Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-13

free and ilsDeudent SAFES" To refuse such decla
ration when it was respectfully asked, was mock
cry upon Democracy.
The principle for which they separated from the
council of valued friends has been distinctly laid
down and approved by the Supreme Court it has
been repeated and endorsed by the present Chief
Magistrate it has been approved and adopted by
thrty-fve Of the thirty-seven Democratic Senator's,
as will appear from the published proceedings Of
the Senate Yesterday. Ii is well known to be main
tanned and advocated with bat few exceptions, by
the entire body of Democratic Representatives IN
Congress and, finally, it was recommended to the
adoption Of the Convention by seventeen sovereign
States. That it did not receive the sanction Of a
majority Of the Convention is due to the novel and
unjust device by which the delegates Of States
were required to vote as unit while the delegates
Of others were required to vote individually. L
cannot. then withhold from those men stung. as
thew were BY the refusal of the Convention to re-
coguize the principles for which they were contend
ing. and despairing, as they did, Of preserving
sound national organization. the expression Of my
approval of the frmness and decision displayed in
the course they have pursued
Ny only regret is that the whole South failed to
unite and act together. The cause was a common
cause. The end to be effected was the vindication
Of truth and justice had the Southern States been
united, had they acted il concert, am satisfied the
true men Of the North would most cheerf1lly have
Joined hands with them. and 1 am convened that
the party North would have proved stronger than
ever before, because the love Of truth would have
driven every CONSERVATIVE btdb NUT s6CLlSl
into its support.
While thus speaking, I have no word Of reproach
for those of our friends who, more hopeful still re-
ained in their Seats struggling to the end to pre-
serve our national organization and to place 1t on
a sound basis. Your own delegation acted mSnfully
when they submitted their ultmatum and New
York acted firmly and periodically when she p,edg
ed herself to meet Tennessee and Virginia and Ken
lucky platform Of equality in the slsterhood
Of States.
Tho Tennessee v,onosi+on Is not as full as could
desire, but conceive that it most uneqUiVocally
negatives the heresy of squatter sovereignty which
some Of our Southern friends have most unjustly
attempted to identify with the doctrine Of noninter-
ventiOn.
Had the Convention at Charleston adopted Mr..
Towards resolution l think the seeding delegates
could have returned to their seats with honor, and
should have done And if it. or something equiv
alent thereto be not yet adopted, should consider
Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky dishonored, If
! they do not Join the seeding delegates.
! The course most advisable. in my judgment, for
your meeting to pursue, is this: Approve the Gin
cinnati PLATFORM as It has been interpreted by the
President of the United States IN his inaugural adj
/ dress and in his several messages; as it has been
confirmed by the Supreme Court; as it has been eX-
pounded in the late resolutions of the Senate; and
! as it was recommended to the Charleston COnven-
] ton bv every certain Democratic State; express
sympathy in the movement of those who, at Charles
ton showed a readiness to sacrifice their party at
fnities and if need be, themselves, in defence Of
great truth. and encourage them not to despair Of
sound national organization but to return to Balt
more; avow your entire confidence in the Tennessee
delegation and urge and sustain them in the advO-
cacy of the right and thus. if possible secure the
union of the South and the integrity Of the Demo-
/ cratic party. With proper spirit Of forbearance
and patriotic devotion to principle, platform may
be obtained on which all Democrats may stand, and
/ candidates viii be selected who viii command the
cordial support of the lovers Of constitutional hber
! ty in every part Of the Union.
