Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-01-23

New Orleans to /; Cincinnati Charleston and
Louisville, ! TO l.
THE BANNERS POSITION,
We do not think that we shall ever be guilty OF
the absurdity, while the Banner is in its present
hands, of attempting to prove that tits on any side
o. any question. 1t would be as marvellous won
der for that paper, in its present hands, to take
decided position in favor Of or against any CUES
non, and say, in plain words, 'Hsre am" as il
would for Mr.. JOHN BELL to do TIE same thing. A
habit OF expression, contracted near twenty wears
ago, when certain Tennessee politicians were 'bet.
ter jackson men" than others, and since become
inveterate, makes it difficult matter actually 70
prove that the Banner, in its present hands, is op
posed to any thing, or in favor Of any thing. Al
least, when It is attempted to FIX point and hin
that paper to position, it viii probably be found
that about as much has been said on one side as the
other facility of principle and expression on the
part OF the Banner has become operfectly notorious
That no one is surprised to hear it at any time. deny
- That 1t has ever advocated or opposed airy thing
and call for proof that it has been on this or thai
SIDE OF aquestioni and certainly nobody thinks i
OF any consequence to prove that it really IS or
any side. While, therefore. we shall rarely !
ever, undertake to prore the Banner to be eitbe,
mere or there on any subject, We may sometime.
have occasion 10 state our opinion. Of its where
soouts, and to guess where the MOI is.
we make these remarks, preliminary 10 few
others 10 regard to the annexed paragraph, which
we cut from the Banner:
q, Geny most distinctly and emphaticsI'y ths
the Banner has become Know NOTHING o,on,
snd we say, furthermore, that there has been no,b
ing IN the course Of the Banner which irz,if .,
OF warranted the sverment, to that effect of n,
Union and American" - 'N'
t is possble-indeed, we think it certsin-tbs
"higgery and know-nothingisra are nearly. if no
quite at least in this State, convertible terr,s A
decided msJority of the wing papers of this Stat,
are tne open advocates of know Rothingsm. while
on one has taken open ground against il. A. n.
same time, these papers profess to be stiu sghis
Ahere are times when silence may fairly be con.
strued into approval, and we should regard the
Banner as favoFing the know-nothing movement
were 1t simply silent 1t occupies leading posi-
hon IN ls party, and if it regarded know nothing
Ism as hostile TO its own party organization. it
would feel called upon 10 resist it. There hes been
10 resistance offered to the organization; md while
there has been no editorial approval there have
been articles and paragraphs in the Banner calcu.
lated, and we believe designed, to encsurage and
advance il.
We have judged the Ran2sr by the tone which
these occasional paragraphs have given to it. and
also by the entire omission of ell censnre Of the
new organization and its apparent ends snd means
Of operation. believe We are thus justified in
calling the Bannsr ow-nothing organ, although
we might net be justified in asserting that it has
thus become any the less ScLig organ. We shall
feel compelled thus to class the Banney, Until we
see in that paper some demonstration Of opposi-
ton to kno"-rothingism. The association is ST.
cret, and its members are believed to be bound by
horrible oaths not TO admit that they ere members
Its opponents openly denounce it, It's friends keep
silence We repeat, that to witness in silence an
assault upon the religious rights Of portion of the
people-to view without comment 8 secret organ
ization which has proved strong enough to carry
cites, and even Ststes-is crcumstsntial evidence
Of sympathy with the movement strong enough
toconvict any newspaper which PROCESSES to dis
cuss political Subjects and OF this edtora! silence
the Banner must plead guilty.
The imputstion that the Banner 'favors the idea
OF prescribing man for his religious belief" is
simply an imputstion that the Banner fayors know
nothngism, and the coarseness of the style en-
ployed by the Bonner in denying it is in very bad
taste. If that paper favOrs know nothingism, and,
candidly Judging its columns, we believe it does,
then it favors religious prescription. The latter
charge is only repetition of the former.
We are of course compelled to regard the slu
siors Of the Banner to blood-hounds and mad cat
tie, as pleasant exhibitions of the genial wit and
humor which so eminently characterize the columns
of that paper. We rather Ike the comparison
which makes US that useful drudge-an or. Only
we object to having "a bundle OF hay placed on our
horns" lest, in passing the mouth OF some narrow
street, nstesd Of there existing necessity Tor "a
wstchmsn protect the people, the OK itself might
need protection from some vOraciOrs ac1ass hungry
for the hay on its horns