Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-23
REMARKS OF
DIR. THOMPSON
be1ldtof tgoIa bnlldt col7ag,
On the POliticaI Condition of she Country
in the state Senate, Jan. is, 1854.

= ssssszFas- lC0HCLUDED.I
But We have had another compromise with the
North, and unfortunately compromises swsy too
many of rights aud the utter disregard Of the
little remnant we had left u.s. is one of the causes
which has brought on our present troubles,
After cur treaty with Mexico, by which We OBJ
tanned New Mexico California and Utah. there was
determined effort or the parI Of the North 10 aP-
propriate this vast territorial acquisition 10 their
own purposes TO the ertre exclusion CT Ethe South
The favorable consideration ef the proposliloa by
Congress, to prohibit slavery from al that Terri
tory, and the general desire by the people of the
North for its adoption, vas calculated to arouse
Southern resentment in vindication Of their rights,
whilst it betrayed the most Eauton and sordid SCI.
fshness by it's Northern advocates TIE South rag
spilled her best blood on the plains Of Mexico; had
furnished more soldiers, and was equally entitled,
according to every principle of justice aud right, to
her distributiye share This proposition itself and
its favorable consideration by Congress, was sn in
suit to tie honor and dignity of the South whist
the North was yet making this desperate struggle
for a the spOils, producing the NEST intense teeng
of antaccnsiic interest ia both sections, Southern
f,rbearence again triumphed, aud proposed an ex-
Tension of The Missouri line to the Pacific Ocean,
whieh, however unobserved and disregarde1 it had
been. vet secured some shadow of caill to por-
ton Of she soil justly theirs The Territory
North OF the proposed extension comprised area
of one million six hundred thousand square mies,
seventy thousand. With this small share the South
was content, but the North said no Southern bar
barisas with their inhGmen and hnchristian ins;i-
tutions, shall never deseorate any portion Of the
soil of our Western possessions, ard although they
fought our bsttes and drenched the sands of Next
CO with their best blood, yet in the rich harvest of
their labOrs they shall not share. This was
fatal blow aimed at the first great prin-
ciple Of Government, equality and equsl
rights and was well calculated to arouse the
most violent Southern indignation, and yet, whilst
our country stood trembling. Aad ready to fall
amidst the general confusion with which it was
rounded, and into which it has been uBjustly
plunged by Northern men, Southern forbesrance
was again appealed to; and that together with the
wise couusels of stinguiShed statesmen at length
prevailed, and peace was finally restored to the
country By the adoption of series of measures
known as the Compromise of 1850. In this the
South aequessed for the sake of the Union, though
at great sacrifice Of their rights. California was
admitted with ner medley of wandering population,
without ever having gone through the ordeal of Ter
ritoral government, but she came without slavery,
ana the despotic North sad she shall come in. The
balance of the Territory to come in with or
without slavery. IS the people might decide when
they to form a StstesConstiiuuon. In this the
South has gained nothing. The next propositions
were the abolition of the slave trade in the District
Of Columbia the Texas boundary, and the rendition
Of fugitives from labor The South then yielded to
the admission of California; last portion Of Texas;
surrendered the abolition of the slave trade in the
District of Columbia, for which the North agreed
that slavery might exist in Territories if the people
desired il, and that onr fugitive slaves should be
surrendered when they escaped and were found in
the Narthern Stses conserving two propositions,
only one Of which the Constitution recognizes
right and the other it requires them 20 do without
| statusry provision.
The South has faithfully observed the provisions OF
this she agreed to do hiss been
| done. But how faithfully the North has observed
it. let tho stakeholder of the South the cues
| ton. ASK him, it, when his slave escape into
Northern State, he is pesceably restored when de-
msnded; whether or not he finds shelter and protec-
ton under The strong arm Of abolition fanaticism;
aud if he reclaim him at ALL if it be hot ct cost of
more than his slave is worth, and at the hazard snd
peril of his own life; if he appeals TO the high func
tionaries of he State they tell him they recognize
no such thing as property In man; let him ask
the citizens assist him in the arrest of his fugitive
aud they turn upon him with stones; him turn to
the more conservative men for their assistance, and
they tell him that fne and Imprisonment will follow
Any attempt on their part TO execute the law The
STAKEHOLDER, Disguised often turns his back, prefer
ring to lose his property than to encounter the ia
natcism of these theiyiug volators of constitutional
law and order We now inquire the cause, and fad
that thirteen States of the North have openly multi
fed statute law Of the United States, based upon
J strict constitutional provision and passed under
| the sanction of a sacred compromise. So much,
thea, for compromises with the North thus far.
