The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-07-04
SPEECH OF
IAlgEe Y. ClEALNERs.

Delivered at Exchange Building Memphis Oh
Wednesday night, the 30th of May.
F5Ho,r Citi-cas Of he state IF Tennessee:
For more than thirty years the question Of
African slavery has disturbed the public mind,
and It's agitation has increased in fercencss until
one by one the various Organizations That were
once national, have been rent asundcr and the
peace and safety of the Union itself placed nj
jeopardy.
Commencing in the church, and having its or
igin in religious fanaticsin, the Methodist Epis-
copal Church was the first 10 dissolve the con
nection between its Northern and Southern
members and other religious denominations are
rapidly following in its footsteps
And as the anti-slavery sentiment grew in IA
vor at the North the thundors Of the pulpit were
stolen by the demagogues Of the stump, who in
fused is poisonous teachings into the ranks of
party politics, until separate Abolition party
was organizcl-the old Whig party dcnational-
lied and compelled to separate, and on its ruins
and out ofits Northern wing, the Black Rcpubli-
can party sprang into existence
And now The great Democratic party, whose
history is the history of Constitutional liberty,
acknowledgements are written in nations pros
perity, the last vestigc Of national organization
the last hope of the Union ITSELF is trembling on
the brink Of dissolution.
The gallant ship which We all once loved,
freightcd as she was with all the dearest hopes
of genuine liberty, has been seized upon By pi-
fi,,l..
drive her iato unknown seas and troubled waters,
Ear from her ancient landmarks; they have tossed
chart and compass to the waves and set sail at
random, ia search Of spells and pundar alone.
They have hoistcd the black banner Of ircesoil
and squattcr soycrcignty-haye raised the battle
cry of Douglas or disunion and have called upon
us Of the South, who stl cling 20 the old Demo
cratic creed, of principles, not men-who are
welded to no mans fortunes--to give up every
principle Of our lives and surrcnderat discretion
to the great King of the squattcr soyercigns; and
we are threatened with AboIitonism-with Sew
ard and the irTcpressible conflict five dare to
disohey
4 rampant freesoil Democracy is making the
demand, united with greedy olice-hoders and
hungry expectants Of the South, who are howl
ing around Us like ilmished wolves despairing o
their prey, and dcnouncing us as diSunionists il
we insist on what they are themselves compelled
to admit are our constitutional rights
The prospect is indeed dark and gloomy before
us, andthe true men of the South are everywhere
assembled for consultation. At your request !
have come from your sister State Of Mississippi,
to take counsel with you of Tcnnessee; and
though the odds seem fearful against us, yet |
take courage when remember another day when
Mississippi and Tennessee stood side by side aad
shoulder to shoulder against overwhelming num-
bers, before the towering forts and strong-wallcd
battlements Of Monterey, while the deep-nouthcd
cannon hurled the swift messengers Of death
through their unwaycring ranks. point you 70
the glittering sword of McClung glancing in The
sunlight on Montercy's walls as the Mississippi
ans scaled its heights and to the deep-toned voice
ofyour own gallant Campbell, as the Tennessee
ans rushed on to the charge and predict that vic
tory will again crown our efforts if we are only
true to ourselves.
For the first time in the history ofDemocracy
tiaiiiN VI ht I Dtt iiisitAc slliala
to the good of the whole party, and our Conven-
ton at Charleston has been unable to nominate
candidate The friends ofa single aspirant re-
fused to adopt sound and explicit platform, be-
cause their favorite, who had previously issued
his pronunciamento and dictated his terms, had
declared in advance that he would stand upon no
platform but one susceptible of his doctrine Of
Territorial Sovereignty.
They were determined in advance that Doug
las, and Douglas alone should be nominated.
They strained every nerve to the accomplish
ment of this object-and many there were who
announced that they would ballot on until the
next election, before they would surrender his
claims. And when they found that this could
not be accomplished they broke up the COnven-
ton ITSELF and adjourned to meet in colder
clime where the cries of the South, as she was
throttledin the house of her pretended friends,
might perchanee, be less distinctly heard, and
where her executioners ght more easily escape
from her indignant and outraged SONS. And yet,
these men are the first4o assert that we are res
ponsible for the disruption Of the party, and that
thefriends Of selfish politicians broke up the con-
vention for selfish purposes. They admit that
Douglas stood as the only obstacle in the way Of
mountaineering indeed, assert the fact them
selves and with strange absurdity, charge that
he was only an obstacle because he was an OBJ
ject Of envy and jealousy to Southern Statesmen.
II the South had been united on any one man,
there might be some pretence for such charge
But when she had ne such man; when she was
ready to shout over Hunter, Guthrie, Brockin-
ridge. Davis. johnson, or-even to have crossed
N<pe line aud taken the Marion ofthe Mexican
X" or any other man who was ready TO give
ANiecsion 70 Lie. liberty and property in Che