of l646; picked
the cotton out Of the bolls examined is quality and
texture and found 70 be fine. Cotton can be grown
and produced fhere in abundance. Besides the cot
ton slave labor could be used pr0htaby in the mines
4 of that region and in agricultural pursuits That
being the case. representing, as do, northern
State elected BY the Democracy of anOrthern state,
could not foI. one moment consent that the people
of the South should rush out there as soon as ter
ritorial government was organized, get possession
Ct the Legislature, and, by system of unfritndly
legislation or unequal taxation, undertake TO keep
the people Of the North out of that Territory. We
would not submit TO it at all would say at once
| they have no right to pass such laws and believe
| any honest court such one as would Dc sent 10
that Territory would decide such enactments inya-
lid as violating that principle Of equality Of States
| upon which this Government must rest The prin
/ ciple Of equality Of States must be maintained.
Their equal right in the Territories so clear to my
/ mind that cannot imagine how any gentleman can
| gainsay it. The Territory IS the common property
of all the States, and I sure that the northern
people would not submit ID any such system Of tax
alton or any such legislation, in Territory as would
/ exclude them. The northern Democracy are Just (;
and. while they would not submit to that course Of
policy on the part of the South, they would not at
tempt TO exclude the South by system to which
they would not submit themselves.
/ No such right is conferred on them by the COnst-
tuition. recognize the principle Of the equality Of
/ the Ssates-their equal right in the Territories.
/ Any man has a right to 60 from any State Of the
Union into the common Territories Of this Govern
ment. and take with him what is recognized as
property IN the State from whence ne goes, and TO
hold It in the Territory while the territorial condi
ton remains and when the people Of the Territory
come 10 form State Government, they have right
to say WHITTIER the State shall be slaveholding or
non-slavehOldng and as they decide it is the duty
of Congress to admit them. But hold that the
people OF territory nave not rlguL 10 pfOnlDJ
slavery. and / would not agree that they have a
right to establish it, because the Territory is the
common property of all the States Of this UniOn, aud
every man, as said beiore, has right to 90 there,
! and take with him his property, and enjoy that
property while the territorial condition exists and
If the Legislature Of Territory shall undertake, by
legislation to bar the interests the rights Of any
portion of the Union, believe any honest court will
decide such legislation to be null and void, because
q 40 m .onG5s v.-itI tho Co-fi+,,tir the Tinted
I my saw Il a
court there is appeal 10 the Supreme Court Of the
United States. With the decision Of the Supreme
Court the Democracy Of the North viii be willing
TO rest
l have heard gentlemen, Senators and Others
talk about the value of the CniOn and their devO-
ton to it. No man loves it more than do, and nc
one would make greater sacrifices to maintain and
preserve this Union. / would do it at the moment
when the country requires 1t, at the expense of
every drop Of blood but to maintain that Union,
the Constitution must be maintained in its spirit
in its letter. and in its meaning. The principles
Of justice and equality must prevail in this
country, or there can be no Union. Sir, as much
as I love this Union as much as I am devoted to it
and no one is more so than myself would not
ask 70 have this Union maintained by the violation of
the Constitution itself If the northern States Of
this Confederacy could not have equal rights with
the southern States in the Territories, and equal
justice under all circumstances, would they remain
in the Union? If we want to preserve it, let US be
just. do right, deal fairly by every portion of this
country and not hold that the Territory belongs to
the North, to free labor, to the South to slave
labor; for it is not So L belongs equally to all
all Of them have an equal right in It; and 1 would
submit 10 no wrong from the South Being a north
ern man, would submit 10 nothing that infringed
the rights Of the northern States tue Territories
OF this Union. No man would be more prompt TO
resent wrong an insult or an indignty, or injus-
tice attempted TO be per2etrated on the northern
States by sac South. than myself; and while would
submit 10 no wrong from that quarter, would ask
them to submit to none from us.
intend to be just by all TO deal rightly with
the whole country, to know section but the Con
sttution and the Union; carry out its provisions
and its guarantees and the rights which are secur
ed by it 70 the States of this COnfederacy. do not
see how any man who loves the Union and the
Constitution discriminate between the sections
Of this country, and pretend TO say that the COM
territory Of all the Union shall be given eXclu-
slyely free labor slave labor. The citizens Of
the States have equal rights in the Territory while
it remains in the territorial condition; and when
the people who inhabit it come to form 3 State
constitution then it is their right to prohibit slave
~ 70 establish it as they see fit, and they have
right TO be admitted into the Union as they shall
decide.
did not intend sir to to say anything on this Ter
ritoral question; and should not have said word
on this occasion but that heard very indisunctly
some question which was propounded by the hon
orable Senator frOm5Ohio, to which the honorable
Senator from MinnesotaTose to respond, and desir-
cd 10 Know what the question was, 50 lhdt 1JoO'
might respond.
l viii say, before l take my seat, that this ques-
ton was made in our late election in Oregon, and
took active interest in it and it required the la
Dor Of sound Democrats there 70 secure the election
of reliable national man to represent that State in
this Congress. Tie question plainly and fairly
submitted to the people Of Oregon, AID in every
speech that the Lsember who represents that State
in the other branch of Congress, made before the
people, be took the ground that the citizens Of all
the States had equal rights in the Territories and
the North had right 70 infringe the rights of the
South, or the South TO infringe the rights of the
North. ] canvassed nearly every county in the
State in that campaign and l made myself under
stood everywhere. made the point clearly that in
nv Judgment all the States of this Union had an
equal right and all their citizens had equal in
terest n'he Territories rights that could not
must not be iafringed or violated. The Democracy
of that State triumphed and, by their votes at the
ballOt-box, indorsed that great princple-One that
must be maintained, one that cannot be violated
foF on that great principle Of equality of the States
in every thing that belongs to the general govern
meDt the happiness Of this country depends.
Meeting OF the Democracy OF Dickson.
Al meeting Of portion Of the Democracy Of
Dickson county held at the Courthouse in the town
of Charlotte, on the first Monday in January, 1860
for the purpose of appointing Delegates for Dick