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disciples, out of their mouths, we hear of no denunciation, against slav eholders; nor do we hear of their presenting any memorials to the rulers of the nations among whom they were scattered, praying them to abolish slavery or to emancipate the slaves then abounding in those nations. For the sake of illustration, the committee will exhibit as an example, the conduct of one of the most eminent, most unwearied, and most successful ministers of that holy religion: behold Paul of Tarsus, a man who was born a Roman citizen; who was a learned man, educated at the feet of Gamaliel; who was so eloquent that he could make the Roman Governor tremble on the judgment seat, and almost persuade the unbelieving Agrippa to be a christian; this great man, who exhibited the sincerity of his profession, by suffering cold and hunger and cruel persecutions of almost every kind, and finally martyrdom itself in the holy cause of religion, what did he do in a case of this kind? He found a runaway slave named Onesimus, and converted him to christian faith; but we do not hear that he told him that slavery was a dreadful thing, that his master Philemon was a violator of the Gospel for holding him in bondage, and that he had no right to his services. No such thing. Paul sends the runaway back to his master, and writes a letter to Philemon, of which letter we have a copy to this day. But in it, he does not speak in the language of the protest, and tell him he is a very wicked man for holding his fellow-man as a servant. No, Paul does not speak to Philemon in the self-righteous language of the proud Pharisee, who thanked God that he was not as other men; on the contrary, he speaks to him in the kindest language and calls him his dearly beloved Philemon; slaveholder as he was, he acknowledges him to be a christian brother, and expresses the most unshaken confidence in his sincerity. It is true he tells him, that he expects he will receive back his runaway, then converted to christianity, as something more than a servant; but still he recognizes Philemon's right as a master by sending his servant back to him again. There can be no doubt that ever since the light of the Gospel has shone upon our dark benighted world; its precepts operating on the heart of man, have caused many a master to ameliorate the condition of his slave, by better treatment or by making him altogether free; yet that effect has not been produced by noisy denunciations from one person to another, telling him what he ought to do, but by every one applying the precept to his own conscience and acting accordingly. The signers of the protest do not pretend to show how the principles assumed in the report, are in their tendency subversive of the principles of republicanism, but only assert them to be so.

It is very obvious that the great end for which a republican government is instituted, is to promote peace, protect property, and to preserve all the rights and privileges of every member of the community. Therefore, whatever has a tendency to the attainment of these ends, is in perfect accordance with the principles of a republican government. If a proposition was made to introduce slavery into a com

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munity where it never before existed, that proposition would be contrary to the doctrines on which a republican government is founded. But in a community where slavery has, by the permission of the laws, existed for a long period of time-where slaves are exceedingly numerous, and where perhaps a majority of the members of the State are slaveholders, and when the State has no funds at its disposal, out of which to compensate the owner of the slave, which ought to be done if he loses that right which he obtained by the sanction of the law, then it is in perfect accordance with republican principles, that the minority should submit to the will of the majority; more especially if the majority do not attempt to compel the minority either to acquire slaves or to keep them if they have them already. In addition to all this, if the State has not the means of removing the emancipated slaves beyond its limits, nor of colonizing them abroad, and if they cannot be permitted to remain after they are emancipated, without endangering the peace and destroying the happiness of the community surely in a case of that kind a sacred regard for the very end for which a republican government is instituted, forbids the adoption of a measure, the obvious tendency of which, would be to defeat that very end. If the emancipation of one hundred and fifty thousand slaves and their increase, in the term of twenty-one years or even in a much longer period, be utterly impracticable; if it would turn loose on society a mass of population which could not either be removed or permitted to remain, who, while they could not enjoy happiness themselves, would inevitably destroy the happiness of the white population; and if the measure in its enactment would take away rights and privileges solemnly guarantied by the laws of the State, surely those who are charged with the duty of preserving pure and entire, all the privileges and immunities of the whole community, ought not to adopt a plan, the tendency of which would be, to destroy the very things they are bound to preserve, and at the same time to sap the very foundation of a republican government.

