Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-01-18
FIR e E m EG R OaE,s.
REMARKS OF
. ANDREW ]. VAUGHAN,
; OF MONROE CoUNTY.

/ AIOIOEH u. v NAOQI1AN,
OF MONROE COUNTY.
| Delivered in the Tennessee House OF ERess
reseniatives, January 10, 1850, {.
| tie BaI 10 srps! Free Persons Of Color from IL
State.
Mr.. Speaker lad intended 10 maintain an ute
seroe upon the question under eonsids ration ant
what shall say, s,r must be the result of iitth
preparation, and more than any thing else. fort b
purpose of placing myself right upon the reeorl
before those who have sent ms here and before th
people of Tennessee. 5a... g
T. 1y vieWsjs Sir, upon this subject are too vel
/ known by honorable members for ne 60 attempt Z,
4 cay ylhing new IT, them. Il is we'll known her,
that upon ell questions pertaining 10 the institution
Of slavery, am what gentlemen lerR litrs: Il
sir, to strive to foster and protect IN every possible
manner, this great Interest in the Stae and in tbs
1 South is 10 be ultra, then sir, an ultra.
| deem thequesli0n now before this House one O.
vital imp0rtanes TO the people Of my county Of my
section--to the people Of The Statistic the people
Of the vhole South. Yes sir, deen il, On accoun
Of les surroundings, to be tie great local quesliU1
I Of the day; and be who has studiedit itiin Ell lis
bearings must iReFitsbly arrive at the same con
| clusion. ..., 49,
l. sir had The honor (for IhOld it to be an honor
of introduoing The first oil upon this subjeot before
this legislative body And, sir, in my 0En native
county beyond the blue mouDtains. Il met my con
ern men, and upon every occasion and at RH times,
from the mountain topic the fertile valley from the
placid brooklet 70 the roliiDg Tennessee, adVCca-
ted shs doctrine, not to expe bu sir, to 'sell ihe
free negro into slavery; and, cir, il was almost
unanimous feeling in my section. -s
! 1 deem itunneeessafy--Hh it so--in me.tO en-
ter into discussion OF the eonstiu utional Obee-
fons urged against the bill, fJF my rule has ever
been to waste 10 ammunition upon fleeing foe, cot
to strike a fallen enemy, OF smite the dead lioH
No, sir nc; pnt up no stbCaTd', when the tar
get in the old one remains unstrickeR-Ehen the
t''crossp remains unbpOkeH- Fer Just here [ lust
say andI regret thaa he is here present, for he IS
modest man Is psA as nysslf that the cO1stiu-
tionsl argumen Of my friend from Maury lMr
Ganjt) losms before this House. cl1ihe in sound
logic entraBchcd with judicial decisions approved
+ b. right -rea=0n1 conclusive, unanswered, unap-
preached and uuaPproachabie $3.50 t H
l. has bcea said by the opponents Of the bill in
what spirit / do not know, ana With what motive l
do not care, that tee friends Of the measure had
tut him forward the champion of the Dill Ad-
mst that TO be so, are proud Of nina, and prouder
sii Of his able argument in its faYor Yes, sir. lie
staldz the d" lvanh0e.D who has beat dosn and ut
ery dlsoomhtisi t1s PguIy Knights, who haveen-
tered he iu this debate aud they retire back
ward from the lists hide ;hs utter nakedness Of
irConsituiIonsi Arguments Yes sir, the haut
blasts that usherrd them IA have died sWay iRto !
! faint note sounding parley.
Aad just here let Iue cay 10 my honorable friend
from Hickman, (Air- Williams, who seems 10 be
the PsiKbsn gun intended to smile hip and thigh
the friends OF the measure, that admire his heart
for he made no humanity argument; be comedies
that point. But his head is all wrong, and he who
has heretofore heCn almost always right" upon
other questious 5f national and State policy has
gotten tar wrong upon this measure, that he must
excuse me If | am unable scarcely 10 identity his
foTuer self. o.. cd.
l.. H. Il -, 1--s1 -. -
on this question long ez0rium upon the eonsti-
tuional rights, prisileges and immuBides OF the
free oOlored population Of this Siale but with al
due courtesy toward him, (for admire him person
ally and politieally,) must say to hin, .-
That la60rei, long exordiun sometimes tends, -..
