Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-01-15

the rights and institutions OF the southern Bub
for the war which has been so perseveringly waged
against the institution Of domestic slavery, rs it eN
lists among us, an institution with which they have
no sight to intermeddle, we would have continued
to live tremendously together, and the ties Of fra
ternal feeling and affection would be strong now
as ever before in the history of the Confederacy.
This want0n Interference thus commenced, and SO
extensively persisted in, has produced the present
alarming crisis, and has brought the union Of the
States to the verge Of destruction.
The Northern people now insist that there must
be no more slave territory. ne more slave States
and that the fugitive slave law must be repealed
so essentially modified as to render it valueess fer
the recovery Of slave property. In Massachusetts,
Wisconsin, erm0nt and perhaps other non-slave-
holding States the fugitive slave act has been prac
bcay and effectively nullified and rendered mop
erative
The Massachusetts act declares that the writ of
habeas corpus may be issued by either of their
courts, and even by any justice Of the peace" in
term time or vacation, and upon the return Of such
writ, the fugitive slave may demand trial by jury,
and if the jury shall disagree the issue may be sub
mitted to another jury, continued to the next
term, at the discretion of the court; that no con-
fessions, admissions OF declarations of the al
legged fugitive against himself shall be given in evil
dence upon the trial that the Governor by and with
the advice and consent of the Council shall appoint
commissioners in each county to defend fugitives,
who are to pay all witnesses expenses clerks fees,
officers fees and other expenses, and they are to
have these and all reasonable charges for their
vices as attorney and counsel in the case paid by
the State Treasurer and the act also prohibits their
jaIs, prisons or other places Of confinement, from
being used for the Imprisonment Of persons claim
ed as fugitive slaves lSee Session Acts, 1852 page
Z94.) The act CT Wisconsin is even more stringent
its provisions for the protection Of fugitive slaves
than the act Of Massachusetts,. (See Revised Stat
utes, 1855 page 9l2) The act Of Vermont declares
thatnO person within the State shall be considered
property or subject as such to sale purchase or de-
livery; that the fugitive slave may have the benefit
of trial by iuPV-that every person who NAV have
been held as a slave who shall come or be brought,
be in the State with without the consent of his
or her master or MISTRESS who shall come, or be
brought, or be Involuntary, or in any way in the
State shall be free; and denOunces against every
person who shall hold the fugitive a slave the
penalty of Imprisonment for not less than one nor
more than fifteen years, and a line not exceeding
two thousand dollars (See Session Acts, 1858 page
AZ
In other Of the nOn-slaveholding States IF / am
not mstaken) similar legislation has been employed
to defeat the execution OF the law, within their lin
its They maintain the doctrine of irrepressi-
bic conflict between free and slave LABOR. which,
under their teachings, has produced It's first fruits
ia the shedding Of Virginia blood upon our own soil
The friends Of this kind of legislation and the sup
| porters Of these mischievOus doctrines WELD the
Executive. Legislative and Judicial authority of the
nOn-slavehoding States, with scarce an exception.
In the Senate OF the United States the Republican
party numbers upwards twenty. IN Inc House
of Representatives more than hundred, all elect
ed bv the votes Of n0n-slayehOding States, and all
endorsing and approving these obnoxious doctrines
and measures. A few years ago this party was
very small in each branch Of Congress, and we were
assured hatthey represented comparatively small
number Of fanatics, with whom the great body Of
the Northern people had no sympathy, and who en-
tertained no principles and doctrines in common with
them on these questions.
1t is readilysln cheerfully conceded shat large
portion Of the citizens Of the non-sayeholding
States are 0val to the Constitution and the Union
but it is not to be disguised that large number
Indifferent to both, and would prefer dissolution
OF the Union TO the extension of slave territory, or
the increase Of slave States. They desire TO cOntine
slavery to the States in which it exists, and the
sympathy manifested for John BrownSand his asso-
cates in crime gives reason fear that they are not
prepared to aid in putting down attempts to inter
fere with the institution, in the States, where
it is recognized and protected by law
This lamen'ab state of things, between the two
sections of the country, has its origin IN construc-
ton placed by the Northern people upon the Con
stituton Of the United States. They consrue it to
the prejudice of the honor, rights and institutions
of their southern brethren. They insist that the
Constitution authorizes the adoption OF measures for
the exclusion Of slavery from the Territories
common properly of all the States-and they spare
no effort to affirm their construction by the legisla
ton Of Congress. In the early history OF the gov
ernment Territory was acquired and territorial
whether they were free or slaye-tree and slave
States were admitted into the Union pqri passa.
