Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-28

CAAElo8 UIC0nGE~
New YORK. July II. 1860.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY approving the nomination
Of John Q. BreckinrIdge for President and Joseph
Lane for Vice-President of the United States re-
grat that it viii not be in my power to address the
ratification meeting appointed to be held tomorrow
evening at the Cooper Institute.
However deeply it is to be deplored that rival
Platforms and rival candidates are presented to the
Democratic party, threatening to divide its strength
and deliver 1t over as an easy prey into the hands
OF its opponents; yet such being unhappy the fact
the duty Of making choice cannot be avoided.
The difference between these Platforms, like every
political question of the times derives ali its sgni
canoe from the subject of negro slavery Its rela-
tons to the Territories and the mode Of governing
them Is merely incidental; it is merely the form IN
which this perpetualiy recurring subject is here de-
veloped as an element of strife The controversy,
in all its practical bearings is merely this: How IS
negro slavery to be dealt with?
In its moral, political, legal and commercial as
poets, my views on that general subject have Deeh
so distinctly and often expressed that my position
in reference to the rival Platforms now before us
could not be doubtful.
The most fertile regions of the globe cannot be 50
cultivated as fully to develop their natural reso1r
for the benefit of mankind except by negro Ia
Dor. Negro labor cannot be there employed except
through the judicious cOmpusion OF superior race
and in no way can so great q measure OF physicai
enjoyment and moral improvement be impaired 70
the negro as by his compulsory servltude IN 'hese
very regions.
From these undeniable facts, written in the great
book of nature proven by experience, anu not WIN
out sanction from revelation, my reason draws the
inference that negro slavery is not repugnant to
iastice-s not improbable to the white man-ls not
oppressive to the negro and is not nexpeolent as
matter of social policy
Let us apply these views 10 our own country
sSnce the foundation of this Republic negro slavery
has ever been a main pillar of our strength, an IN
dispensibe element of our growth and prosperity.
It now an ntegralpart of our being as nation 70
expel it by fraud tear it out by violence woald
be a national suicide"
1t follows that "to vindcate its essential justice
and mortality, in all courts and places, before men
and nations, is the duty Of every American citizen
moral war has been made upon this institution
by infdels, and qlasi-religious crusade mas Deeh
preached against it by another class Hltherto' at
least in the North no one has defended IT, anu us
Southern advocates have not been heard, The nat
ural results have ersued judgment has passed against
It by default and the idea that it conflicts with nat
ural justict and with Divine law has taken posses
sion of the Northern mind.
This state of things afforded a most promising
quarry for the industry of political party makers
and they have awaited Themselves Of 1t. They tnus
argued: with the national conscience on our SIDE
with God and nature both on our side, ana against
cur antagonists, surely we must win" According
w. this bright idea has been industriousy working
into political organization and here stands before
us at the North the Black Republican party, almost
if not absolutely, invincible.
Why has that party any strength? Why does il
now threaten TO destroy harmony between the NORTH
and the South. leading to dsumon and 10 DISASTERS
deep and lrremediabe? .
1t is simply because the false assumption OF abolf
tonists that the negro slavery is wicked and unjust
has been permitted to pass unrefuted.
How is obstructive party to be shorn OF us per
nicious strength There is but one method by whlcf
this object can be effected, and that IS by denying
and disproving the false position on which 1t II
founded.
We must as a party, insist unqualifiedly that il
the instton of negro slavery there IS nothing what
ever which calls for unfavorable action by the Gov
eminent that the right of the white master to tn
services Of his negro slave is in every moral sense
precisely the same as his right to any other pro
| perty.
If this proposition be not true, no honest mai
ought to desire the permanency of our Repuollc;
it be true, the Black Republican doctrine is trea
| sonable and destructive fallacy.
| am in favor of the principles enumerated II tn
Senate resolutions of 1860 and in the report of tn
/ Committee on Resolutions made to our NatiOna
| Convention at Charleston because they come up t
| this point They meet the eXigency before us
they fairly and directly meet the issue as it is IN
derstoOd by all honest and sensible men on eithe
| side.
am in favor of Breckenridge and Lane, becaus
! they stand upon platform distinctly expressing
: these principles.
! Mr. Douglas declines practically to stand up Il
! them. He blinks the main issue, and seeks to rid
into power upon a dogma which implicitly concede
to Abolitionism the vital element Of its politica
! power, to-wit that negro slavery Is UNJUST or a
least has in it element which, on moral ground
| justifes hostility.
His friends may deny this construction, but to M
mind it is manifestly just. The whole practical i'm
portance of his POpular-Soveregnty doctrine Is It
| bearing on the slave question. No one cares III
about it, except in this single connection In all II
| other bearings it is admitted abstraction, IN
worthy of moments attention and incapable of al
| tracing it.
Let every man who doubts this read Mr.. Douglas
| argument as published in Harper's Magazine, Ant
| his subsequent reply to Judge Black in defence o
that article Slavery is the staple of his whole ar
| gument. The phases and postulates of the anti
slavery agitation are invoked by him at every poin
in the discussion and most literally used TO sustain
| his views.
Thus to all practical purposes, Mr.. Douglas pre-
| sents himself as sem-AboitiOnist. His platform
tends to keep Abolitionsm alive, as power in tn
State, for future miscief. The platform of Breck
| inridge and Lane assails the hydra in front, ant
| aims to slay it outright
Whilst lam thus with you in sentiment, and TO tn
| extent of my humble powers ready to aid il
your object cannot lose sight of the policy whcl
requires a thorough union of all New Workers VIII
opposed to the election of Lincoln. Coneurrini
with that eminent and patriotic citizen Of Pennsyl
vania. VIM B. Reed, believe that there are thre
candidates for the Presidency preferable to the on
] whom every AbOtionist antrslavery agitator Il
! the land supports. CH. OCONOR.