Or Like patriots speeches, to paliry ends" p ..st
But, sir, sduire the argument Of my friend from
Hickman, more On accouut OF ils great length thau
for any Intrinsic merit; and must do INN me hon
or 5say, hat it's good long speech, p epared ay
identity with CREST care and some research, be hay-
ing co5sulted the liberties far back as The his
tory Of tlis State ext ends and quoting extensively
from The old Constitution, and from judicial dicls
thrown forth prior TO the ratfeat If the new
one, de3ucing arguments therefrom, which, with all
due deierepce 20 my honorable friend have no ap-
plicatoE 10 the subject under consideration. l ad-
mjTe the Ingenuity, the canior snd tie lcDg h Of
this speech; but, sir, l am free 10 confess, that
to me,
"Such speeches are neither rich u5r rare, .r
The only wonder is how the devil it cane here"
But, sir, my friend from Hickman admits tae Iaot
10 be, t5at the free negro population is a great
evil-a nuisance bar, sir h tells US further that
here is no ,msdy for it under the Cmstitu,iou Of
your STATE He tells you thst ne framer5 Of that
bsirumeat have riyetted the feters upon you, tbat
they have noculated this poisonous matter into the
body petite, that they have laid this nightmare
upon the people of Tennessee aad told Them, hesc
] 3 L .
We know ii is en- evil, bu} you must bear it,"
But, sir, I deny it, and come up in defence Of
those patriotic ancestors Of oars, those gallant men
who sleep in peace in he church yards Of their
maturity. And tell the honorable gentleman from
Hickman, he does injustice to The departed dead.
| Yes, sir, Itellhim be strikes uumered do at
those honest meu; and tell him further thai he
constitutional trainers we're ss much aware # aud
alive TO this evil the gertlemau himself an as
| plain as men could say t. tlIey have said ia taat
| instrument TO the % free Eegf >, you haze right
! here; you entitled no privileges orimmuni-
ties under the Constitution of Tennessee. Ne. SIR,
those pure men say in sl candor ths class Of pto-
pie We have intention Of el,va'ing you in. she
e, eial scale to the STANDARD 5f the Whine MAI, we
| draw & wide line Of demarkafiun between you and
/ him; you are here on suHertnce; you are mere at
! will; retain tbe right a. oty time in the future
! to remove you whenever you become cuuihtrtrs Of
| the land. But sir 1 set out 10 make no Gon-ttu-
=
the speech Of my friend from Hickman, for Of that
! speech, mast say it's
| Redundancy places memory on The rack,
The brain may be o'srloadei Ike the hack"
sad Itell him that like the man who stays the
hand Of the seh-murderer, he has no thanks for
/ his paias.
/ But sir az I said in the ou'sei, had intended q
remGin viieut and my rematgs from that cousidera-
tion must &c ike ssatered fires bat thank gentle
man for the kind gttention they are giving me
dc not believe the speech / am mak;og is a c9psid-
Grafton for this courtesy and rui it down 10 the
! goodness Of heart Ia member more than ary merit
/ iu me
But sir, as I s1id Jsrore, ! introduced tht 6r,;
bin upon this subject. not, sir gentleman say on
account Of public feeling in relation 10 he
Ferry raid, for unless members Wish 10 displav an
igDoraDce upon this poiDt they bad better examine
the records and sec that / introduced the first bill
| before the difficulty a. Harper's Ferry Gentlemen
( cannot Put II upon tha ground, they cannot raise
the cry Of - UniOn, ' Union" upon this question
The first bill has been termed by soma AZ
being NloQdy," Ii that we're so, mine be the
fault, and miue be ihe re ward That bill sir. pro-
posed T. sell bis population into q state Of slavery
and t. appropriate the proceeds Of such sale 10
1 the purpose OF cdueaiing The poor Whie bo,s and
girls on Stle ! propoecd TO give MIN (the free
/ negro hon'e and home, and make an hOa-
est servant OF him; and TO take mohey out Of
the heIs OF the Hesitby aud give the pogr mans
ebhdren the benefit Of it, Yes sir. to give
tenn thlt riches. gift, a good ,dIcat on. Eiib
which they could strike out ca lies journey,
and buffet The waves efedveTsity with brave heart
and clear head Tis not an act Of irjusice- 'Tis
no. an act Of inhUmanIty. / believe the negr0is
s1bjeet race now, ever has, and ever viii be
These, sir, were the main provisions Of my bill
These, sir, my opinions Of he ght ard wrong
I did not wish TO sed him to certain death ana
degradation in Liberia. I STOPPED at no half way
hiuse ufon this SUBJECT ] dorO halt st ID NIB
ling Castle.' | sought no compromise pih in
justice aad wrong upon this sutjact I wished "a
meet the bravely. / desired to make tn,
question boldly, rssOlutely and def4ntly Whether