Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-20
STATE 0S THE UNION.
ssRRCH or
HON. VIII. T.. AVERY,
n4s t7ua-zyErcuTz7
N THE HOUSE pE HRrHHsHsTArIv

JANUARY 81, ls5l
The House havingsunder consideration the report
from the Select Committee of Thirty three
Mr.. Avery said
Mr. SPEkxER (: I had not intended to say one word |
during the whole course of this debate conscious,
as was that the period for profitable discussion
and argument on tF part of the Representatives of
the people of the Sh til had passed. and the time for
action had come; y1r would have violated that |
determination, did not deem il duty that / owe
to myself to my c.tstztuency, and 10 my State to
vindicate them ffsn the false opinions that this
House and the coUH.ry might entertain concerning
their position in Size present crisis of the Union
Judging from som IF the speeches which have been
made upon this he, i by those who claim to repre-
sent the sentiment Of that people and that State.
wish to SET my StE right in the perilous contro-
versy; and in doj.s So to reply to the extraordi-
nary and may S.EY unnatural speech made the
other day by my :lseague from the Ninth Congress
siona District Of ). snnessee Mr.. Etheridge.l An
official resort of SIT speech having not yet appear
ed in the Globe ttsss official organ of this House,
am indebted te 50 colleague, to whom applied
this morning for n copy in pamphlet form, at the
same time statingxt him that expected to reply to
it this evening, ana siesired his presence. regret
very much not to- lee him in his seat The New
York Tribune of tls Gath of January-the morning
after my colleagues speech-contains the following
complimentary moi Zee Of 1t
tsThe able and patriotic speech of Mf4Etheridgey
of Tennessee in the United States House of Repre-
seutatiyes Yesterday was worthy of his high repu-
tation and cannot fail to command the general at
tention of the country. He presents firm and IN
flexible front to treason in any shape and Is for the
Union first and last, and at all hazards
will also read from the Cincinnati Gdzette, ano-
Their Republican organ, a still more euogistc no
tice:
aIIeu. Emerson Etheridge, of Tennessee, made
speech in the House of Representatives, yesterday.
which, for boldness, for power, for patriotism, and
for eloquence has not been excelled. The position
of this man of the South is striking contrast with
that of the driveling demagogues who pretended TO
represent the Democracy of Ohio in convention
at Columbus yesterday. We rejoice that it is IN our
power send out in the same paper report OF the
speech of Mr. Etheridge and the proceedings OF the
Democratic convention. The people VIII strike tine
difference and make up the verdict. From this time
the name of Hon. Emerson Etheridge, of Tennessee,
will be warmly and faYorably canyassed in connec-
ton with Mr.. Lncon's cabinet'
have said, Mr.. Speaker, the extraordinary and
unnatural speech of my colleague; and / think that
am warranted III thus designating speech made
| by Representative of a Southern constituency
| upon this floor, which is thus hailed and appauded
| by the chief organs of the Republican party The
gentleman began by saying that if he had jury OF
| good and lawful men, duly impaneled, sworn, and
charged to try the issue joined between the North
and the South he would, before that impartial tri
bunal submit this case without argument, confident
in the assurance tgat he would receive speedy and
righteous verdict;
| Nv colleague MAY have fanced that he was en-
gagged in his old location, defending before jury
| the offenders Of the law-pleading the cause of
criminal at the .r of public justice. The extract
| from the Cincir ,siGazeHe, which have just read
| might suggest't. :more uncharitabe,nnd than mine
that contingerss Zee, in the shape Of high place IN
Ihe Cabinet coseils of Mr.. Lincoln, sharpened the
intellect and dyskened the powers of his defense.
But will not b. -tus unchaitable. Twill say, how
ever, that in mN Judgment, a Representative of
Southern const sslcy, born and nurtured upon
Southern soil IH crisis like this is far forgetful of
his State, her Nuts her interest, and her honor,
when he unblusslIgly stands forth, cheered on by
them to champS$ the cause ef the sworn enemies
| of his section.
