Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-08
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


The ninth section. of the tHiru AFtcie a NE
Coosttution provides that On eAsieor'llpasz &C.
so-his Relieving the emergency Contemplated,
;st 81 this time have called you together In
VIM &c the Capitol OF the state lean but
t ,be gloomy auspices under which we meet.
Grave and momentous issues nave arisen, when.
- on ,,nnrecedented degree agitate the public mind
ana iu,peril the perpetuity of the Government
The SYSTEMATIC, zSanton. and long continued agi-
t-ion Of the slavery question: with the actual and
threatened aggresSions Of the Northern States and
q portion Of their people, upon the welldefned
constitutional rights of the Southern citizen; the
rapid growth and increase in Ill the elements Of
power, Of purely sectional party, whose bond Of
nIon IS incorporating hostility the rights and
institutions of the fifteen Southern States, have pro-
dueed crisis in the affairs of the country, unpar-
alleied in the history of the past resulting already
in the withdrawal from the Confederacy Of one OF
the sovereignties which composedit, while others
are rapidly preparing to move in the same dreeton
Fully Approaching TIE Importance of the duties
which devolve upon You, fraught, as your action
must be, with consequences of the highest possible
inheritance to the people of Tennessee knowing
as a rreat Commonwealth our own beloved State is
alike Interested with her sisters, who have resorted
and are prepariBg to resort TO this fearful altefna
tive / have called you together for the purpose Oh
calm and eispassionafe dehberato1. earnestly trust
ing, the chosen Representatyes OF Iree tallg
enlightened people, that you will, at this crltleai
iuncture of affairs, prove yourselves equa' 70
the occasion which has called for The exercise OF
your talent and patriotism ~
brief review of the history OF the past Is ne
oesssry to proper understanding of the issues pre-
spnted for YOUR consideration.
Previous to the adoption of the Federal Oonstltu-
tion zach State was separate and independent Gov
ernment-a complete sovereignty wltnin atseif-ann
IN the compact of union each reserved al the rights
and powers incident to sovereignty except such as
were expressly delegated by the Constitution to the
General Govern,nent or such es we're clearly Incl
don't and necessary, 10 the exercise of some ex-
pressly delegated power
The Constitution distinctly recognises property in
nales it the duty of the State to deliver the
fugitive TO his owner but contains grant of pow
or to the Federal Government to interfere with this
speees iof property, except the power coupled
with the duty" common to all civil Governments.
to protect the rights CT property well as those of
life and hba of the citizens, which clearly appears
from the exposition given TO that instrument by the
supreme Court of the United States in the case of
bred Scott Us. Sanford. In delivering the opinion
of the Court Chief Justice fancy said:
Now. as we have already said in an earlier part
of tets opinion, upon different point, The right Of
property IN Slaes Is distinctly and expressly gtfraed
:. And no word can be found in the Constitution
which giveg Congress greater power over slave
property or which entities property Of that kind to
less protection than property of any ether descrlp
fon. The only pOlOer conferred IS no p0loer coupled
NTH teddy, of guarding and protecting TIC 0'e@er IN
his rights"
This decision of the highest judicial tribunal
known to our Government settles the question, be-
yond the possibility of doubt, that the slave proper
ty rests upon the same basis, and IS entitled TO the
same projection. as every other description Of pro
perty, that the General Government Las no power
to eircumscrhe or confne it within any given boun
darv; 10 determine where it shall orshall moi
exists, or in any manner to impair rs value. And
certainly it will not be commended, IN this eEiSbten
ed age, that any member of the Confederacy car
exercise higher powers IN this respect. beyond the
limits of Its boundary, than those delegated to
the General Government.
The States entered the Union upon terms of per-
feet political equality each aelegating certain pow
ers TO the General Government bUt neither dele.
eating any power to the other to interfere with its
reserved rights or domestic affairs; hence, there il
no power on earth which can rightfuly determine
whether slavery shall or shall not exist within the
limits Of any State except the people thereof acting
in their highest sovereign capacity.
The attempt of the Northern people, through the
instrumentality of the Federal Goyernment-their
State governments, and emigrant aid societies-to
conne shis species of property within the Dlts OF
the present Southern States-tO impair its value by
constant agitation and refusal to deliver mp the fu
gitivctO appropriate the whole OF the Territories
which the common property OF all the people Of
all the States 10 themselves by excluding there
from every SsHthern Llaa who is unwilling to live
under government which may by law recognize
the free negro his equal: land IN ne, to put the
question where the Northern mind win rest IN the
belief of its ultimate extinction, Is justly regarded
bv the peOple of the Southern States gross and
papable violation of the spirit and obvious meaning
Of the compact of Unon-an impertnent informed
ding with their domestic affairs, destructive of fra
ternal feeling. ordinary comfy, and well defined
rights.
