Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-01

The BELL and DOUGLAS papers have abandoned
| the charge made against Mr.. BRECKISRIDGE alluded
to in the following article, which we copy from the
National Itellgencer of the 4th inst. STILL as it is
kept up in some of them, we give the article an
eternal exhnguisher of this SANDER The Intelligent
! Ger says
We have not been able to procure an authentic
report of the speech delivered by Mr.. Breckenridge
| at Tippecanoe, in 1885, and we have reason to be-
lieve that such report furnished to the
| press. II is within our power, however, TO place
before readers the substance of his remarks on
that OCCASION acknowledged by Mr.. Breckenridge
soon after their utterance; for, question having
been early raised with regard to the accuracy of the
| reported speech, prominent Democrat OF Loulsi-
ana, Mr.. +. W. Miles who present at its delive
ry took occasion the 18th of October, 1855, with
out attempting to give "the exact words used by
Mr. Breckenridge" to state their purpOrt in the fol-
| lowing terms:
MIR Breckenridge insisted that no party whose
| patriotism was bounded by geographical Ines or
| that fixed its attention exclusively a sectional
interest could honestly administer tie Government.
| This Mr.. Fremonts party proposed to do. 1t pro-
posed to array the people of sixteen States against
| those of fifteen States not as man against man,
but communities against communities; the one
side led on by illogical prejudices and unreasOning
fanaticIsm the other standing firm in the defense of
| property, life and liberty. 1t was against such
parties that the Father of his Country had raised
| his warning voice in his Farewell Address. In such
contest no could doubt the result, and for such
contest no true patriot had any heart. But, ICON
tinued Mr.. Breckinridge) 1t was said that the Dem
| ncratic party was also a sectional party that 1t
wishes to make the strong arm of the Government
extend slavery. That was not true. The Democrat
! ic party rested its claims to national support
upon national principles; it stands upon the
principles of the Kansas Nebraska bill and the Gin
cinnati platform. 1t asserts that the Federal Gov
eminent has power to establish abolish slavery.
1t asserts the principle of non-intervenOn as the
only true principle, leaving to the people of the
States and Territories under the form of the COnst
tuition the right to regulate the subject at their
discretion The Democratic party could therefore,
more make of the strong arm of the federal
government to extend slavery than it propose TO
make use of it to prohibit slavery"
Immediately after the publication of the above
extract Mr.. Breckenridge having been Intercepted
by Mr. Miles, in regard to Its accuracy, wrote fol-
lows in reply, under date of the 2lst October 1861
"You have reported me correctly and thank you
for it. As you know, my remarks were reported
in meagre and imperfect manner STILL even as
reported there is nothing to warrant the attack.
Hands off the whole subject by the Federal Govern
ment, Except for one or two protective purposes
mentioned in the Constituton,) the equal rights of
all sections in the common Territory, and the abso-
lutte power of each State to settle the question
in its Constitution these my doctrines and those
of our PLATFORM and what is more, of the COnstitu
ton. To claim that the Democratic party, IN its ed
eral relations is an organization 10 extend slavery,
is to advance a doctrine which is constitutionally
untrue and, in its logical consequences, runous to
the South"
1t will thus be seen that Mr.. Breckenridge in his
Tppecanoe speech, was not called specifically TO
treat on that form of the Territorial question
which relates to the protection" of slavery as dis
tnguished from its establishment prohibition.
Denying the power of the General Government
either to establish abolish slavery in the Terrific
ries, he doubtless left in allegiance any expression
of opinion in regard to the manner in which the in
habitants of a Territory, during their Territorial
condition. could regulate this subject in their own
way "under the form of the Constitution" though
it cannot be doubted that his private opinion was
coincident with that avowed by Mr.. Buchanan when
alludng to the differences that early obtained on
this subject among the adherents of popular SOW
ereIgnty he stated in his inaugural address that he
had been of the opinion" that the people could def
nitey decide the question of slavery only in pro-
ceedng to form State Constitution. The interme-
date status of the question was one on which Dem
ocrats were permitted to differ in 1885, and it is
well known that down to very recent day Mr..
Breckenridge was willing still longer to practice the
same liberation To this extent, and no further we
presume he may be said to have given his counte-
nance to the dogma of popular sovereignty as cher
,Sha d nv t,a NOrthern Democracy