Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-16
eay n9thIPg. saa Iaavs aotAI8g snore 70 .ay aboa.

But. the platform have read 70 you does contain
distinct enuHciation of certain principles which
touch the rights of property and person IN the Ter
ritories, and which declare the equal rights
Of the States and now Is Kentucky ready to
meet the issue7 We appeal to you, not in behalf OF
any individual. but to stand by your own pliEci
eIples, resting they do upon the Constittion Of
the United States [Cries of "Good. y
How, if il Be true, that am not disnnioniss,
and if il be true that the political principles adj
vocate the principles of the Constitution, VIII u
net be pretty difficult to fasten disnnlon on sonno
men, with Constitutional principles? (Cries of
That's SOY 4 &
That. Gentlemen. would seem to exhaust she sub
ject Sound men, with Constitutional principles,
which are affirmed in the mode recognized IN Amer
lean politics. and which we propose to maintain by
reason and the baIlotbox. Really, this would seem
to exhaust the question. {.
But. it is said although ] am not disunioniss.
and the principles maintain Constitutional and
true vet the object of the organization by which /
have been nominated is 20 break up this Confeder-
acyi and suppose they have selected me the tool
with which 10 execute that scheme. "a voice-"a
bad Instrument Cheers. 1t.e
Gentlemen. / do not think any man will charge
me, in my public address to the people, with want
of candor have no doubt a great many gentlemen
in the Southern States Of the Union think that their
constitutional rights will never be recognized A
few are perhaps per Sc disunionists though doubt
if there are fifty such in the Union, aside from the
Abolitionsts of the Garrison school, Undoubtedly.
a number of gentlemen who were dissatisfied with
the Compromise Measures of 1850 now prefer me for
the Presidency. and sustain me on this platform !;
and if could descend to count noses, doubt not
there are many more of the same character who
sustain other gentlemen, upon platforms not con-
stitut;Snal or desirable as mine. ICheers What
is the charge? Nearly the entire delegations of
majority of the States. made this nomination and it
is sustained by the masses of the Southern Democ-
racy, and by strong organizations in most of the
Northern Stqtes Do they mean to say that these
masses were disuhionists? Why, gentlemen, the
country is in bad way if this be so. But the charge
is reckless one. The entire delegations from Cali
fornia and Oregon united in my nomination, and
affirmed our principles. Are these disunion States?
They lie thousands of miles away from our domestic
strifes What have they said done that could
lead any to suppose that they would break up
the Union of the States? TIL are impartial arbi-
traitors of this dispute /; and they tell Northern
brethren they must do justice and give equality in
the Union, ard thus alone can they maintain the
Union and the Constitution.
Are majority of. the Senator's in Congress dis
unionists? Are three fourths of the Democratic
members of the House of Representatives disunion-
lists? Are all the eminent throughout the Union,
! who sustain this cause disuniOnsts Ny friends,
1 the charge is baseless and absurd. -.
Advantage has been taken of the loyalty of the
people of Kentucky; and equally to the surprise and
delight of the gentlemen engaged in it, the scheme
succeeded better than they expected am sure that
the sober, second thought of the people Will recall
| then to the maintenance of their well-considered
| Opinions. kentucky Will never 2DandOn
which she has declared TO be the principle OF the
! Constitution and the Union. Loud applause.]
| will not answer the newspaper accusations that
this gentleman and the other gentleman who have
! held extreme opinions, support me. Gentlemen OF
far more extreme opinions support the other candi
dates What, if A, B, C, and D, whose opinions you
do not like thinking better of certain set of prln-
cIples than they do of certain other set of priDc
PIES principles at all, laughter and applause
choose to vote for me, will you for this fasten the
hoIf nf
racy?
