The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-07-14


Our opponents are exerting their utmost
energies for success. Not content witk calling
into active service upon the stump, the State
Inspector of Railroads, Mr.. Payne, and tht
Public Printer to the Federal House'of Repre-
sentatives, Mr.. Nicholson, the distinguished
President of the Bank of Tennessee is asked
by half dozen friends in Stewart county, ste
state plainly by letter or through the columns
of the Nashville Union and american, wheth-
er" it is indeed true that he is a member o.
the party, as reported in that county,
and what his opinions as a. rsgaS'ds that party
and its principles an" Accordingly, in the
Union and american of yesterday, we find a
letter of nearly two columns from Hon. CAVE
JOHNSON, denying all connection with the
"Know Nothing" or American party, and
giving his "Opinions of that party and its
principles" In these "opinions we think
there are some essential fallacies and errors of
argument, to say nothing of his unjust impu-
tations against the purposes" of the American
order, and its modes of transacting business.
Our first object just now is, to call attention
to the very suggestive fact that the efforts of
three distinguished and influential oficeholders
under the Federal and State Governments,
have been enlisted in the canvass, to save, if
possible, the imperilled fortunes of Andrew
johnson and his co-adjutors. Why is this 2
Are they not in ga great strait"-pressed be-
You'd measure for available material to keep
up the spirits Of their followers to a healthy
point of confidence and activity until the day
of election! And further, is not this gross
and utterly uDjustifable violation of the old
Jacksonian, Jeffersonian, Republican doctrine,
"no official interference with the freedom of
elections9" 1t looks SO to Us, and we think
the people will so regard It,
We desire to treat these distinguished official
dignataries with all due respect, but justice to
all parties, and especially to the cause we ad-
vocate, requires that we direct attention to the
remarkable position they occupy together be-
fore the public. If Col. Ledbetter were now
al formerly, in the position which Mr.. John
son occupies, and should write and publish a
political letter so decidedly partizau in its cha
racter, with what amiable simplicity and sug-
gestive earnestness our neighbors Of the Union
would inquire-"What ought to be done with
the Bank of TENNESSEE" Yet they pronounce
this partizan letter of Hon. Gave johnson
''strong and eloquent" and give it gratefully
to the public as production that "adorns "
their columns. Oh, consistency, thou art
jewel!
We notice nothing new in the objections
urged by Mr.. johnson to the American party
We presume his Eanle and influence are invok-
ed mainly TO give sanction and authority to
stale old charges and threadbare arguments.
We did not expect partizan of Mr.. John
sons sagacity and experience to appeal to the
fears of Tennesseeans-native born AMERI-
oANs-in language like the following:
Many and serious evils may grow up under the
Acknowledgement for 81 years. if the law should
only be made to apply to those coming hereafter.
If immigration continues as heretofore, we should
soon have million or more Of men, residents in
the heart of the country, performing all the duties
of citizens, and yet deprived Of the inestimable
right of voting and necessarily disconnected with
such conditions. They would soon learn the Re-
publican maxim, that representation and taxation
60 together. Even. your own constitution, that
deprived free persons of color of the right to VOTE
at the same time exempted them from poll tax
and the performance of military duty in time of
peace. Could we be justified in placing respecta-
BILE foreigners on a worse footing than our free ne.
groes? Could we expect so large body of men
10 remain quiet under such deprivation for such
period? 1t would be far better to exclude them
altogether, but this Is not proposed by the new
party.
This argument amounts to nothing, If it
does not mean TO suggest by the query whether
the foreign emigrant would 'remain quiet" if
deprived of suffrage twenty-one years, that
there is danger Of their conspiring against the
peace of the country, ''under such a depriva-
ton for such period" If this is his mean
ing, he implicitly, though unwittingly, casts
upon the foreign population a more odious
imputatiOn than any we have ever uttered
than any we have seen uttered by any press or
advocate of the American party. We have
never seen them charged, by writers or speak
ers Of the American party, with being capa-
bic of, or cherishing disposition TO- foment
treason and rebellion, because, fOrsooth, when
they had come here Of their own accord, to
better their condition in life, and we have
given them every other privilege except that
of voting, which most of them never enjoyed
in Europe, we refuse to gi5e them that also
We repeat, we make no such odious charge
against the mass of the foreign population in our
midst-we believe it would be unjust towards
them TO do so-and if we have misunderstood
Mr.. Johnson in this respect, we shall be glad
to be corrected. But we do not hesitate to
say, that if this foreign influence is already so
powerful, and of such a character, that native
Americans cannot oppose or restrain it at will,
without reference to apprehensions of danger
to the peace and 'quiet" Of the country, this
is the very strongest argument that can posi-
bly, be urged why native Americans and pat
riotic citizens of foreign birth should stand
together non, As one man, to stay its progress
aud restrain it within safe bounds, while they
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