The committee are fully persuaded, that great mischief may be done by raising expectations in any class of the community, which are not to be, and which cannot be, realized; and they believe there is something very uncandid in condemning others for not adopting a measure, which the fault-finders would have been the last to have adopted. They will not pretend to divine what ends are to be accomplished by such a course of conduct; but of one thing they are satisfied, that the people of Tennessee, just, generous and intelligent as they are, will examine and determine for themselves.

JOHN A. M'KINNEY, Chairman.

Mr GARRETT moved a concurrence with said report; but before any question was had thereon, on motion of Mr KINCAID, it was ordered, that said report be laid on the table.

On motion of Mr Fogg, his resolution made on yesterday, on the subject of the contested election between Adam R. Alexander the sitting

member from Shelby county and Edward Ward, was taken up and

read.

In lieu of which, Mr GARRETT submitted the following:

Whereas, it appears to this Convention, that there is some dissatisfaction arising out of part of the agreements said to have been made between Col. Edward Ward and Col. Adam R. Alexander, and the committee on privileges and elections, in relation to legalizing certain testimony produced to said committee, and for the purpose of doing equal and impartial justice between the said Ward and Alexander, and placing them in the same situation they were in before any agreements were made:

Resolved, That this Convention will receive no testimony in the contested election between Cols. Ward and Alexander, except that of a purely legal character; any supposed agreement between the parties to the contrary notwithstanding.

Resolved, That either party be entitled to such process, by way of commission to take depositions or otherwise, as will enable them to produce their testimony, in a legal manner before the Convention.

And the rule being suspended, and the question had on receiving said resolutions in lieu of Mr Fogg's resolutions, it was determined in the affirmative; ayes 37, noes 18.

The ayes and noes being demanded by Mr MABRY,
The affirmative voters are,

Messrs President (Carter), Allen, Bradshaw, Blount, Cannon, Childress, Cross, Fulton, Garrett, Gillespy, Gray, Hodges, Hill, Huntsman, Humphreys, Hess, Kelly, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, M'Clellan, Robert J. M'Kinney, John A. M'Kinney, M'Gaughey, Montgomery, Marr, Neal, Nelson, Porter, Purdy, Roadman, Richardson, Ridley, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Ury, and Webster-37.

The negative voters are,

Messrs Burton, Cahal, Cobbs, Cheatham, Douglass, Fogg, Gordon, Kincannon, Kincaid, Loving, Mabry, Stephenson, Sharp, Scott, Whitson, Walton, White and Weakley-18.

The question then recurring upon the adoption of said resolutions, it was determined in the affirmative; ayes 37, noes 18.

The ayes and noes being demanded by Mr KINCAID,

The affirmative voters are,

Messrs President (Carter), Allen, Bradshaw, Blount, Cannon, Childress, Cross, Fulton, Garrett, Gillespy, Gray, Hodges, Hill, Huntsman, Humphreys, Hess, Kelly, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, M'Clellan, Robert J. M'Kinney, John A. M'Kinney, M'Gaughey, Montgomery, Marr, Neal, Nelson, Porter, Purdy, Roadman, Richardson, Ridley, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Ury and Webster-37.

The negative voters are,

Messrs Burton, Cahal, Cobbs, Cheatham, Douglass, Fogg, Gordon, Kincannon, Kincaid, Loving, Mabry, Stephenson, Sharp, Scott, Whitson, Walton, White and Weakley-18.

And so said resolutions were adopted

Mr COBBS subinitted the following:

1st. Resolved, That the Convention forthwith proceed to the examination of the testimony, in the contested election between Col. Edward Ward and Col. Adam R. Alexander; and

2nd. Resolved further, that upon the application of either party, he be allowed to take further testimony, before the case shall be finally disposed of.

And the rule being suspended, a division of the question on the two resolutions, was moved by Mr GARRETT; and prevailed.

The question was then had upon the adoption of the first resolution and determined in the affirmative.