Gentlemen it is unworthy. Judge men by their
antecedents and by the principles supported by the
mss of their advocates. Do that, and if you find
the man unexceptionable, and the principles true,
! what brave man will be deferred from his support
! by false clamor of disunion? never could I'M
derstand Row it sectional to assert COnstltu-
tional right for have always regarded the Consti-
| tuition as covering the whole country. [Cheers.l
! But. while you are wrangling among yourselves,
there are disunonists all over the country, working.
and working actively, for the overthrow of the
| Union of the States They those who deny Con-
stitutonal rights; for upon the Constitution the
Union rests They are those who all over the North
engaged today in trampling under foot without
shame, the plainest rights guaranteed to us by the
! Federal Constitution. lCheers.] The Governor of
| the State of Ohio refused to deliver up man in
dcted for felony in Kentucky, because he says I'M
der the laws of Ohio it is crime to steal negro
| To-day, in the State of Wisconsin, indicted
for forcible rescue from the custody of the Mar
shall of the United States, is protected by mob,
| whose lawless proceedings seem to be sustained by
| public opinion. Where in the North the fugi-
tive slave law be executed, except here and there
along the border? How many of the States in the
North have passed laws making it an offense to be
punished by fine and imprisonment. TO aid the Off
GERS of the United States in executing the law in
regard to the return of fugitive slaves? Six or
eight, believe Look at these things. Look at the
concentration Of antislsvery opinion. Look at the
gradual advance year after year, of unconstituon-
al encrOachments. See yourselves enVironed and
closed in upon with steady and relentless steps.
State after State enacting laws making 1t penal in
the people assist the officers of the United States
to execute the laws which protect your rights;
armed mObs making rescues from the Marshal and
refusing to surrender prisoners; thorough anti
| slavery opinion maturing and taking the form of
political action in the Northern States; inrOads in
every directions Harper's Ferry; arsons IN Texas;
| the South enVironed and beset, the Constitu-
| ton thrown with contempt into her face, the
| purpose aSowed to exclude her from all the vast
common domain of the Union, and thus to begin that
"irrepressibe conflict which must end in the abO
| lition of slavery in the States. (Applause.4 And
yet when political organization ventures to pro-
test. in constitutional language-to ask for consttu-
tional rghts-those rights which you have said are
yours, having to hear, eye to see, voice
| of censure to rebuke those unconstitutional en-
croachmentS, you turn upon and stab. with clamor-
Gus cries of disuniOn your own fellOw-citizens who
struggling for your rights. (applause,) and
like the Jews, when Titus beseiged their city, instead
of defending the temple of your liberties you waste
the precious hours in insane wranging and mutual
| accusations. (Renewed applause)
single word upon another point. It is said that
Mr. Lincoln. representing the most offensive princi
pies before the country, ought TO be defeated, and
that am the only man in the way of his defeat. l
agree he ought to be defeated. agree that he rep
resens the obnoxious principles in issue in this
canvass. Iagree that his principles are clearly I'M
constitutional and, if the republican party should
undertake to carry them out, they will destroy the
Union. But does any one pretend that Mr. Lincoln
will carry single Southern State, in any event?
Was Mr.. Douglas willing to unite in the only pract
cal mode for the defeat of Mr.. Lincoln many Of
the wisest in the East thought? OF the details
of that know nothing Did not the Democratic
State Convention of Pennsylvania before the Nation
al Convention assembled nominate an electoral tick
and place it before the people, and did not large
majority of the State Central Committee of Penn
sylvania, after disruption at Baltimore, propose
that the people Of Pennsylvania should vote for the
electoral ticket without any change and that those
electors should vote for whoever could defeat Mr..
Lincoln? Was not that recommended? and did not
Mr. Douglas, declaring that oil and water could not
NIX say his friends should not vote for this electo-
raj ticket but should nominate one devoted to him
alone, which every child knows has not chance to
carry the State while it is equally sure, if the re
commentator of the State Central Committee had
beer acceded to, the united vote of those who prefer
that gentleman and myself would have defeated Mr..
Lincoln. [Cheers.l The same thing may be predi-
Gated in almost the same language, of New Jersey
and other States. But no. We who stand upon the
principles have indicated to-day are disunionists
seceders and they will have nothing to do with US
And SO he breaks up the only mode by which, in the
opinion of the regular organization of those States
Mr.. Lincoln can be defeated
Now, as have said, Mr.. Lincoln can in no event
carry single Southern State of this Union; and
with them, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Galifor-
MIA would make majority, so that the defeat of
Mr.. Lincoln would be sure. If perchance he should