The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-08-20
MONDAY MORNING, AUG. go, 1888.
Mr.. Beniamin's Letter-A "southern Party y
Sectional Party Organizations

attempts to show that there is q rapidly sp-
preaching necessity for organizing southern
Party" for the protection Of slave-holding
rights and interests against Freesoil aggression.
We have not seen the entire letter, but from
copious extracts before us, we learn that he
thinks crisis will grow out Of the proceed
ings Of the next Congress on the Fugitive
Slave and Nebraska questions.
He says a majority Of the House of Repre-
sentatives viii be Freesoilers; and he predicts
that an attempt viii be made TO tack on
su amendment to the general appropriation
bin in the House, repeating the Fugitive Slave
Law and the Nebraska Law, so as TO force the
Senate to assent to these measures, or to as
sumo the responsibility Of stopping the wheels
Of Government by rejecting the whole bill.
He expresses his "most sincere apprehension"
that the attempt will succeed in the House,
and his entire confidence that the Senate will
resist the infamous project TO the end. ''If
these approximations be realized, the next ses-
sion will be closed without providing the sup
plies necessary to administer the Government,
constituencies to render an account of their
action. The President will he compelled to
call an extra session Of Congress, in order TO
provide means to carry on the Government;
and the only hope left to cave the country
will be in the returning sense of justice IN the
masses of the North, in view of the appalling
danger that will then have become so manifest
and so impending a. to force immediate and
decided action"
We confess we do not share with the dstin-
guished Senator in his extreme spprehensons
Of the rsshness Of the Freesoil majority in the
House. The attempt may, and probably will
be made, to sttach 10 the general aprropris-
ton bin in the House, an amendment repeal
ing the Nebraska law, and possibly the Fugi-
tive Slave law. But when the Senate, as it
undoubtedly will, shall reject the amendment,
we believe the House will recede, and pass
the bill without the amendment, -ather than
stop the wheels of Government. There, in
our Judgment, is where the great majority Of
Freesoilers wish to rest the issue-upon their
rejected proposition to repeal. The proposition
made and passed by the newly elected House,
and defeated by the conservative Senate, they
will not care to press it further, but will go
home and wage the Presidential contest in sll
the Northern States uPOn the issue thus made
up between the two houses of Congress. To
20 farther at this time, would shock the yet
lingering sense of Republican propriety and
constitutional fidelity, even at the North. The
object of Seward and his accomplices is SlccesS
and they are too shrewd TO forestall it by
demonstration of preciptste violence for
which the Northern mind itself is not yet
prepared.
But whether our apprehensions or those Of
the Louisiana Senator shall prove to be correct,
the impending crisis is sufficiently grave to
demand the most earnest and profound con-
sideratiOn of every patriot American. Either
course of policy above indicated, if adopted
by majority of the Northern people, leads
directly TO that most baneful and dreaded Of
I'LL the evils our Government has yet encoun-
tered-G sectional contest for the Presidency.
What is the remedy proposed by Senator
BENJAMuN2 1t is, in brief, the organization Of
great Southern party ITO meet aud com
bat the aggressions of Northern Abolitionism,
fanaticism and treason" He asserts that the
Democratic party is so far disorganized shat
IL cannot maintain itself as party orgsniza-
ton" and pertinently adds
"The few truly national Democrats who remain
al the North have been reduced TO minority 10
insignificant that their struggles become more and
more faint and their voice is now scarcely heard
In the rosr Of the popular camor for what is called
'FreesO' The dissatisfaction engendered by the
conduct Of the present administration has thorough
~ dsheartened the party that brought il into power
They unable longer 20 cope successfully with
the growing fanatcism and intolerance Of the North
and will be unable to preserve the national features
of the platform. Ia il, as g party, | have little
hope for the South and neither its failure nor its
success in the ensuing election would, in my judg
ment, retard or advance the crisis nov impending
In this Southern party which he proposes as
panacea for the fatal evils which menace Us,
the distinguished Senator contemplates the
fusion alike of Southern "Whig, Democrat and
Know Nothing" In bis advoc ICY of this
Southern party organization, Mr. Benjamin
but follows the lead Of the talented Represen.
tative in Congress from Georgia, Hon. ALEX
ASDEB II. STEPHENS, who, however gifted 10
intellect, we have long regarded as an cratic
and unsafe political leader. To insist upon
the formation of such Southern party"
under existing circumstances, with the AMIR
Joan platform ignored, and the Nebraska
question the vital issue rendered, would be to
premsturely challenge a sectional defeat and
defy the consequences. Senator DoUGLAs, of
Illinois, would, most likely, become lie can
didate for President, upon the delusive plea
that, rs Northern man, he could command
sufficient strength at the North, with united
Southern support, 10 secure his election
While we would detract nothing from the
conceded ability of Senator Douglas, We are
quite sure that more than one prominent and
capable man can be found. less obnoxious 10
NOrfberp nTeiudica As strong or stronger In