Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-04

Convention by a large msjority.. Mr.. z: said
4 believed there was not man IN WasninE'ol, ~
nected with the political affairs OF inc c1uns-J, ~
did not feel the effects OF this news. Your ~ea
bars both in the Federal as alss In sne feaoe Son
: Esresz who we're laborng to secure the gusfenIee
ven had demanded felt discouraged ana aisaeaf'
ened This was especially so OF cur Norlnet
friends But the Black Republicans feis encourages
and iubilant and declared that Tennessee was SAT
3 is6ea with them. and had repudiated ell claim o
9 desire for further guarantees. The result OF I'M
election in voting down the proposition ior Son
yention in the then crisis Of public AFFAIRS had
Q most whitening and disastrous eject upon 9cs si
forts at Cancellation. Mr.. T. said ne knew tnls wa
arue asto himself That several Northern Demo
Gratis Who were ready to cooperate heartily with ths
South most seriously regretted it. and seVerai o
The Tennessee delegation in the Peace Congress sd
mtted to him. in sadness and SORROW thss tne resu'
of our election had greatly Weakened NOT ues,
troyed their influence, whilst II nse, ehcouraeeu
their enemies to resist all their appeals Tor eonces
sions.
But. under all these adverse circumstances this
Peace Congress- agreed upon report, and passed
1t BIZ majority Of one only, anu even enis Dsts
msiority was obtained by Mr.. Field, q black Ke-
publican from New York, who was opposed 70 the
proposition, and who held the cssting VOC = ms
deIeostion. sbsenting himself when the vote was
j ahont To be taken, and thereby leaving the New
York delegation tied so that the State die not vote
II Field had remained and voted the proposition
would have been defeated
But what is that propositiorI Let us see y az y
is before inquire Whist the Federal congress oia
with it. % 1919 agE
4 Under the Constitution and Che decisions OF the
| Supreme Court as they now stand, we have right
to take slaves and hold them in any OF the Terrific
ries of the United States, and have them pro-
| tected. and neither Congress or the Terrific
/ rial Legislatures have any right TO interfere
| 81 ol,,da Vat thaea Main. Equitable.
lust and Constitutional rights and decisions are re-
undated by the Black Republicans, and they have
| come into power upon this reputation. Hence,
| new guarantees are demanded, and you sent your
delegates to secure them. We now nave equaI
rights in all the Territories This is SO py .ne
] Constitution and the decisions now declared. Inc
frat section Of the amendments proposed Dy the
Peace Congress, proposed 10 aoolisn slavery III az
| the Territories lying North of 50 deg. ~ MIN
North latitude This includes, probably. four nttns
of the Territory if not in extent, certainly tnat
proportion in real value. Leaving the other NTH
South of that which includes New Mexico only not
for slavery not for the South but to be contenaed
for in lawsuit, with nomore favorable provision
for success than we now have for the whole Terri
tory Certainly it says that no law shti be passed
by Congress or the Territorial Legislature 10 prts
vent the introduction and holding of slaves IN the
Territory South of 35 deg. 30 min But the supreme
Court says the same thing now under our presenI
Constitution as TO all the territory North as well
as South of that line. But it is said the Peace
Congress goes further and provides that our rlgnls
in the Territories "shal be subject to Juolcial
cognizance in the Federal Courts, according to the
course of common law. This, it may be contended,
ia to guard the rights of the South least in this re-
fuse of our vast domain. But you will remember
that the Black Republicans are in power-Mr LIN
coin is President-that these territories are now
about to be organized and that Mr. Lincoln mas the
appointment of judges IN these .federal OoHrts,
and that the Senate that will confirm them is con-
trolled by his party. For our security upon tne
territorial question we are to give up all claim 10
fourfths of the territory, and tor the other attn
rely upon the course OF the common law, as IN,
terpreted by Black Republican judges, nominated
BY Black Republican President and confirned by
Black Republican Senate; and that, too, when that
party both in 1856 and in 1860 in the same denteal
words in the Buffalo well as in the Chicago plat
form, still declare that I'VE deny the authority OF
Congress, of Territorial Legislature, or any
individuals give legal existence to slavery In any
ssterritory Of the United States" Can any sane
man believe that judge entertaining this opinion,
can or will ever make decision estaollsniDS OF even
toeratng slavery in any territory? Yet such Is the
settlement of the territorial question as proposed
by the Peace Congress.
