Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-27
(Erom the Washington Union
MAJOR ANDREW JACKSON DONELSON.

MAJOh ANDhEW JAChSON DONELSON.
Some of the know-nothing organs say that the
speech of Major Andrew ]. Donelson was the great
est feature in the late ratification meeting in New
York-not that the speech produced any sensation;
for, owing to Major Donelson's hoarseness, it was
not spoken, but handed over, cut and dry to the
reporters. But it was the appearance of Major
Andrew Jackson Donelson at the meeting that
constituted its great feature; it was the man and
not the speech; and not that the man was great,
but he has great name: he was formerly called
Major Andrew ]. Donelson but since he has got
to be know-nothing he is Hon. Andrew jackson
Donelson. But he is great in another respect; the
Herald announces him as the adopted son" of
Andrew Jackson; that is decided addition to his
greatness since General Jackacn's DEATH But even
this is not all he is "relstive of Gen. Jackson as
he represents himself but that is only true in the
sense that he was q relative of Gen. Jacksons
wife. Besides all these elements of greatness, he
was General Jackson's private secretary, and one
Of Mr.. Polk s foreign extraordinary ministers, and
not long ago our ilustrious predecessor in the
Washington Union, and all the time democrat
That such man, so connected and SO patronized,
should appear to address meeting of know moth
ings, was enough to make sensation. lie felt the
awkwardness Of bis position, and therefore labored
to assign reason for the strange revolution which
had taken place in his political associations Like
most other renegades, he told the old story--that
the democratic party had left him, and not he the
democratic party. That might satisfy man OF
elastic conscience, notwithstanding he saw all OF
his old associates standing together as conpaetly
on their old platform as ever but it fails to explain
the singular fact that the old wings constitute
his sssocistes-the men against whom he had full
minated so many democratic thunderbolts. To make
Major Donesons story plausible, everybody in both
parties has been swapping positions, whist he has
been the only permanent nucleus around which in
their gyratious the democrats and wings have re-
volved.
As to the speech, it requires but aremark or two.
Major Donelson considers the democratic party to
be all changed and ruined by the bad appointments
made by Mr. Pierce. He started out wrong in
making up his cabinet, and then he went on wrong
in selecting foreign ministers and other appoinees.
He chose fire-eaters in the South and free-solers
in the North, when he ought II have chosen none
but Union-loveing men like Major Donelson. Be
cause Mr. Pierce has broken up the party by his
bad appointments, and has brought the Union into
peril, Major Donelson considers it his duty to go
over to the know nothings, and help them to save
the Union. He cannot consent to act with the
democrats because they have men in their ranks
who were formerly regarded as free-soers, but who
now agree with him in standing by the Compromise
of1850 but he goes into an organization IN which the
prepondersting power is controlled by notorious
abolitionists He sets in council with Wilson, Gard
ner Johnston and all the other northern abolition
ists and relies upon his new associates to save the
Unioni Such is the drift of the speech it is too
transparent tissue of apologize for his treschery
to require further notice. Iii enough to say that
if Mr. Pierce had been more lucky in one or two
appointments the speech would never have been
made.