Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-17
OUR NATIONAL TROUBLES.
Letter of Vice-PresIdent Breckinridge TO
the Governor of Kentucky.
WAsurrcToN January 1851


My DEAR Sra: l think eli thoughtful men
will approve your conduct in con'enlns the Legs
lsturs.
Within a few weeks have received many letters,
chiefly from Kentucky, asking my opinion as to the
prospect of fair adjustment Of our political troubles,
which have not answered for reasons satisfactory
to my own mind, among which has been lingering
hops that come acceptable plan Of settlement might
be proposed by Congress, securing the rights aud
honor Of ALL do not feel at liberty longer to re-
man silent, and, without intending to burden you
with an xtended letter, will offer fcA thoughts
upsn the condition of public affairs.
am convinced that no thorough and satisfactory
plan will be proposed to tie States by Congress All
efforts for this purpose have disclosed differences
too radical to admit of agreement.
At an early day in the session, On the motion of
a Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. PoWell) committee
CT thirteen Senators was appointed to consider the
state of the country and report remedy. 1t was
composed Of representative men from different
parts of the Union After long conferences, for
many days, the Chairman reported TO the Senate
that they had been wholly unable to agree, and q
reference TO the journal Of the Committee will re-
veal the radical differences between the Rcpubli-
cans and Others
Propositions, conceived in q spiri. Of patriotic
concession, we're offered by Senator Crittenden.
refer to them, because they coLcede much TO the
srirt Of Cancellation They embrace the following as
amendments 70 the Constitution:
"That Congress shall have no power to abolish
slavery in the the forts, dock-yards, and other
places under its jurisdiction ia the Southern States
sNor to prevent the transportation Of slaves from
one saveholding State to another, nor TO any Ter
ritory where slavery may exist whether the trans
portstion be coastwise CT inland.
eNor to abolish slavery in the District of Column
bia while it exists in Maryland OF Virginia, nor
without the consent Of the inhabitants and compen
sation TO the owners"
And in regard to the Territories
ssThat in all the territory nov held, or hereafter
TO be acquired North of latitude Sc S0f slavery
involuntary servitude, except as punishment for
crime, shall be prohibited, while in all territory
now held or hereafter 10 be equired* South Of said
line of latitude slavery Of the African race shall be
recognized and protected; in both cases, the PrJhi-
bion on one side of the line and the protection On
tho ether covering the period Of territorial exist
eDce."
These provisions, the resolutions propose, shall
be made part Of the Ccnstitioa, and together with
the features now in the Constitution, relative to tbs
rspre,entaton of three-fihs Of the slaves, and the
return OF fugitive slaves, shall not be subject to fu-
ture alteration. As subsequently rnodlhed, they
contain among other things, very prop declara-
ton that citizenship and suffrage shall no: be
conferred on persons in whole or in part Of AfTi'
descent.
A glance at these resolutions will show the i'm
nense concession they of-r for security and peace
Leaving cut Of view for a monet The Territorial
ouestion, the other proposed amendments are but
dec!araiery Of the present Conshtu,ioD. Congress
has 40 rover now to abolish slavery ia the Pisces
vi hin lis jucis lection in the Soutaeru SAFES, nor u
trsven tie tfaus port'ti f Slaves fir N oae s'sve
holdiog State or Terci org 10 aathe-. Nor &c per
sons OF uric N dec cit Gems of the United 81 fes;
and tae basis Of Federal representation and the re-
tura of fugitive slsges are stipulated FIR 10 eX
press terms il the present iustrumen II 1t be said
Congress may csnstiutionsly abolish 'iaveTy IL
this Dislrc, will not pause t. argue the questioa
but only eaer protes axsiost the issumpuon
Ifsgresd to, they IA 5u5 be unameDdsble IT'S IF
Gems tuition since the North would som have sui
6eisnt number Of States 70 charge the instrument
in the manner prescribed By Itself.
1t must be confessed th1t il offers but faint hope
of security aud COED faita when powers not granted
to Congress by the Constitution must again be ex-
pressly denied, AID the provisions Use ussiter
able, TO guard against apPreheasons Of sectionsl
and growing majority.
Upon these poists, then, as | euPpose, there il
concession neither upon the one side nor the ether
The free Stats ars emily asked to agree that they
will never use their growing power to deprive the
South Of existing rights which are ESSENTIAL TO It's
safety.
| come, nov, to the vast concession to the. North
The Southern States assert, with great unanimitJ,
the right of all the citizens of all the States to