Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-31

Il IS one OF bis open declaratinns that he hates
slavery as bad % any Aboiitionist 1t was that
very hatred which gave him the condolences of the
party that has elected him to power
Then, how do We stand? Here il a marty eom-
posed Of Men ofthe Northern States alona Of whom
not one single individual owns slayes. and proba
bly, not one twentieth OF those who voted for Mr..
Lincoln ever saw slave. They have none az the
evils or advantages ofthst Institution among them
And yet they chose Mr. Lincoln for his oninians i,
regard to an institution with which thew bave No
connection, and in which they have no practical in
terest. He was selected because of his hatred To
slavery. In other words, he was selected. not for
any particular views of policy that ne hiss in regard
to Northern institutions or Northern interests bu.
because of the views which BE entertans in regard
to Southern Interests He WINS elected, not to gov.
ern the North, buc to govern the South: to govern
q portion of the Union in which he hiss no party,
and where there is no respectable portion of the
citizens who, for moment tolerate his eleetion Il
Office on such principles. So far as the South i
concerned, we Of the South have had no more I'd a.
in the election Of Mr. Lincoln than we have had e
do with the election of the Emperor of France He
is to US foreign ruler. He is elected by men who
have no sympathy WITH US, who are hostile to our
great interests.
/ submit to tho consideration of eveTy candid
mind, if any court on earth would appoint guard
ian over property where the application was made
for the sole purpose o. destroying the estate; where
the applicant hostile to the interest of which be
desired to have control and only sought the trust
for its distinctions is there court on earth claim
ing TO know what equity and justice is, who would
for moment think of appointing bimf And yet
you are determined to place the guardianship Of The
rights Of the South the slavery question in the
hands Of men who come here declaring their hostil
iy to slavery, and claiming the right to take charge
Of that institution to which they hostile and
the destruction Of which they are determined
IN ha idpra tsoO of 4
of tie country, whether it is an American principle,
that the party who has no interest in the subject
matter should select guardian for it, and choose
him from among those hostile to it?
But it may be said that our Government is one
of majorities. True; in one sense it is Govern
ment Of m9jorities. But mir. Lincoln has only q
bare majority of the electoral votes and when you
come to examine the record of the great popular
voice o. the people of the United States, you will
find that he is nearly millisn in the minority
Thus, by nearly a million minority of votes, has
Mr. Lincoln been elected to the Office Of President
of the United States.
Again, sir; this idea of msjorities governing
ought to be limited 10 the people who are inter-
ested il the subject. Thepesple of Massachusetts,
or the people of Virginia mig ht well submit sub
ject to the will Of thGir respecatve States and be
governed by the majority; but the principle does
not hold good where the question is submitted to
those who have no interest whatever in it.
y,
of the South, l maintain that if majori,ies
in the North, or if every man in the North, were
in favor Of hcstils legislation, it would be anti
American, and contrary to all the principles of our
Government for them 10 assume to govern such
local institution, and especially to govern it in such
way as to bring about its destruction. Why is it
that the Northern people have ifet l. incumbent on
them to join in crusade against the institution !?
We are often told that slave power has had the con-
troll Of the Government; but / mzintain that the
Government has not been controlled with view to
promote slavery, or in opposition to slavery; and
that is the view ia which the South has ever main
tanned the Government should be controlled. But
slavery is living existing interest in the coun-
try, and should share the common veal or common
woe Of the country, like other great interests.
submit TO the committee and to the country,
what reason can be given, from review of history
for so bitter contest against this institution of
the South! Has slavery made such rapid strides
since the foundation of this Government as to alarm
those philanthrepists if Fhilsathropists they be?
At the time of the treaty Of peace in 1888, the
States now called southern owned territory to the
extent of 63S,0l6 square miles, and the Northern
States 169 662 or the South owned 46S, 354 square
miles more than the North. Virginia ceded terri
tory to the extent of 239,55S square miles, and ex-
cluded slavery tkerefr9m; thus giving the North
400 900, AID reducing the South to 39S 458 square
miles. The South was then strong and the North
nimity been requited! How is it row proposed to
be requited BY the Northern States? The very
States of the Northwest of the territory thus gen
erously cCded by the State of Virginia. are this day
enlisted IN TIE ranks of adversaries; ana large
majority of their Representatives this floor are
voting and acting to-day with the party that is at
tempting to deprive the old mother Commonwealth,
the mother Of those States ef any rightin the Ter
ritories that have been subsequently acquired, al
though they were acquired by the joint blood and
treasure of Virginia with all the States
But sir, let follow out that ides: By the Lou
isiana purchase, We acquired 1.136, 1876 square
miles OF this the North has secured 977 602
square miles, and the South 1913 ga the North &C.
quiring Ga, 1913 square miles more than the South
By the Florida purchase the South acquired So
25S and by the annexation OF Texas pa 800: tc-
tai by these two last acquisitions 393 GA square
miles.
BIZ the Mexican treaty. the total acquisition :s
665 4S6 square miles. OF this the North has Cali
fornia, containing 1s8,981 square miles, having
476 sos square miles in New Mexico and Utah to be
settled Andthe present effort OF your party is to
exclude the South from the whole of this while
the South only asks equality in it. And, sir, l
may remark in relation to that territory that it is
the most barren, bleak, mountainous and unproduc-
tive territory that THE Government has ever &C
CURED. The soil and climate Of that territory are
such that your own distinguished Daniel Webster
declared that slavery could 90 there; that the
law CT nature prohibited it. and that to enact the
Wluot proViso in regard to it, would be only to re-
enact the Law of God.
will refer again to the statistics that have COL
leced from the report of the Commissioner of the
L md Otfise: