Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-12
SATURDAY, JULY IL, 1855.
Major DOnelsOn,

without employing the slang Of the parti,
zan. Fooled in every attempt to find flaw
in his political or private career, it is oh.
liged to fall back upon the tactics of such
men as Forney and Nicholson and puts in
to its columns what has long since been re-
jected by the good sense of the country.
1t speaks of Major Donelson as a pest,
then pet of the democratic party, and f.
nally, as disappointed odice-Seeker, leav-
ing his party because he could not enjoy
more of its favors.
What are the facts? Mr.. DoneIson COM
menced his public career in the army with
Gen jackson as aide-de-camp, having OBJ
tanned the highest honor at the Military
Academy for his proficiency in the studies
of that institution; but yielding to the adj
vice of the General he resigned this position
and qualified himself for the practice of law,
but did long continue in the practice in
consequence of the pressing invitation of
the General to aid him as friend in the
canvass for the Presidency, in 1924 After
the election Of Gen. jackson, he was again
pressed into his service as private secretary,
much against his interest In this capacity
it is known to the country at large that he
performed without remuneration great la
Dor and acquired high reputation with
men of all parties for intelligence and effici-
ency in guarding the interests and fame of
Gen. Jackson. Numerous letters from Gen.
jackson and the leading public men of the
day are extant and attest this fact. At
the close of Gen. Jackson'S administration
he was offered leading appointment by
Mr. Van Buren,, but declined it. He was
appointed without his knowledge, by Mr..
Tyler, Minister to Texas, not as partizan,
but, as the correspondence on that subject
shows, because he was the individual
best calculated in the whole Union, as was
believed, to manage the negotiation for the
acquisition of that Territory. He was COM
plimented by men of all parties for the abl-
ity he displayed in that negotiation, but
particularly by Mr.. Polk and Mr.. Calhoun,
whose letters on this subject have been al
ready published. At the incoming of Mr..
Folks administration, it is known to all the
politicians of the day that Major D. accept
ed the mission to Prussia rather than
cabinet appointment; and that, when the
revolution of l84S broke out in Europe. he
was selected as the Minister to the central
government Of Germany, one of the most
important and delicate missions known to
our history and so understood by the Sen
ate when his appointment was confirmed
without dissenting voice.
In all these situations of the highest re-
sponsibility, be received the unqualified APP
probation of the administrations which SUI
perviSed his conduct, first that of Mr.. Cal
houn speaking for Mr. Tyler, then of Mr..
Buchanan speaking for Mr.. Polk and last
ly that of Mr. Clayton speaking for Gen.
Taylor
Yet this individual thus honored for his
services by the successful and leading poll
ticians of the day, made conspicuous, we
may say, in spite of himself, is spoken of |
constantly by the organs of the sham de-
mocracy, as pest, pet and disappointed |
oficeseeker.
All this low and slanderous abuse is the
result of the apprehension that Mai Donel-
son may prove es useful to the country in
the service of the American cause, as he |
was to the Democracy in days past when
this party claimed to be national and pat
riotic.
When such men as Cass, Dickinson,
Woodbury., Dallas, Houston, Rusk and |
others saw that the democratic party was
in danger of being absorbed by the isms of
notification and abolition, they appealed to
Maj. ID. to come to their aid and take the /
place of Mr.. Richie Does this appeal
warrant the assertion that he was a disap-
pointed ofRce-seeker or pest?
Why was not A. V. Brown, or Nichol-
son, or Forney, then thought OF, as Mai. |
d. was, as the most efficient individual in
the ranks of party TO discuss the great
principles involved in the settlement of the
slavery question
Why was it that Mr. Pierce congratu-
lated him upon the "vigor and statesman
ship" Of his articles in the Washington
Union" upon the relations of the Federal /
and State Government ?
The answer TO these questions is obvious. /
Maj ID. carried the Democratic party /
safely through the crisis of 1850, but in do
ing so he placed himself in conflict with
the ultra-men of both sections, to whom
Gen. Pierce shamefully surrendered the
power Of his administration. These men
know the power of Maj. D., and they dread
it. Hence their efforts through the news
papers of the Bogus Democracy to preju-
dice his character and msrepresent his true
position as a public man.
1t is not so with Buchanan's career.
His record will not bear the scrutiny of the
patriots of the land. he was