Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-10-20
From the New Orleans Courier. A Few Facts

we have before us the official proceed ings of the constitutional Union conven- elon winch assembled at Baltimore on tbe Eth of May, 1860, and nominated .Tobn Bell and Edward Everett The nroceed. lngs or that convention exhibit facts which demand the attention and condemnation of southern men. It was we'll they resolved that It was their "duty to recognize no po- lltlcal principles {" other than meaningless generalltles, upon which the vilest black republican, as well as the most violent fire. eater, can stand; for there were men in that strange medley, dubbed the "constitutional uhion convention ''-men whowere prom lnent candidates for its nominations---wbo nave out lAncolned Lincoln, and who stand to-day as diametrically opposed to the South and her constitutional ripbts as Seward or Sumner, Hale or Harnlin' Wade or Giddings. .aa1' l'asd 9l5s1 1.f,'r " ~.
 In that convention John NJ. Bottsre-s ceived y votes for the nomination for Presi- dent, and John Mclean, of Ohio, received Z! votes, more than double the number which Mississippi's candidate, the Hon. Wm' ba Sharkey, received at any ballot. It Is startling that such men as Bolts and Mclean should be voted for in constitu tional convention; but it is more astonish- ing still that they should be indorsed. not silently, but with hot words of praise. by southern delegates in that convention. 2. ,i
 But first let us glance at the politicals status of Bolts and Mclean.
 John M. Bolts halls from a southern State { Virginia, but his past record has been so uniformly upon the side of the North, that many of the blackest abolition lsts urged his nomination blythe Chicago convention, which nominated Lincoln. The New York Tribune said 1t would C heartily and zealously support John M. Botts,'' for It sad, "we regard as coming within the scope of the organization, republican iour- nals, for he was looked upon. in both sec tions of the Union as southern man with northern principles. ss Ai1iI 7t'l+ 4I9
 But the evidence against John Mclean, ot Ohio, is more damning still, for, he is black republican in full fellowship. He IS one of the judges of the supreme court who gave dissenting opinion in the Dred Scott case. MT. Justice Curtis, another black republican, was the other. v o6=
 Let the South read the dissenting opinion of Mir. Justice Mclean in that case. He holds that the Missouri compromise was constitutional, that negroes are citizens of the United States, and that when slave haslonce visited free State, with the con. sent ot his master, he thereby, becomes free, although he may subsequently have been removed to slave State. For the benefit of our readers, who cannot lay their hands upon the opinion, we will give some ex- tracts. - aa=i ...ts.7 -s5..-. .stfs az At page 531 of the published reports, by Appleton, speaking of Dred Scott, an Afri- can slave, he said;
 Being born under our constitution and laws, no naturalization is required, as one ot foreign birth, to make him citizen. .- i he most general and appropriate definition of the term is a free man. Beinq free man, and haoing his donsicl in q State .dif terent from Mat cf Me defendant, he is C cit zen e0'tainhe act of Congress, and Me couSzs file Union are open to him" 'ss3g i=,al c. On page 538 he says, GALL SLAVERY HAS ITS ORIGIN IN POWER, AND IS AerNsr RIGHT; '' and on page 540 he argues that Congress has absolute power over slavery in all places under its jurisdiction. On page 543 he says that Congress can prohibit slavery ir the territories. We copy an extract:
 elf Congress should deem slaves or fres 1 coloIed persons injurious to the population of free territory, as conducting to lesser the value of the public lands, or on any other ground connected with the public interest, THEY HAVE POWER TO PROHIBIT THEM FROM BECOMING SETTLERS IN IT."
 :. On page 54S he denies that slaves arc property under the constitution. 5fBut we have extracted enough for our purpose.
 Is it wonder that man holding sucl views was prominent candidate before tn, black republican Chicago convention, and received a considerable number of votes fo nomination for the presidency? ytaia-t,5
 But then it strikes us as humilatine il the extreme to the whole South to see south ern men standing upon the floor of wha they call constitutional convention, and ndorsing such men as Bolts, and bespat- tering with fnlsome praise such men as McLean-willing to give up our constitu tlonal rights, willing to sacrifice the institu ton ot slavery, which is q the very wa:1 and woof of our social and political exist ence,' upon the altar of a Union whicl would then cease to carry out the ends fo which our fathers formed it. Neil s. Brown of Tennessee, who figured in that conven tion, says: C l would not give this Uniol for all the land and all the negroes of tn South." And Gustavus A. Henry, anothe delegate from Tennessee, says: elf civi war should ensue on this. slavery questio, between the North and the South, would not fight the North. I would be hunl first" ''' oi 'iaaN
 We have given the reader facts--fact which should make southern men pause err they, at time like this, indorse by thei votes convention composed of "whit spirits and black, blue spirits and gray, which refused to recognize your rights an, equality in their platform, indorsed suc men as Bolts and Mclean, and finally nom mated candidates in whose records i've searc in vain for single act to give to the Soutl any guarantee that they are with us. in tn struggle for constitutional lights and Stat equality. ~ > i v 's
 OPPOSITION BoAsTING.-Mr Wharton attorney general of Mississippi, made Il