Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-07

I confess that read it ever and over, and could
not see loop TO hang q doubt on. All the citizens
Of the United States have an equal right to settle
with their property in the Territories. and Ter
rtorial legislation can impair it. That IS the Ten
nessee resolution. What is the warning given to US
By the Senator from Illinois. Here it IS:
eve had predictions thai he party 20 te rsgnsd
By adoption or resolution The only objection that
haTe to IS that II Sc liable to two constructions
The Cincinnati platform that he wants us to stick
to-that of course, is not. Oh, moi But this viii
be liable 70 two constructions and have puzzled
my BRAN for hour to get at that other construc
ticn. viii read what the Senator said, and perhaps
other Senator's may be more fortunate than have
been. think / have got glimpse. He says 1t is
liable TO two constructions
sd certainly and inevitably will receive two, directly the
psTtinaciiy."
We know what the South will maintain under that
resolution; and who viii maintain any other con
struction2 Surely, the Senator from illinois means
that he viii, because he knows we viii not. We
can see but one meaning, and no man lmbued with
constitutional principles discover but one; and
that is that all eitzens-those who own slaves, as
well as those who own horses-have a right to 60
with their property into the Territories have an
equal right to 20 thers and that their property shall
not be impaired. But the Senator from Illinois says
there is another construction that viii be maintain
ed and persstently maintained. And what is it. He
/ says:
aThe resolution contains, ny opinion two truismsi
.
What is the fair consideration he gives!
aThey az first, that every eiiiaen-'
Not call the citizensp The resolution says all the
/ citizens He SAYS every citizen. But 1 will show
you why he says so:
Eyy citizen Of the United States has an equal Iih in the
I be enjoyed by the citizens Of all Of the States
See how he is changing it now!
at whatever property the citizen Of State may carry
there's the citizens Of all the States may carry"
And then they will go on with the old Republican
objection, that we are all at perfect liberty 20 90
into the Territories without our property; that we
are all on equal footing. The old Republican ar
gument that was brOughtup here in the discussions
/ on the Kansss-Nebraska bill in 1854, the Senator
from Illinois tenders to now for the canvass Of
/ 1860. He will tell US, You not excluded from
the territory; northern man goes with his horses,
you may 60 with horses; northern man goes with a
cow, you may 60 with COW; northern man does not
60 with a slave, and you shall not go with slave;
and that is the equality that he says he means The
| Senator from Illinois is kind in warning US in ad-
vance this time how this proposition viii be got rid
Of The South will be fools if they DO rot take ad-
vantage of the warning, and see if something can
not be devised which the astute and practiced in
| genuity of the Senator from Illinois cannot get
around Il the Engnsn lang uage can hOiu llln' NJ"
/ he says
Apd OF hstsver terms the oEsns o.; one State can hold it,
and have protected the citizens Of all staeJean hold it, AMI
protected without deciding what the right which still
remains for decision"
So that the Tennessee platform viii leave us just
where we are now. What is his objection to it:
81 want no double dealing, double construction.
That is his objection. He wants things clear,
plain and straight; and then when we ask that they
be put down clear plain, and straight he abuses us
for making tests in the party; talks about as
saults on him; kept the Senate and the country oc-
cupied for eight mortal hours in attacking every
man and every State in the entire Union tlat would
not support his pretensiOns for the Presidency.
Now, Mr. Preside nt the people have at least come
to this point; the Democratic delegates of the South
have come 10 this point / speak not CT The delega-
ties il either House Of Congress It's the fashion
to speak of congressional dictatiOn, in a certain
class Of public journals under the control Of certain
public men, and yet one would suppose that 1t Is at
least some prinld ac probability Of thepOssessOn OF
the confidence of the Democracy of the United States
to find a unanimous concurrence of opinions among
its chosen Representatives both OF States and pop
ular constituencies in both branches Of Congress.
But all this IS nothing. In modern slang, this Is
Yancey and caucus platform, and we are congress
ional dictators. J. therefore, leaving out Of view
the opinions Of members of Congress in both
branches Of the General Assembly of the United
States sthat has been demonstrated By tie
delegates of the South sent by the State convention
from primary meetings, that the time has come
when there shall no longer be doubt for one mo-
ment that all constitutional rights guaranteed to
under the decision of the Supreme Court, which
was taken by the Senator from Illinois and his
cOaQlutOTS as the common arDlIer OF our dispute,
shall be acknowledged; that all that we demand
shall be put down in the bond; that there shall no
longer be a doubt in relation 70 IL.