The leading id& in my colleagues speech is, that
the North has bn guilty of no wrong to Justify the
extraordinary objectionable, and indefensible" ac-
ton on the park of the people of the South that
/ the Southern md is maddened and insane. And
vet he wants Gadjourn this question to this
! mad and insane iopulace. Who, but the people. in
| their sovereign Sapacity have moved this mighty
revolution, ever 81 the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Con-
federacy2 Is Is possible that these States, having
more than dout the population OF the original thir
teen are all ad driven to desperation for nothing'
Sir ask again. II it possible that the whole body
of the South tbs people, of fifteen sovereign States
are madly bent& my colleague says, ION believing
lie that they.mays be damnedg" What thought Mr.. Fill
more about this thlng-my colleagues ''model Pres
ident ~ In reply a large New York meeting, in
forming him that he had been appointed to proceed
as ambassador 10 intercede with the South, he de-
clined going, saying
| What they want, 1.-THE Southern people, and
what want is some assurance from the Republican
| party, dominant at the North, that they. or at
least the conservative portion of them, are ready
and willing to como forward and repeal all uncol-
stitutona slave laws, live up to the compromise of
the Constitution, execute the laws of Congress hon
estly and faithfully, and treat Southern breth
rem as friends. When can have any such reliable
assurance as this to give, will go most cheerfuny
| and urge our Southern brethren to follow our eX-
ample and restore harmony and fraternal affection
| between the North and the South.
| Z" At present. our labors should be here. Let US
| put ourselves right, and then we can, with more
confidence and justice appeal to them"
Why, sir, even my colleague from the first district
! mr.. Nelsonl enumerates a catalogue of causes Of
| fear which we justly have from the Republican
/ party; the greatest of which TO use his own Ian
| guage, sis in he fact that prominent members of
/ the Repubica> party have announced the doctrine
upon the floor of the House of Representatives that
| the Supreme Court, now constituted is parti-
san tribunal and doing all they can to sapthe pub
lie confidence in the greatest Judicial tribunal upon
earth"
Sir, every single resolution which has been passed
by the most conservative people of the South, in
their primary assemblies, large and small in their
| legislative bodies everywhere proclaim that there
have been aggres lions; that there have been wrongs
and that those twrongs and aggressions must be
righted, and that speedily, or they will declare
themselves absnived from all allegiance to this
| Government IL it to be expected that those to
whom conservative men all over the land arc ap-
peang to come 20 the rescue OF the country; they
| alone who have 2erpetrated the wrongi they who
alone can remed its it to be expected that they
will come forv aI&l and remedy those wrongs, when
Representative Southern constituents tells them
that there have ben none? l say, that every soil
tary resolution pissed by the people of the South
| | mean the UnioBpeope; mean the most conserva-
/ tive people; do not the disunionists or the
| freeaters, but those who considered of the
| most compromising school of Southern rights-has
declared that there are wrongs, and that those
wrongs must be redressed. That sir, is the senti-
| ment of Tennessee.
Ihave here the resolutions recently passed by the
Legislature of Tennessee by an unprecedented ma
ority passed with only six dissenting votes in the
| House and believe five in the Senate. That body
/ of one hundred members came fresh from their
constituency Let what the potential voice of
Tennessee says in regard TO the wrongs of the peo-
ple of Tennessee; and W hat they say must be put
into the amended Constitution or they too will tas-
ten upon themselves this unpardonable" sin of
disuniOn. Here it is
3" declaratoity amendment that African slaves,
| held under .he institutions of the slayeholding
States, shall D. recognized as property and entitled
to the status of ether property in the States where
slavery exists in all places within the exclusive
jurisdiction of Congress within The slave States IN
all the Territories south of 36 degrees, 30 minutes
| in the District of Columbia; in transit and whilst
temporarily soiourning with the owner in the non
slayehodin1 States and Territories north Of sc de-
l gIeeS, ~ anu Wien INBitAFcS lfOH4 lHC
owner in the several places above named, as well
as in all places the exclusive jurisdiction of Con-
| gress in the noIFslaveholding States
| /" That 10 al The territory owned or which
may be herea Ter acquired by the United States
south of the parallel of sc degrees, 30 minutes,
African slavert shall be recognized as existing and
be protected b. all departments Of the Federal and
territorial governments and in all north of that line,
now owned orto he acquired, it shall be recognized
as existing avs whenever States formed out of any
| of cnrth nfS said line having q
ation equal IN that of congressional district shall
apply ior admission into the Union. the same shall
be admitted g. siaga Statesi While States north of
the line formeG out of said territory, and having
population ,4al to congressional district, shall
be admitted ,hout slavery butthe States formed
out of said te-5tary north and south, having been
| admitted as bers of the Union, shall have all
| the powers the institution of slavery possessed
| by the othet. :. tes of the Union.
That sla ruperty shall be rendered secure in
transit throlp n or while temporarily sojouring in,
nonslavehOl States or Territories or in the Dis
| triet of ColuEST
Al o. AsI..A T..