Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-12-29
' uov JFRE. CLEMENS LETTER.


dant success
HON JERE CLEMENS LETTER.
Wes,ated the other day that Hon. JERE CLEMENS,
er Alabama had written letter to certain gentle
AMEN in Philadelphia in answer to an invitation to
he present and address a mass meeting OF Union
democrats. which was to have been held on Monday
the l9th inst Whether the meeting was held on
that day OF not we have not learned but certain 1t
IS that Mr. CLEMENS gave the projectors oft a
cold bath in his reply, which we copy below. Mr..
CLEMENS devotion to the compromise and the
Union is above suspicion, and what he says, there
fore to these latter-day Union Savers of Phils-
dephia and New York is entitled to great weight.
1t will doubtless open the eyes of many who have
been inclined to look with charity upon the move
ments Of these disorganizers believing them to be
honest aud patriotic. Mr.. CLEMENS evidently re-
CARDS them as a set of renegades and disappointed
spolsnen, who have seized upon the name Of
'.Unon democrats but to prostitute it to the most
sorGid and selfish purposes. As true Union man he
can have 10 sympathy with such traitors, and hyp-
ocrites. As man ofsense, be cannot fail to see
that the only effect of their present croakings and
malicious proceedings viii be to bring into disre-
pute the efforts and opinions ofhoEestmenln times
freal danger There Is no danger now, and Mr.
CLEMENS knows it. The South-wel informed as
10 what her rights are and resolved to defend them
whenever really in danger-sees no good grounds
for alarm in the present attitude Of things. Salts
fled with the President-satisfied with the truly
national spirit which breathed though every line
ofhis inaugural and characteristics every paragraph
ofhis first annual message, the two great dscu-
ments to which the country must look for faithful
exposition Of the sentiments of its chiet-satlshed,
TOO. with tie men who have been selected as his
constitutional advisers-the South makes no com
paint that her rights in danger and calls for no
combinations to break down the administration of
her choice This cry of danger to the Union and
fhc COMPROMISE comes from northern, not from
southern men. 1t comes TOO, as is notorious, from
men who are chagrned and mortified because the
best offices Of the government have not been given
to them ard their friends withoptregard to person
al Qualifications or local rights. 1t would be singu-
lar. indeed. if a man of Mr. CLEMENS talents and
observation could be, under such circumstances,
seduced into opposition TO the administration and
fellowship with the selt-styled "Union-sayers
about Philadelphia and New York:
WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 1858.
GENTLEMEN: Your letter of the 10th instant, in
yjting me TO attend and address meeting OF
national Union democrats at the Chinese Museum,
Phladalphia on the 18th inst, has been received.
The objects of the meeting stated to be two
fold first 'repudiation Of the dIsuniOn tendencies
of certain members Of the federal government"
and secondly, the selection Of a sound national
Union democrat as a candidate for governor.
With the last l trust you win readily perceive l
cannot with any degree OF propriety interfere. |
am not 4 citizen OF Pennsylvania and have no voice
in ih. selection of her public officers. / should be
10th al amy time to give uterance 10 unhind opin-
ions of any OF her distinguished sons; and IN the
case of Cos BgIer, / know nothing in his previous
history which can justly deprive hun OF the conf
aenre Of the Union democracy.
The first object OF the meeting alone remains tc
he consider D. | need not say that all my feelings
and syrapatles are with those who have steadily
uIaintaRed the Compromise Of 1880 as final ad-
justmeut of the slavery question But you must
allow me, kindly and respectfully, to doubt the WIS
dom of the course you propose to take The Pres
ifcnt, in his inaugural and in his recent message
has I4lt no doubt as to HIS position; and know the
man too well to believe that he would retain among
ms confidential advisers any one whom he for a
,,ou,ant sIspccted OF "dIsunIOn tendencies That
he has made mistakes in some of ms appointments
do not question; that he has been imposed upon
In other cases IS very lrOpaolt HuCIl IulHSo nave
occurred to all Presidents before him, and will oc-
..ur 20 al who are 10 come after him. But warfare
a.ailSt national administration for such causes has
heretofore been considered the legitimate business
az lis opuoucnts-nO its friends.
Whal has been done cannot be remediedb by demo
cratic assaults upon democratic President The
recent election in New York Is a bitter lesson and
one by which we should endeavOr to profit. With
large majority in the Senate, both sections of the
democratic party have been Frustrated, and the
control OF the State has passed into the hands o.
VIM. H. Seward. Surely, this is not an entertain
ment to which any National Union man would de,
sire TO he invited.
Allow me- gentlemen, in conclusion, to say that
love she Union cause too well and have sacrificed
too much Ia its defence to willingly put It in jeop
ardy hv associatiug it with movement Of more
than doubtful prepnety, and of certain disaster; anC
while | thank You for the kind feelings which
prompted your invitation, as well as the fat;eyine
Terms in which it is couohed feel constrained tc
decline all participation with you on the occasion
referred to.
am. gentlemen, very respectfully, your obedien
servant, JLhE- CLEdENS.
Messrs VIM B. GRIFFITH Isaac c. Bryant, an'
Others, Philadelphia