Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-01-18

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and House of Representatives.
The ninth eection of the third article of the
Constitution provides that on extraordinary
casions, the Governor may convene the General
Assembly. Believing the emergency contem.
plated, to exist at this time, | have called you
together. In welcoming you to the Capitol of
the State, can but regret the gloomy aus pices
under which meet Grave and momentous
issues have arisen, which, to an unpre oedened
degree, agitate the public mind and imperil the
peTpetuity of the Government.
| The systematic, wanton, and long continued
agitation of the slavery question, with the actu.
al and threatened aggressons of the Northern
States and portion Of their people, upon the
well-defned constitutional rights of the Southern
citizen; tie rapid growth and increase in all
the elements Of power, of purely sectional
party, VIII ose bond of union is uncOmpromising
hostility to the rights and institutions of the
fifteen Southern States, have produced crisis
in the affairs of the country, unparalleled in the
history of the past, resulting already in the
withdrawal from the Confederacy of one of the
sovereignt es which composed it, while others
are rapidly preparing TO move in the same di-
reclon. Fully approaching the importance of
the duties which devolve upon you, frnught, as
your action must be, with consequences of the
highest possible Importance to the people of
Tennessee; knowing as a great Common wealth.
our own beloved State is alike interested with
her sisters, who have resorted, and are prepar-
ing 10 resort, to this fearful alternative, have
called you together for the purpose of calm and
ldspassionate deliberation, earnestly trusting,
as the chosen Representatives of free and en-
frightened people, that you will, at this critical
juncture of our affairs, prove yourselves equal
TO the occasion which has called for the exercise
: of your talent and patriotism.
A brief review Of the history of the past is ne
cessary to proper understanding of the issues
presented for your consideration.
Previous to the adoption of the Federal Con-
stitution each State was separate and inde-
pendent Governments complete sovereignty
within itself-and in the compact of union each
reserved all the rights and powers incident to
Sovereignty, except such as were expressly dele
gated by the Constitution to the General Govern
ment, or such were clearly incident, and ne
cessary, to the exercise of some expressly dele
gated power.
The Constitution distinctly recognizes proper ~
in slaves--makes it, the duty of the State to de
liver the fugitive 10 his owner, but contains no
grant of power to the Federal Government TO in
erfere with this species of property, except 'the
power coupled with the duty common to all
civil Governments to protect the rights Of prop.
a erty, we'll those of Ife andGbery of the citi
zens, which clearly appears from the exposition
c given TO that instrument by the Supreme Court
Of the United States in the case of bred Scott rs
Sandford. Ia delivering the opinion of the Court
. Chief justice fancy said:
"Now, as we have already said in an earlier
part Of this opinion, upon q different point, II,
right Of property in slare is distinctly and ezprcssh
affirmed in tie ConStituion.'
"And no word can be found in the Constitution
which gives Congress greater power over slave
Il properly, or which entities property of that kind
to less protection than property of any other de
scrption. Tile only po,rer conferred is the po're'
coupled ~ih The duiy, Of guarding and protecting h'
opner IN kis rights'
This decision of the highest judicial tribunal
, known to our Government, settles the question
l beyond the possibility of doubt, that the slave
. property rests upon he same basis, and is en-
titled 10 the same protection, as every other de
!, scriptiOn of property, that the General Govern
ment has no power to circumscribe or ccnhne il
within any given boundary; to determine where
it shall or shall not exist, or in any manner Il
r impai" its value. Ard certainly it will not be
contended, in this enlightened age, that any
p member of the Confederacy can exercise higher
r powers, in this respect beyond the limits of its
own boundary, than those delegated to the Gen
eral Government.
The States entered the Union upon terms o.
perfect political equality, each delegating certain
powers to the General Government, but neither
delegating any power to the other TO interfere
with its reserved rights domestic affairs
hence, there is no power on earth which car
'lrightfully determine whether slavery shall OF
shall not eNlSJ WlJnln tine nmHs OF any Slate
except the people thereof, acting in their highest
sovereign capacity.
The attempt of the Northern people, through
the fundamentally of the Federal Governmen
their State governments and emigrant ai,
soceies--to confne this species Of propert!
4, within the limits OF the present Southern State
e. to impair its value by constant agitation anI
refusal 10 deliver up the fugitive-lo appropri
ate the whole Of the Territories which are tn
common property of all the people of all the States
to themselves; by excluding therelrom every South
crn man who is unwilling to live under govern
mcnt which may by law recognize the free negr
e as his equal 'and in fine TO put III
question where the Northern m n
will rest in the belief ofits ultimate extinction,
is justly regarded by the people OF the Souther
States as gross and palpabe violation of III
- spirit and obvious meaning of the compact o
UniCn--an impertineut intermeddling with thei
domestic affairs, destructive OF iraternal fee ing
ordinary county, and well defined rights.
oo As slavery receded from the North, il was TO
- lowed by the most violent and fanatical oppos
n lion. At first the anli-slayery cloud, which no
N, OvershadoWs the nation, was no larger than
a mans hand. Most OF us cHa remember, with WV
" dslnctness, those days of brotherhood, whe
throughout the whole North the abohliouisl WA
justly regarded as an enemy of his country
v euk dimnulive and contemplate MS was hi
party in the purer days OF he tepuhc, II hu
now grown TO co,ossal proportions, aud its reCrl
,l rapid strides to power have given II possessio
- of the present House of Representatives, an
elected one of lis leaders 10 the Presidency of III
United States; and IN the progress Of events, T.
Senate and supreme Court must aho soon pa'
into the hands of This party-a party upon who's
lac Revolutionary banner is inscribed, mo MOI
m slave States, no more slave Territory, no reur
m. of the fugitive TO his master'-au "irrepressib
conflict between the free aud slave States; tan
hy whether it be long or short, peaceful or blood
n. the struggle shall go on, until the sun shall
rise upon u master or set upon slave
Nor is this ALI il seeSs TO appropriate TO itsel
- aud TO exclude the STAKEHOLDER from the tebrltor
acquired 10y the common blood and treasure Of a
the states,
II has, through the instrumentality Of EmigraI
Aid Societies under state patronage, Hooded q
Territories with its minous, armed with Sharp