The question being then had upon the adoption of the secon lution; it was determined in the affirmative.

And so said resolutions were adopted,
And then the Convention adjourned.

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1834.

The Convention met according to adjournment, and was opened with prayer, by the Rev. Mr. WELLER of the Episcopal Church.

After the morning business was gone through, the Convention resumed the consideration of the contested election between Adam R. Alexander and Edward Ward.

Mr CANNON moved that the Secretary proceed to read the testimony adduced by the memorialist.

On motion of Mr ALLEN, it was

Ordered, That before the reading of the testimony is commenced, the sitting member and the Secretary be furnished with a list of the challenged voters.

Mr. ALEXANDER, the sitting member, signified to the Convention, that he would dispense with such list.

On motion of Mr CHILDRESS, it was

Ordered, That the list furnished the Secretary by the memorialist, shall specify the class of testimony to which each certificate or deposition belongs.

The certificate of Gerrard Billington was then read; whereupon,

Mr HUMPHREYs moved to exclude the said certificate, on the ground that said testimony was not of a purely legal character, in conformity with the resolution adopted by the Convention; but before any determination was had upon said motion,

Mr. LOVING, on behalf of Col. Ward, moved for leave to be heard by counsel at the bar of the Convention, upon questions arising upon the present contested election; which leave was granted.

Whereupon, Colonel WARD introduced to the Convention Wm. E. Anderson Esq. as his counsel.

Mr HUMPHREYS withdrew his motion.

Mr HUNTSMAN then, on the suggestion of Mr. Anderson as counsel for Col. Ward, moved for a reconsideration of Mr Garrett's resolution made on yesterday:

And the sense of the Convention being had thereon, it was determined in the negative; ayes 17, noes 38.

And the ayes and noes being required those who voted in the affirm

ative are,

Messrs. Burton, Cahal, Cobbs, Cheatham, Douglass, Fogg, Gordon, Kincannon, Kincaid, Loving, Mabry, Stephenson, Sharp, Scott, Whitson, White and Weakley-17.

Those who voted in the negative are

Messrs. President (Carter), Allen, Bradshaw, Blount, Cannon, Childress, Fulton, Garrett, Gillespy, Gray, Hodges, Hill, Huntsman, Humphreys, Hess, Kelly, Kendall, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, M'Clellan, Robert J. M'Kinney, John A. M'Kinney, M'Gaughey, Montgomery, Marr, Neal, Nelson, Porter, Purdy, Roadman, Richardson, Ridley, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Ury, Walton and Webster-38.

And so the Convention refused to reconsider said resolution.
Mr GORDON Submitted the following:

Resolved, That the memorialist and the sitting member from Shelby, are and were competent to make an agreement relative to the mode of taking evidence to be used in the contested election, and that such agreement will be regarded as valid and binding upon them, and upon the Convention in the decision of said contest.

Mr GORDON moved to suspend the rule requiring resolutions to lie one day on the table, and the question being had on said motion it was determined in the negative.

Mr HUMPHREYS renewed his motion for the rejection of the certificate of Gerrard Billington.

Mr ANDERSON, as Col. Ward's counsel, was heard against the rejection of the testimony; but before he concluded his remarks, he gave way for a motion for adjournment.

And before the question for adjournment was put

Mr ALEXANDER, the sitting member from Shelby moved for leave to be heard at the bar of the Convention, by counsel, on the questions touching the contested election; whereupon it was ordered by the Convention that he have such leave.

And then the Convention adjourned.

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1834.

The Convention met according to adjournment, and was opened with prayer, by the Right Rev. Bishop OTEY of the Episcopal Church. Mr. HUNTSMAN submitted the following:

Resolved, That the Constitution be so amended, that contested elections for seats in the Legislature shall be determined by the circuit or chancery courts of the district or county, wherein such contest may have originated, under such rules, regulations and restrictions as the Legislature shall provide.

After the morning business was gone through, the Convention again resumed the consideration of the contested election between Adam R. Alexander and Edward Ward.

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