Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-02-21

) and equal"
Now, sir, here we have placed be
} for US the ground on which this can
t aidate was presented for election
And what is it? 1t is not that h'
either favored OF was opposed to a pro
teotive tariff; not that be was for one
, policy or the other, disconnected witt
slavery. ! ask you whether, if there
had bean no slaves ia the United
States, and be had entertained sim
liar opinions about slavery in Cuba
or Brazil, would such opinions evel
have been considered when the nom
ination came TO be made? No, sir,
that nomination was made solely,
mainly aud particularly Ontbeg ground
of hostility to slavery. 1t is one Of
his open declarations that be hates
slavery as bad as any abolitiouist. 1t
was that very hatred which gave
BIN the confidence Of the party that
has elected him to power
Then, how do We stand? Here is
parry composed OF men OF the
northern States alone, OF whom not
one single individual owns slave;
and probably not one tsentielh OF
tboso who voted for Air. Lincoln ever
saw "A slave. They have none OF the
evils or advantages of that institution
among them. And YET they chose
| Mr.. lincoln for his opinions in
regmd to an institution wit b
which they have no connection, aud
in which they have no practical In
terest. He was selected because
of his hatred to slavery In other
words, he WAS selected, no. for any
particular views OF policy he has
in regard to the northern institutions
or northern interests, but because OF
the views he entertains In regard to
southern interests. He was elected
not to govern the North, but to gov
ern the South; to govern a portion
of the Union in which he bas no par
tv. and where there is no respectable
porlion OF citizens who, for a moment,
tolerate bis election to Office on such
principles. So lar as the South is
concerned, we of the South have had
no more 20 do in the election OF MIR.
Lincoln than We baye had to do with
tile election of the Emperor oil France.
He is to US "A foreign ruler. He Is
elected by men who have 20 sympa-
thy With us, who are hostile TO our
great interests.
submit to the consideration Of
every candid mind, if any court on |
earth would appoints a guardian over .
property where the application Was
made for The sole purpose OF destroy
isg the estate; where the applicant
was hostile to the interest OF Which be
desired to have the control, aud, only
sought the trust for lis destrGctlon;
is there /. court on earth, claiming
to know what equity and justice Is,
who would for IA moment think OF ap-
pointing bim7 And yet you are
determined to place the guardianship
of the rights OF the South on the 7
slavery question. iD the bands OF men
who come here declaring their hos
tili,y to slavery, and claiming the
right to take charge Of that lnstllu-
ton to which they are hostile, and
on the destruction Of which they are
determined. | submit to the consid.
Grafton Of this committee. and OF the
country, whether j: is an American
principle, that the party who has DO
interest id the suhjcct-matier should
select a guardian Tor it, and choose
him from among those hostile to II!
But it may be said that our Gov
ernment is one Of majorlties. Iru":
in one sense j, is Government OF ma
iarities. But Mr.. Lincoln has only a
bare majority Of the electoral vote;
and when you come to ex-m'ns the
record of the great popular Voice OF
the people Of the United States, you
will find that he is nearly million IN
the minority. Thus, by nearly mil
lion minority Of votes, has Mr. Lin
coin been elected to the office .of
President Of the United States.
Again, sir;this idea of msjorisies
governing ought to be limited to the
people who are interested in the SUBJ
ject. The people Of Massachusetts,
or the people OF Virginia might we'll
submit subject to the will Of their
respective States. and be governed
by the majority; but the principle
does not hold good where the qaes-
ton is submitted to those who have