The Constitution construed fairly and justly, ac-
curding to its terms and splrit-we hvCd IN mar
mony-and our prosperity as a nation was steady
and UNPARALLELED. When the Northern construction
began to prevail strife arose, bitter feelings were
enreudered elimination and recriminatlOn followed;
and now we find that the tics OF brotherhood have
been sundcred. mutual distrust has succeeded, and
the kindly feelings Of affection have been Gmotherel
by bitter sectional hatred, that now Dds Ialr 10
outlive the existence of the Union. The only
foundation upon which the government can rest IN
security is the affections Of the people. II this
foundation has not been entirely undermined@t Is
SO nearly gone that it becomes the conservative pa
triuts of the nation to unite and determine upon
line Of policy that shall govern their future action
| greatly fear however that the disease has taken
such hold upOn the Northern mind that It Is almost
impossible now to eradicate it.
In tins dcporable condition of things, with all l
the evils incident to dissolution OF the Union proml-
nently before us the inquiry presents ltselt-what
can be done to avert the danger The supreme |
Court cannot settle this question Of construction be-
cause is not recognized by the parties as an arhI
ter This has been but too palpably manifested IN |
the utter reputation of the bred Scott declslon by
the Republican party.
The only mode. therefore, of remedying the evils |
that occurs to me- under the Consultation, Is provided
in the 9Th article thereof summon convection /
of all the States that full and free conference may
elected for this purpose. and thus ascertain whether
the questions in controversy cannot be settled upon
some basis mutually satisfactory to both sections
If such a convention shall assemble, and after free
and full consultation and comparison OF opinions, /
they shall find that the differences between the /
and non-siavehoding States are ire
concab!e let them consider the question OF a /
peaccabe separation and the adjustment OF all ques-
tons relating the disposition Of the common pro
perry between the two sections. If they can be re-
~T,- lao
such sanction as will render them effective.
] suggest, therefore that you adopt resolutions IN
favor of the call of such a convention, and appeal
to the Legislatures of the several States to unite IN
the application proposed 10 be made TO Congress IN
pursuance of the provisions of the articles afore-
said. If the non-savehOlding States shall fan or
refuse unite in the application, such refusal Wlll
furnish conclusive evidence of a determination on
their part to keep up the agitation, and to continue
their aggrcssons upon US. If the Convention shall
meet and the question cannot be satisfactorily ad-
uSted it will furnish evidence equally Of their de
In either event the people OF the
South will clearly understand what they are 10 eX-
Dect in the future.
1t will. doubtless be objected to this suggestion
that it looks to dsuniOn. Grant Il il you please Is
not the danger ofdisunion imminent now, and Is not
he public mind. North and South, deeply agI&ted
by the apprehension that the days of the Union are
DiSuniOn speeches are the order OF the
lay in dclbcratve bodies State and National and the
press teens with the same sort of matter, editorial
and selected. Southern Legislatures
ire employed in considering the best modes OF
protecting the honor and rights of their States, and
IRE making provisions for armIng ami dlsclpbnlng
he militia with sole reference to their protection
and defence. either in or out of the Union. Every
nan sees and feels that dangers are impending
over Us, and that disunioni not only possible but
4 highlyprobable event, ane atnO distanlday When
hese things are 50. surely the country can look up
IN disunioa, from the stand point which | occupy.
fmen cannot calmly look upon it. at this distance,
hey ought to cease the utteTance OF disunon senti
Rcnts and permit the public mind to settle down,
eparatOry TO submission the part OF the South.
also suggest that commission, 70 consist OF
wo Of our most intelligent, discreet and experienced
statesmen shall be appointed, whose duty shall be
% visit the Legislatures Ct those States which
nave passed laws 10 Distract the execution of the
fugitive slave act, and insist in the name Of H.
ylna, upon their unconditional repeal In support
II the suggestion OF the appointment OF comnns-
lon precedent Is to be found in the history Of our
,wn State, in the appoinmentot the distinguished
ienJamln Watkins Leigh who was commissioned TO
lslt the Legislature of South Carolina at the time
II the controversy between that State and the Gov
rnment. The existence OF the Union then