IT should be also observed that this only extended
to present territory, leaving the same dihcuites 70
arise should we make further acquisitions and that
too, when may be less able TO defend our fights
than we are at present.
Mr.. T. said he was not discussing tins report OF
the Peace Congress so much by way OF attacking II,
as to show how little there was In 1t faVorlng the
South and here tell the cause the aDols1onlsts nad
to oppose il. He would therefore refer to but one
other section of this proposition, and that was the
It'll and last.
That section provides that where fugitive slave
is rescued from the marshal and the owner depriV-
ed of him. the United States shall pay the owner the
full value and the slave 60 free. The effect OF tins
will be to free every rescued runaway slave and
make the owner with the South bear their propor>
ton and pay their share of his price This may pc
NHo1 al aoTaf
fanatics of tie North to rescue and thus hberate
every runaway slave and pay no more OF his value
than any other man of the South, even the owner,
whose property is thus illegally and most wrongful
ly taken from him. -. s......-. q
Mr. T. said from this brief review you may see
something Of the character of the proposition OF the
Peace Congress- that he had great respect for the
Southern members Of that Congress- that it was not
his purpose dsparage them in the slightest degree,
and that their devotion to the Union prompted them
to Weld much; yes, much more than they believed
was Justly due TO the South, and they did this to try
TO make an effort TO do something to save the Union.
In this spirit they yielded and yielded, and eonced
ed down. yes, down to this position, and tins only
10 get only a majority of one in the Congress.
+ This propositionof the Peace Congress was in.
closed to the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tiyes The Speaker stated TO the House that he had
the communication, and that he was requested TO lay
it before the House, and that he desired 10 dc So
This was objected to by a Black Republican; the
Speaker insisted and the obiecor insisted then the
only yay to get it before the House to suspend
the Rules Mr.. McClernard, Of Ill, Northern
Democrat moved their suspension, and upon taking
the vote the Black Republicans voted down the mo-
ton and refused even to receive the Report of the
Peace Congress permit to be read In the house
So that with all the the concession of Southern men,
and yielding of rights which they honestly believed
they were entitled to, sacrifices made to preserve
the Union, its perpetuIty depending upon some rea-
soBable adjustment, the men who had agitated the
country for years upon the right to have Abolition
petitions received by Congress to destroy our rghs
refused even TO receive or TO permit the reading or
consideration of the report; the result of the three
weeks arduous assiduous and patriotic labor of a
Congress appointed by tweny-odd States to consider
and report some to stay the tide OF desruc~
ton tat was sweeping over the country.
These propositions met no better tate IN the SEN
ate. Mr.. Lincoln's presence at Washington had no
favorable effect that he could perceive In either
branch of Congress.
When the session of Congress met, we had 80
States in tie Union; of these Is were non>slave-
holding and Is slayeholding States. With Black
Republican President elected and majority IN both
/ Houses of Congress- before its termination. Dur
ing the sslon one more non>slayeholding State was
| admitted and seven slaveholding States seeded,
| leaving the present Union consisting OF III nom
| slayeholdng and slaveholding States. We lost by
| secession more than one fifth of the Union and near
oue-haf of the slaveholding States with great dis
satisfaction prevailing in the remaining Southern
States Under all these circumstances, the South
l being the weaker seclOh, Anu l wing W hoi so.u"
! tary concession placed herself in that condition,
some concessions froEI the North might reasonably
have been expected. .s..a 3d.. 'l.sI SIC, 4
But sorry as he was to make the announcement,
| said MrT,. truth and candor required him to say
that no such concessions were made or offered, or
any reasonable assurance that they would ever be
| obtained. The same session of the 36th Congress-
began in gloom and ended in darkness and
storm, with no CLEAN Of light to cheer the hope>
full patriot, or promise of security 70 our people
Il AZ cd tho inauu1lr&l DrOCesaIOn
moved up towards the Capitol composed in a very
large proportion of Northern men. Batteries OF
cannon charged with grape and canister commanded
the ssreets and avenues sharp were placed
i unon tbe houses that lined the avenue, and the
1 President, proeaeded and followed by armed sol
diery, his carriage was in hollow square, as if he
were some royal ruler, whose power could only be
j sustained by military despotisE'. II was novel
and sad sight-one never before witnessed In our
country. 1-Crkl go,
| The Congress- had lust closed, and nothing had