Mr. President, when mere private rights of prop
erty are concerned when the question is. who owns
a farm, or who owns a horse, or who is entitled TO
SIOO it is an old aphorism Of the law, nlSera est
SerUis 1Ji Jus AIT UdgHn ait iBcertan eSt-wretched
and deplOrable is the slavery where the law which
governs mans right is vague or uncertain. And
shall we, we who represent Democratic States and
E,, bod -E,rrTf =, flnF
we DO not leave these rights vital to their existence,
and on which they rest for their property, open to
doubt and denial! Shall we be asked why it is that
we demand that the character Of these rights be
written clearly, plainly, beyond the possibility Of
doubt or misCOnstructIOny Oh no, says the Sena
tor from Illinois, ''in 1856 we were unanimous upon
the Cincinnati Platform have given it cOnstruc-
ton and the Charleston Convention has backed MY
construction and | am the Democratic party and
1t Is his construction and the construction adopted
BY a minority Charleston, that he presents tn US
here and asks US by what right we call for some
thing palmer clearer as the charter Of our con-
stitutiOnal privileges Miserable and deplOrable Is
the slavery where the law of the individual who
has property is doubtful or uncertain Degrading
and dshoncrable State Is it when its sovereign
t. cannot ask for an expression or acknowledgment
OF its sovereign right assembly of equis.
The people Ofthe South do not mean to be put off this
time with any doubtful or vague constructions.
The Senator from Illinois Is opposed to double mean
ings and double constructions: he dslikes the Ten
nessee Platform on that ground. We share his dis
like: fqs est db bOSie dOcei-we Will be taught by
him. We will ask thai everything in Plat
form be put down plainly and clearly.
Mr. President, the honorable Senator from Illinois,
in the plentitude Of his power, tells US that the
Democratic platform has been adopted and backs
him. He next tells US that it is glory enough for
him to have been supported by majority Of the
delegates of the Democratic party at convention;
and them with alluson, somewhat transparent, to
what ne thinks would be more agreeable course Of
feeling byOthers Ihe says that when others got ma
jorty he sent word TO his friends to vote for them.
He does not say that he thinks everybody ought to
send word tC vote for him. but he leaves 1t to US If
We are generous or liberal, to draw our own con-
illusions. Now, Mr.. President, know what hap
pened at that convention only from the public re-
cords of the country and the reports Of its delegates
it is rerorted that as his highest vote upon or
two ballots the honorable Senator from Illinois re-
ceiYed one hundred and fifty-twO and half votes.
and l think that was the highest
Mr. PUGH. For several ballots-seven or
eight.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. How did he get themj We're
there one hundred and fifty-two delegates in the
convention of whom he the chsice?
Mr.. PUGH. Certainly; they expressed it by their
vote.
Mr.. BENJAMIN Oh, that was part of the ar
rangement, by which those who were not candidates
for the Presidency were caught, but the truth of
history viii leak out in despite Of these little ar
rangements. Laughter Ihad here amongst my pa
pers think the speech Of delegate, who explains
this majority.
Mr. PUGH State the substance of it. If it was
said at Charleston shall recOlect it.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. Well, sir, l will state the sub
stance of it. IlcannOt find the extract had and
shall have to afx it to my speech. Gentlemen have
doubtless seen it. Scarcely had the Charleston con-
vention met and committee been appointed on or
ganizaton, when it reported an organization of
president vice presidents, and secretaries, and
sprung this resolution the convention iRSGnter-
the convention had previously adopted the rules OF
the previous Democratic conventions
1.-THE committee further recommend"
The subject was not committed to them at all
committee farther recommend that the rules and rula
adopted By the Democratic conventions Of 1853 ard 1855 be
adopted this convention for its government with this addition
al
"That any which has provided directed by its
convention how its votes may be given, the oO7ve0hon will
recognize right each delegate cUst his individual vote
As certain gentlemen were candidates for the /
Presidency-Heaven preserve the country from can
didates for the Presidency Whenever those gentle
men were in the majority, they had taken special |
pains by reorganization, to get resolution passed
at the State conventions insructing the delegates TO
vote as a unit and thus they fastened down every /
man in a minority in the United States who was OPP
nasal IN the from TlIinOs and sDitp of /