The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-17
Changes OF opinion.


sembled at Chicago, May 16. 1860, and
nominated LIxooLN and HAALIS, pre-
eeded hat choice By the adoption Of
& platform. wherein the faith of the
Republican partyrespecting Slavery in
or country was eoncisely and correctly
set forth as follows:
"Resolced 4 That the maintenance
inviolate Of the rights OF the States
and especially of the right of each
State 10 order and control its own in
stitutions according TO its own liudg
ment exclusively, is essential 10 that
/ balance Of power on which the peTfec
ton and endurance of our political
I fabric depends and We denounce the
! lawless invasion by armed force Of the
soil Of any State or Territory, no mat
ter under what pretext, as among the
( the gravest Of crimes
IS That the normal condition OF. all
the territory of the United States il
/ Freedom: That IS our republican
i fathers, when they had abolished Slave
~ in all our national territory, or.
dained that No person shall be de
priVed Of life, liberty, or property, with
out, due process of Law, il becomes oul
duty--by legislation whenever such
legislation is necessary--tO maintain
this provision Of the Constitution
against all attempts to violate il and
We deny the authority Of Congress, OF
a territorial legislature, or of any in
dividuals to give legal existence to
Slavery in any Territory Of the United
States"
q. against the views therein contained
against the distinct ayowal that it was
not THE intention TO interfere with slave
~ in the States, there were not ten
thousand voters in the Republican party,
who mentally, or openly, protested.
Tho party favored the application Of
the doctrine Of the Ordinance of 1857,
TO the Notwithstanding more.
After the election Of Mr. LINCOLN, the
following amendment was adopted by
Congress, by the necessary majority,
and by the legislatures ofseveral Of the
States:
No amendment shall DO made to
the Constitution which will authorize
or give Congress power to abolish or in
terfere, within any State, with the do
nestle institutions thereof, including
that OF persons held to labor or servi-
tude BY the laws Of said State.
There is no question hat the amend
ment would have been adopted by all
the States, had not war been precipi-
tated But Sumter was fred on, and
the people proclaimed that slavery
should receive no more guarantees till
that insult was avenged. We have had
three years Of war, and the Senate, by
a large majority-we believe 80 to s.
adopted an amendment to the consti-
tuition, forever prohibiting slavery in
the United States; and the measure is
soon to be acted on by the House,
though it's doubtful if two-thirds ofthe
members viii sustain the amendment
for it will be recollected that at least
fifty members obtained their seats by.
false pretences. But the next Congress
will supply what the negligence of the
present leaves undone.
Then comes the Baltimore ConEen-
ton Of 1854, when the following reso-
luton was adopted unanimously:
. RESOLVED, That, as Slavery was the
cause and now constitutes the strength
of the Rebellion, and as 4 must Be al,rapS
and sryyighere hostile to the principles Of
republican government justice and the
national safety demands its utter and
complete extirpation from the soil of
the Republic; and that, while we up
hold and maintain the acts and pr0cla-
nations by which the Government, in
its own defense, has aimed death
blow at the gigantic evil, we are in
favor, furthermore, OF such amend
ment to the Constitution, to be made by
the people in conformity with its pro
visions, as shall terminate, and forever
prohibit, the existence of Slavery
within the limits OF tie Jurisdiction Of
the United States.
The man must be an impracticable
theroist indeed, who is not satisfied
with the progress of public opinion.