As slavery reeeded from tho North, il was fol
lowed by the most violent and fanatlcai 0pposillon
At first the anti slavery cloud. which now over
shadows the nation. no larger than mans
hand. Most of you can remember, with vivid dis
tinctness those days of brotherhood when through
out the whole North. the aboitonist justly re-
garded as an enemy of his country. Weak, dimnu-
tive and contemplate was this party In the purer
days of the Republic, it has n0T grown TO colossal
promotions and Its recent ranid strides To power
have given it possession of the present House Of
Representatives, and elected one of its leaders TO
the Presidency OF the United StGtes; and in the
progress of events the Senate and Supreme Court
must also soon pass into tbs hands ut this party
a party upon whose revolutionary banner 10 III
suFbed No more slave States. no more slave Tea
ritOry no return Of tie fugitive to his master An
iiprepressbe conflict" between the free and slave
States. +and whether it be long or short peaceful
or bloody Gl2 struggle shall go on, until the sun
shall not rise uDGG pIaster or set upon slave.
Nor is this all: it seeks 70 appropriate 10 Itself,
and to exclude the STAKEHOLDER iFom the territory
! acquired by the common blood and tressEre OF all
the States.
Il has through the instrumeutality Of Emigrant
Aid Societies uH5er State patronage, flooded the
Territories with its Rlinions, armed with sharp,
rifles ard bowie knives seeking thus to accomplish
| by intimidation, violence and m0Pder, what IL
coull not do by constitutional legislation.
1t demanded. and from our love of peace and de-
votion to the Union. unfortunately eKtorted in
1Sl9-2O a concession which excluded the South
from about half the territory acquired from France
1t demanded ard again received. as peace offer
OR I,F4I = navos North pf
3Oi North latitude, if at any time the interest of
the people t,eTsOf shall require division OF her
territory.
Itwould submit to nothing less than compro-
mise in 1850. by which it dSnenbered that State,
and renanded to territorial condition considerable
portion of its territory south Of 36 30.
It excluded, by the same Compromise, the South
ern people from California whose mineral wealth,
fertility Of soil, and sslG',rity of climate, is not
surpassed on earth; by premGuIreiy forcing
her into the Union under Constitution, conceived
in fraud by set of adventurous in the total absence
of any law authorizing the formation ola Constitu-
ton fixing the qualification of voters, regulating
the time, place, or manner Of electng delegates, or
the time or place of the meeting Of such Conyen-
ton Yet all these irregular and unauthorized
proceedings were sanctified by the fact that the
Constitution prohibited slavery, and forever closed
the doors of that F;cA and desirable territory
against the Southern people. And while the
Southern mind still bUInIng anqeF hpmiliat-
ing sense OF this wrong, II refused 10 ADMIT s3s
into the Union upon Constitution, framed by au-
thority Of Congress, and by delegates elected IN
conformity to law upon the ground that slavery
was recognized and projected.
IL claims the constitutional right to abolish slave
~ in the Dstric! of Columbia, the forts. arsenas,
dock-yards and other places ceded TO the United
States. within the lir2ItS Qf slaveholding States
1t proposes a prohibition of the slave trade be
tween the States, thereby crowaing the slaves TO-
seter and preventing their exit South, until they
become Improbable to extent that will force the
owner finally 70 abandon them in self-defence.
1t has, by the deliberate Legislative enactment of
large majority of the Northern States, openly and
aagranty nullifed that clause Of the Constitution
which provides that
No person held to service or labor in one State
under the laws thereof, escaping into another. shall
IN consequence of any law or regulation therein. be
discharged from such service or labor but shall be
| delivered up on claim of the party 10 whom such
| service or labor may be due"
This provision Of the Constitution has been sBurT-
| ed and trampled under foot by these higher law
nullihers. 1t is utterly powerless for good since
all attempts 10 enforce the Fugitive Slave Law I'M
der il. made felony in some Of these States a
high misdemeanor in others, and punishable in all
4 by heavy tine and Imprisonment. The distempered
public opinion O. tless localities having risen above
the Constitution and all other law planting itself upon
the anarclical doctrines Of the Higher ido,a with
mpunity deies the Government, tramplas upon eur