Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-19

commend MN 10 correct ulu We nave Ied-
son to hope for amendment. But, by a
few months of evil association, he has
unlearned many wholesome lessons which
we fear are lost to him forever. A
back-slider at his age, is beyond redemp-
ton. We are, therefore, compelled to
call on him to sustain these assertions,
if he will persist in making them. He says
that thousands of old line Wings, like him
himself, have declined to support the Amer
lean movement, and their places in the
ranks have been supplied in part, ''by
heterogeneous compound of all the isms
and disappointed politicians of other par
ties" Let him show a scintila of proof
to support this charge. Upon what grounds
does he impugn the motives of eminent
men who think the country is in need of
such measures as the American party pro-
pose, and have united to support them?
Is he less liable than they to the charge of
interested motive? He has left a party
weak and respondent, and joined one he
thinks invincible and flushed with hope.
Let him not excuse himself on the plea
that he was forced to it, for it will not
avail him. He was not forced. He is one
of the few old Wings who have thought it
necessary to assign themselves and their
effects to Democracy. There is another
kind of old Wings whose course we COM
mend to him. These Wings, from princ-
pie, while denying sympathy and support
to the American movement, yet shrink from
cOalescence with Democracy. They still
its honeyed advances Such body met
one week ago in Lexington, KY, and their
chvalrouS devotion to principle should set
a blister on the cheeks of such Wings as
our reflective friend. We advise him to be
careful how he investigates motives He
has taken the most important step in his
political life, and it might provoke a prob
ing of his own. As phlosophic as old age
becomes, we have no idea he is nSenSible
to influences which have affected our race
in all ages of its history When he spoke
Of "a heterogeneous compound of iSms,"
be did not expect a demand for any thing
more specific and tangible. 1t played its
part in the composition of an imposing Pc
Rod, and that is as much as it is worth.
We are represented as charging treach-
cry upon Wings who refuse to support the
American candidate We have never writ
ten a line to give color to this statement.
On the contrary, we plainly stated that we
made no demand on old Wings for the
support of Mr.. Fillmore, on the ground
that he had been one Whatever appeal
we make to them in his behalf, is of higher
nature than former party divisions-it is
his present position. The treachery we
charged was not of negative, but AFR
native character. 1t were absurd to charge
treason upon a man who never owned feal-
ty, as old Wings surely do not to the
American party or its candidate. We
charged them with deserving their own
party, and committing actual, fragrant
treachery Nor can this conduct be ex-
tenuated by quoting from Incorporate
Americans, that the Wing party was "rot-
tca," or corrupt" or "dead" or I'm ruins"
They know these charges TO be false, yet
by the precipitancy with which our re-
viewer leaves it, it would seem he thought
otherwise He is rank migrate to desert
the party he loved so long and well, and
raise no voice in defence of its reputation.
But this perversion of our position is made
for purpose 1t is followed by this CUES
ton: Would the Patriot have it under
stood now, that this SO-called American
party is really and in fact nothing more
nor less than the old Wing party under a
new name, and thus implicitly admit that
these declarations have been made with the
single purpose Of eatraPpiHg unUary or
0rer-zeaioas Democrats into us ranks?" The
writer must have been sorcly pressed to in
vent premises whereby to hang such con-
cluson as this, involving, as it does, the
old charge Of "Whig trick" which even
the hardest villifer Of the American party
now bushes that he ever used. WereaIlv
regret that he has descended to a species
Of controversy so unworthy of him.
But on this flimsy fabric he erccts another
argument, or at least the show of one.
Putting into our mouth a charge of treach-
cry against him for refusing support to
Fillmore, he iHfers an equal amount of
treachery in us in supporting Maj Donel-
son, who has been a lifetime Democrat
Can pucrility be weaker than this? Why
to what party or what man have we played
the traitory Not to the Wing party, for
we have dissolved our connection with it,
aud openly disowned its name Maj. Don
ciSon was equally open and manly in reject
ing further association with his party, and
stands upon weighty reasons in justification
Of his step. We aud he met on common
ground, and proclaimed each our loyalty
20 common principles. What treason at
tachcs to US in supporting him? Such a
conclusion is as absurd as the premises are
uulounded But just IN this mass of soph-
i.lrY and snecial pleading- we Observe onr