Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-12


torial Legislature. can exclude slavery from
Territory, it is disfranchisement of thu
fifteen slaveholding States of the Union. 1
would deprive the citizens of a State holdinf
slaves of their equal rights under the Consti
tuition when forming State Government fo
the Territory, because such citizens would o
necessity be excluded. Unless this can be don,
it follows az consequence that the Consti
tuition proprio uigore, carries slavery with i
into all the Territories of the United State
and is entitled to equal protection with othe
property.
And it may be here remarked in passing. tina
in our treaty of peace with Great Britain In
1888, signed by John Adams, Benz. FRANKLIN
and John Jay-and also in our treaty with
Great Britain of December, 1914, signed
by John Quincy Adams. Henry Clay, Albert
| Gallatin and Others slaves are recognized al
property. The first, provides against scar
rying away negroes or other property"-and
the last, against carrying away "any slaves
or other private property" See l, Laws Of
| q. S. 205, 694.
Lastly,-the Chicago Platform asserts
"that the normal condition of all the
territory of the United States, is that of free
DOM" and "denies the authority of Con-
gress, ola territorial legislature, or of any in
| dividuals, to give legal existence to slavery
in any Territory of the United States" Is
it not palpable that the principles enunciated
in this platform not only strike at the exist
ence of slavery in the Territories. but like
wise at the fugitive slave law and against
slavery where it may exist in the States?
Take this in connection with the growth OF
the anti-slavery party from its small begin
nings to its present ovefshadowing force in
all the free States and which has now culmi-
mated in the election of Lincoln-its cease
less war upon the institutions of the South
its abolition societies formed for the express
purpose of destroying Southern rights and
Southern institutions. which have been con-
nived at by the free States, for no legislation
has been made against them-sending their
emissaries and iucendiary books and papers
into the Southern States to excite servile war
the John Brown raid-the endorsement
of the Helper book by the leading black re-
publicans which would bring death and des-
olation, aud the poisoned bowl into our fam
lilies, and briug on a war of exter-
mination between the aces-circumscrib-
ing our institutions within their present linn
its. which would cause their ultimate extinc-
ton while the institutions of the free States
have unbounded room for their expansion
all this, in addition to the legislation of
nearly all the free States annulling the fugi-
tive slave law-confiscating and robbing the
master of his servant, if by accident or trav-
ell he touches their soil-and the refusal of
State executives 10 deliver up felons upon
the ground that to steal slave was no
offence against their laws, proves incontesta-
bly, that the object of the party is to crush
the South and her in Institutions and annihilate
slavery wherever it may exist. in the States
as well as the territories.
Now it is not worth while to make an
about the equality of the States
that they have all equal rights under the
Constitution and to expand their institu tons
as best they may, making no attack upon
tuC VI OlutES-ludt OuT
tons, of which domestic servitude is one,
are exclusively under our own control and
that we are responsible alone to God for
them-that the Constitution was a COM
pact between slaveholding States, and
that it never would have been formed
without this sacred regard for their rights
which are secured by it-and that this is al
together war of aggression on the part of
the North, the South seeking in nowise to in
terfere with their domestic institutions which
Drsble to public virtue and individual hap
Diness as our own. Nor is it necessary to
ihow that our system of domestic servitude
$ promOsive in the highest degree of civili- |
alton aud refinement which is the opin- |
on of the writer-that it is justified by the |
ssential to the happiness and well-being !
f both races-and that the very existence |
f the South depends upon its preservation, |
7hile at the same time the productions of /
lave labor have given wealth and prospect
: to the North.
But not to dwell further on this, the course |
f the North has been one of unmitigated |
utrage upon the South, is against all the |
Dmity of States, and between Independent |
ations, in the judgment OF the whole civil
!. is the North that has inaugurated revolu-
on, broken the compact which our fathers
lade, destroyed the equality of the States |
uaranteed by the Constitution, and upon
leir head be the guilt and the infamy of the
sruption of this once glorious confederacy
States. 1t is idle to talk about waiting
IT an overt act on the part of Lincoln. His
lection, although it may be according to the
r,us of the Constitution, is against its spirit.
is the consummation, the proof, the crown
Ig point of black republican policy. which
'oks to the destruction of slavery, not only |
the territories but the States, which de-
lands immediate resistance on the part of
Tery slaveholdiDg State.
1t is not simply the election of Lincoln,
pom some point of public policy about which
en- may differ under the Constitution but |
is his election as sectional President upon
principle OF direct hostility to our local In
itUtions, which places the South in the con
tion of subjugated province, which consti-
ties the danger and will not admit of delay,
II delay will only weaken US.
1t is said by way of quieting our fears that
r. Lincoln doesn't hold extreme opinions,
lat his course will be conservative, and there |
no danger to be appreciated from him.
ut have not so learnt his history. 1 find
lat he is the author of the " irrepressible
'nfiict that he is for placing slavery " in
lie coarse of ultimate extinction will not
and upon the bred Scott decision" but
laces the negro, by the Declaration of indie
sndence, upon the same status with the white
more than all, stands upon the
Chicago Platform"