Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-22

L
politicians. at least in Kentucky, were very
careful and cautious in their ouigivings upon
| the subject. Some fifteen days later JAN
| BID Mr.. WICKLIFFE submitted a series OF res
olutions, of which we give the following:
THAT slavery in the Territoriesis 4 subject
which belongs exclusively to the people oil
| those Territories, and that their right to eX-
| clude slavery therefrOm can be exercised by
| them only in their capacity as an iadepend-
| ent State, and in forming their constitution
| for State government"
| This embodies the doctrine, afterwards sub
| stanlialIy incorporated into the Compromise
| measures of that year by Congress 1t was
| referred to the Committee on Fedgal Rela-
/ tons Fortunately for Mr.. BRECHNRIDGE.
/ he was a member of that Committee where
| by be was enabled TO bring forward lis views
Enthusiastically on the great ye1Qta ,soeat2 Of
the day The Committee disagreed. The
| majority reported, in lieu of all tn. resola-
| tions which had been referred to them among
others, the following:
IL That, in the distribution between the
| General Government ald the Stats of the
| powers which should belong to eacl, those
which were general and foreign weTa given
l
| nestle were retained by the other: that the
| question of slavery belongs to the latter
| class. and any attempt by Congress TO de-
| priye any State or Territory of the Union OF
| the sole and exclusive power to retain or
| abolish it would be to distTust Its capacity
| for Self-gOvernment. TO cucrO2ch on It's un-
| doubted right to control its internal inter
| ests, and to endanger the integrity OF the
| Union: and that any bill for the gCFcfnment
1 ~ thr, Trrr foTia ~
| the WilmOt PrOyiso Is il conflict with those
| great principles and compromises OF the Con-
! stitutioH."
The minority reported the following:
| stResoLUed BIZ the General assembly 81 hcH-
| flsckG, That the Federal Government pos
| sesses oTher powers than thoSe speciaiiy
| delegated, and such other power as may be
necessary and proper TO carry into execution
| the enumerated powers, and no coltroi over
| the institution of slavery. with the exception
of S,r,, spe,.iaI powers relative to the African
slave trade, and to the recovery of fugitive
slaves having been delegated 10 The Federal
Government: therefore,
Res9ECaf That our Senators in Congress be
instructed and our Representatives request
ed firmly TO oppose every effort that may be
made in the Congress of the United States TO
interfere with she institution OF slavery either
in the Suites of the Union. District of Column
bia or the Territories that now belong to or
may hereafter be acquired by the Govern
ment OF the United States
1t seems that the resolution of the majority
should have satisfied Mr.. BBECKINRIDGE, since
it clearly admitted that the question of slave
~ in the territories was wholly local and
domestic IN the very terms Of his own res
oIutiou of the 18th January, and therefore
belongs alone to the people who inhabit
them But because it did not explicitly
DENY the power to Congress to deprive any
State OF territory OF the Union OF the soye ard
sCcL1ssir. yolrsr 10 retam or d5oIssb@ slavery
simply saying that such an attempt by Con
gress would be to distruSt its capacity for
selEgUvernment, TO eBcToach on its undoubt-
ed right to control its internal interests, and
20 endanger the integrity OF the Union'-it
did not satisfy Mr.. BEEcKNRIDGE. To show
that this, and this only, was the ground OF
objection on his part. we subjoin his report:
The undersigned. the minority of the
Committee on Federal Relations, have not
been able to concur in the resolutions of a
majority Of the committee.
The two sets of resolutions Will b. found
to differ only in two essential particulars.
Those presented by the undersi gned take the
ground that legislation on the subject of
slavery. except in certain specified cases, IS
,agt tgstiia the posrsr Of Congress, and they in
struct our Senators to oppose Congressional
interference with the subject. The resolu-
tons OF the majority SURF ender the power to
Congress, or at least fail to deny 1t clearly
and explicitly, and do not propose to instruct
our Senators to carry out the will of the peO-
pie of Kentucky.
The undersigned cannot doubt that the res
a.
Ply firm, moderate ground, proper for Ken
lucky TO assume, and answerable TO the
decided sentiment of the State.
CSigned) &c. BRECKNRIDCE.
J. z. BATES,
J. =. METCALF'
There can be no shadow of doubt as to the
views of the gallant Kentuckian" on Terri
toriai or Squatter Sovereignty at this period
Nothing is left to misunderstanding to that
.'inexorabIe logic" which, in his metaphy-
steal moods, so much delights him; but every
thing is ''writ down" in full round hand and
clear terms. Even the proposition of Mr.
WIcKLrFFE, limiting the sovereignty Of the
territories to the period Of forming State
constitution. was smothered in the commit
tee, and nothing but the assertion of the doc
trine of territorial sovereignty would meet
the approval of Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE In cur
limited reading we do not remember to have
met with broader or clearer assertion Of
the doctrine previous to that time. We are
inclined now to think that Mr.. BRECKINRIDGE
was then the teacher of Mr.. DOUGLAS. Ger
tainly Mr. DOUGLAS is now occupying that
stand. and is preaching from that text every
where he goes.
Mr. BRECKINEIDGE departed from The Ken
lucky Legislature, and went up TO Congress.
He was there afforded broader field for the
display OF his craftsmanship, and the dissem-
ination of his cherished opinions of terrific
rial sovereignty. His Senatorial pupil, his
present democratic adversary, was not long
in affording him an occasion for vcntilating
those opinions The Nebraska-Kansas bill
met the demand, and his star of fortune still
advancing in the ascendant. he became
champion In reply to the objection that the
bill was designed to legislate slavery into
those territories, and generally upon the sub
iect of territorial sovereignty. he said. on the
23d March, 1854:
but IL HOii-ihtSi 'ch'lod ny NOuS'So" 'C
The principle that undcrlies the compromise
OF 1850, then the prohibition Of 1920, being
inconsistent with that principle, should be re
moved, and perfect RoH-jR'eTpe'ai0R thus be 6stab-
hsbs9 be- TAR
Among the many Misrepresentation sent
to the country by some of the enemies OF this
bill, perhaps none is more fragrant than the
charge that it proposes to lcgislate slavery
into Nebraska and Kansas. Sir, if the bill
contained such feature il would not receive
my voSe- The right to establish involves the
both, would vote for neither. j go further,
and express the opinion that clause legs
lating slavery into those territories could not
sEarfa