] Te--TlT 20, Al.1 YN
favorite or fear to join the general issue with the
Black Republican party Of the North, shall rule the
hour the day is lost before the battle begun, and
! thick gloom will shrOud the hopes Of the patriot
But, the other hand, if re-unite with hearty
good will defeat is impossible. The family jar will
| be succeeded by increased love and devotion, and
the confident expectations of the enemies of DemOc-
racy, based internal dissensiOns, will eventu-
/ ate in sickenIpg disappointment
! 1 ardently attached to the Union Of these
States and as a means to end, am ardently az
tached to the union and harmony Of the Democratic
party. For the preservation Of the one and the con-
! tinued ascnedancy Of the other am ready to make
any sacrifices which do not involve honor princi-
| pie. Yet l do not believe that either will survive
refusal failure to maintain and protect the cIt
in the full enjoyment Of all his rights, both at
| home and abroad.
The absurditv of the assertion that in agreeing to
noninterventon with slavery in the States, the Ter
rtories, or in the District of Columbia, agreed
| to surrender any of our rights guaranteed by the
Constitution Is too palpabe to need serious retuta
ton. If this be the meaning of nOn-interventOn,
| then we yielded our right to demand of Congress
an effective law for the restoration Of fugitive
| slaves and are bound if not to advocate, a.
least TO complain of the repeal Of the laws which
have been enacted for this purpose. If that con-
structlOn is accepted few settlers upon the pub
lie land in Territory may rghtfully punish you
me for entering a common Territory with one Of
our slaves by confscating our property.
! The precise point IN controversy Is this: Have
A. H. A. 80 1,rf
remove to a Territory with your slaves, and there
enjoy your unmOlested unimpared right OF proper
! ty? The Republicans deny this right. They assert
that slavery exists only by virtue Of local laws; and
that, as you pass the boundary Of the local
municipal jurisdiction and enter common Terrific
| ~ with a slave he becomes free, because, they
contend, the Constitution of the United States does
| not recognize property in slaves. The Democracy,
on the other hand, deny the power IN Congress to
establish or prohibit slavery IN the Territories. 1t
was agreed. on all hands, that when the people Of
a Territory met in convention to form a cOnstitu-
tiOn preparatory tC admission into the Union, they
had the indeteasbe right to adopt reject slavery
| and TO claim admission under their constitution as
! framed. But difference existed whether the con-
stituton, prOpriO UigOre recognised and protected
the right of property in slaves in the Territory.
This question left to be settled bv the Supreme
| Court tC whose decision all Democrats agreed IN
/ good faith to submit Until this decision was rem
/ dered the Democratic party could not have inter
! fered with prOpriety. The Supreme Court, how
ever has decided and these are the words of Chief
! Justice fancy
Every citizen has a right to take with him into
| the Territory any article of property which the
! Constitution of the United States recognises as
property" The Constitution Of the United States
recognises slaves as property and pledges the Fed
/ eFal Government to protect it, The act of Con-
gress prohibiting a citizen Of the United States tax
ing with him his slaves when he removes to the Ter
rtory in question 20 reside is not warranted by the
Constitution"
Congress may establish territorial govern
ment
With powers not exceeding those which Congress
itself by the Constitution, is authorized to exercise
over the citizens of the United States in respect to
their rights Of persons or rights Of property"
Good faith now requires the Democratic party
Unhesitatngly to march up to this authoritative
position of the Constitution. a triumph over the
Republicans without this avOwal Is an unmeanng
victory. The agitation of this question Of slavery
will never cease till this end is attained and l am
firmly persuaded that the Democratic party Of the
North will be stronger with the people, with this
sound, conservative manly avOwal than they would
be by shrinking and skUlkmg from the issue.
With the earnest hope that your deliberations will
tend 10 strengthen the hands of faithful Democrats
conduce 70 harmony, and the securenent OF truly
national platform, and national candidates as the
standardbearers in the coming Presidential contest
am with high respect, your obedient servant.
J. Thomson.
To Messrs. James Hamilton, NJ c. Galloway, W. r.
Hunt, J. N. Keller, D. N. Currin, j. B. Thornton.
Committee.
THE CONDITION OF A YoUNG LADY DETERMINED
1t is nice point to decide exactly when Girl"
becomes Young lady. - In a suit in Cchouharie
county, Pennsylvania lately the cause turned upon