We had hoped and vainly fattered ourselves, how
ever that upon the adoption of these measures the
! question of slavery would no disturb the har-
mouy of the two sections Both political parties so
agreed and both adopted ii one Of the creeds of
| their platforms in tn cir National Conventions Ct
| 1852.
But our fond hopes we're but ameFe deluson. For
so soon as favorble pretext offered, this faratcal
| spirt, which was but one smothered fer the time,
was still burning within, awaiting impaienly fer
an opportunity give vent to its consuming flames.
The Kansas Nebraska bill made the preiext for
Te-opaning this dangerous question, AID neucleus
around which these reckless and fanatical spirits
| might rally to reopen sffesh their warfare upon
the South and the institution Of slavery This bill
was before Congress in 1854, and bsving embraced
much in its proveoDs, was silent, however, on the
question Of slavery WITH no intention of reopen
inc this question, and with the EvoTed purpose Of
| so shaping the bill as to leave the people OF the
! Territories free 80 admit or exclude slavery
| when they came to form State Constitution, a
distip guished Senator from Kentucky, hr. Dixon,
introduced proposition for the repeal of the Mis-
sour compromise line. That inssmuch as the prin-
! cipe of non-ntersenticn bad been recognized by
the compromise measures Of 1850 1t was thought
gh aud proper to extend the same principle to the
| Territories of Kansas and Nebraska, so as more
efectualy TO exclude the question Of slavery from
| the Halls of Congress. This proposition VIC
lently opposed by men Of the North who had here
toforc dIsregarded the obligations CT that Compro-
mise and who had refused TO Recognize its existence
only when it suited their interest or the accomplish
| meat Of their selfish purposes. They became
the ardent advocates Of the Missouri line add de
nuncators of those who opposed ii. Such has been
the hypooritcial element with which we have had to
contend for the last forty years.
Here, then, was the pretsxt for reopening the walls
of their wrath and fury upon the South and its in
| attn voa O for tho rpueWal
and out of Congress, of this question dangerous
10 the Union; here was pretext fer obliterating
all old party lines in the North and recognizing
| upder tie auspices of Black Republicsnism, whose
only vital princ pies opposition to the extension
and final extinction OF african slavery wherever it
exists; this the pretext for running sectional
candidate with sectional principles in 1886, with
resolution in their platform deuuncatory of slavery
as On a level with polygamy, aud both tTiL relic
! of barbsrism and though defeated, We have since
heard the rrepressible conf ct doctrine enuncated
BY Mr. Lincoln, repeated by Mr.. Seward. and re
echoed by every lessor light, who deserved noority
and found no other TO lead him thither than
| By orIoeps Southern institution cad advocating
| equality of the negro with the white map VIZ haze
seer the rapid growth Of this fsnateai party until
il has Secome the strongest and most powerful. in
| the Union In lis progressive march have { vice
the halls Of Congress made the scene Of confu-
sion and dscord in consequence of their numerical
ctrength We have the best men il the cOun-
try whose devotion and fidelity to the Uaiou have
been tested under trying Circumstances driven, as
it wcre from the Senate CHAMBER, and their places
supplied by those whose only Roteriety consisted in
hostility to the institution of slavery.
We have witnessed The increasing popularity Of
tas sectional party, with full programme Of their
principles staring US boldly IN the face Having
| declared that not another slave State shall ever
come into The Union, they have Saithfulfy adhered
70 e. as demonstrats ed in their ruthless and ialOody
efforts 60 make Kansas free State They refused
her admission iHte tie onion. because Of her slave
~ Constitution sud have 4bpltionized her through
their Emigration Aid Societies, sna BY the force OF
arms at the sacrifice of the lives aad blood of the
innocent. they tell US that slavery SHAH tie a9ol>
| isbed in the District of Columbia, IL tao p5ek-
| Yards. Arsenals and ali other places belonging to
The United States and that slaves shall cesse TO be
an erticlc Of traffic between the States. Aud when
| we have seen the dangers arising to our country
from the continued agitation ct the slavery ques-
ton, aad appealed TO them for the sake OF peace
and the Union to oesse this agitation they defiant
ly tell us that the South might as well understand
first as last that the agitation of this question shall
IN