Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-07

restored to fhe country. In this connection, I
| am happy TO state that see hopeful. if not
cheering indications OF a return to a due APP
probation of our rights under thr Constitu-
tion in this regard. among the people of
those States who have upon their statute
books those offensive measures Already,
has Rhode Island repealed her act, and 9TH
/ er States are ready 10 walk in her footsteps.
| But there was an attempted aggression
i upon the part of the Republican party,
] fraught with more danger to the South and
her institutions than all others combined. I
allude to the settled policy foreshadowed by
some of the leaders of that party, when it
| shall have attained sufficient political
| strength TO alter and amend the Federal Con-
| stitution with view of abolisbing slavery
| in the States, or wherever else it might exist
| under the jurisdiction of the General Gov
eminent. How and under what circumstan-
ces was that instrument framed? An answer
| to this question may be necessary to a pro-
per understanding of the argument desire
| to make. When the Parliament of Great
Britain attempted to Cypress the Colonies
| with unnecessary taxation, they formed
| themselves into a Confederacy to render
| their efforts more effective, in throwing off
the yoke of oppression and tyranny. While
| the struggle for independence lasted, the
| mighty pressure of foreign hostility operated
l cc q oOftd VI uuiOu upOu sdftUus tucu-
| beers of the COnfederacy, but soon as the
contest for political power was over, the
great cause which had operated to produce
unanimlty of sentiment aud concert of
| action was at once removed. The necessity
| for remodeling our system of government
soon became apparent to the far-seeing and
sagacious statesmen of that day. They bad
formed mere Confederacy, and not sys-
tematic Union. The powers OF Congress
Srz<rfTu advisory and tQOistatICQ
The consequence was that internal tumulis
became common. while there was no strong
arm of federal power to quell and sUbdue
them. Under this state of affairs, Mr.. Madi-
son made proposition in the Legislature of
Virginia to form federal system of govern
ment. The proposition met with general
favor among the leading statesmen of the
States. Congress was thereby Influenced to
pass a resolution, calling Convention in
May, 1887. ALI the States readily complied
with the suggestion, and at the appointed
time and place the Convention me-, and after
an arduouS and laborioRs session of nearly
four months, succeeded III reporting plan
of government to Congress and recommend
ed that it be submitted to all the States for
ratification or rejection. Thus was the Con-
stitution of the United States formed, the
noblest aud most mastery political work
that ever emanated from the brain of men.
Under its broad agis, all our rights. social.
religious and POLITICAL have heeu protected
for the last seventy three long years. Under
its benign influences we have grown in
wealth. population and power, unparalleled
in the annals of history. But, notwithstand
ing we have thus grown ia every thing that
tends to make a nation great and powerful.
under its genial auspices, il has been left
to some modern political philosophers and
-philanthropists to ascertain that it
recognizes a perniciGus-a biighiing curse.
of which it must be rid. Strange indeed
that Washington. Madison, JEFF rsOn, Frank
lin and the long list of distinguished patriots
who framed that instrum mt did not so regard
slavery and make some provision In it for
its immediate, OF gradual abolition from the
States. But no, it had been left as they
supposed to a wiser, better and more philan-
thropic generation to perform the task. AT
first the movers of this stupendous scheme set
about the work in good earnest, but after
counting up the cost, its accomplishment
was much more difficult than they had antici-
pated. Wisely the fathers of the Constitu
ton, provided that it should not be altered,
amended, or changed except by proposition
made by majority of two-thirds of both
Houses of Congress; or on application of two
thirds of the legislatures of the States, then
Congress should call convention, whose ac-
ton should be submitted to the respective
States, and then that it, should not be valid,
unless ratified by three-fourths of them. Hav-
ing now fifteen slave States, it would require
the admission of twenty seven additional free
States, to give the North sufficient political
strength to change that instrument, in any
way, so as to affect the institution of slavery
as it exists. And, even admitting that no more
slave States are to be admitted, ii wuold re-
quire the work of years, Git ever,) to populate
and divide and subdivide the remaining terri
tories into The requisite number OF free States
TO accomplish this object, which has been |
desired and cherished by portion of the |
people of the Northern section of the Union, |
for many long years. E j
Aside from sill this, the Magnus Apollo of |
the Republican party, Il mean Mr.. Seward,) |
gave US to understand, in a speech which he |
in the Senate the other day, that |
he was willing 10 amend the Constitution SO |
as to prohibit forever the abolition of slavery |
in the States. Taking this declaration as an /
exposition of the line of policy to be pursued |
by the incoming administration, our fears in |
regard to the safety of this peculiar institu- |
ton, where it now exists, should at once be |
But in the next breath he makes /
the announcement, that it cou never be ad- |
mitted or introduced into any If the terrific |
ries now owned by the United States by his
vote. We must necessarily infer he falls |
back upon the doctrine of drawing girdle |
Of free States around the South, and then
slavery, like poisoned rat, must die in its
bole." Another leading member of the domi-
nant party, around whom the robes of Office |
have been placed, goes further, and tells us,
after thus REFRESHING it and keeping it within |
its present limits, it will then become the |
duty Of the general Government to purchase
some rich valley in Mexico, upon which to
,olOnize the free blacks of the North aud
those who may be manumitted under this
mighty pressure of freedom, and thus build
f.. l. =. e. Il
auspices, which would serve as grand forth |
ication to the United States in time of war.
In addition to this, Mr.. Lincoln has been
elected President to carry out this nefarious
policy, which, if persisted in, must necessari-
y result in the destruction of the best gov
ever organized by the wisdom and
genius of man. OF his private character /
shall have nothing to say. His public life
md acts, for number of years past, have
been as odious in my estimation as those of
my public man who has ever figured upon |
he theatre of American politics.
Now, sir, l have endeavoIed to state our
grievances with truth, fairness, and honesty.
How are they to be redressed? What is the
emedy? Does it consist in secession? No
lol Secession Tor, to use a modern term,
separate State action') in my opinion is the
most dangerous doctrine to Southern inter-
sts ever espoused and advocated l am not
yoing to stop to argue the unconstitutionality
If the doctrine. 1t is the policy TO which /
low object. 1 believe it will only tend to
'omplicate and increase, instead of settling |
'xistiDg difficulties. Our government is fitly |
to our solar system. The gene
al government is the great centre around
which all the States revOlve in their rpspec- |
i've orbits. By secession you fly off into
pace, one from the other. and it will be a |
miracle ii one State. in crossing the path of |
mother. will not prOduca n ,,itsiOi that will /
hook the scnsibiliiies of the civilized world.
Already do we hear murmurings in the COM
nerciai circles against Mississippi, who Sc
.ded the other day aud planted her artillery
I Vicksburg, to search steamers engaged in 7
arrying on The ordinary trade and commerce
f the country upon the Father of Waters.
FOUR bill OF rights declare, ian equal partici-