Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-19
Southern Commercial Convention

last was so thinly attended it was deemed
advisable to adjourn to the Sth of Deem
Der next, and to name Savannah, Ga, as
the place of meeting. These conventions
have been meeting annually, for some years
past, but little interest of late being felt in
their proceedings, and no body paying any
regard to their recommendations They
have been of some benefit to hotel Keepers,
and gassy speakers, the latter awaiting
themselves of the opportunities afforded by
them to let off some of the accumulated gas
which inflated them, but SO far as the in
terests Of the South are concerned, every
thing has moved along in its accustomed
path, unconscious apparently that conven-
tons to help them along had ever been
held The fact is, the people Of the South
are skeptical people, and until they see
substantial benefits in the recommends
tons of these conventions, they will not
embark in enterprises suggested by them.
1t would be well enough for the South to
do her own importing, manufacturing, prin-
ting, &C., to educate her children, and to
become in all respects Independent and
selfsustaining. We long to see the day
when this can be said of her; but we have
no faith in the attainment of this proud re-
suit through the instrumentality of conven-
tionS. We must look to other means and
appliances The reader WILL from these re-
marks, draw the conclusion that we regard
the proposed convention at Savannah, as
entirely useless; so we do. But there are
other reasons why we would have nothing
to do with that convention. In the recent
sentiment of diSunion was more fully de-
veloped than at any former period of the
history of the country. We heard dis
union preached by men who had previous
ly occupied a front rank in the opposition
to those who recommended that last of all
remedies for political evils. 1t became too
famiiar-so familiar, indeed, that the CON-
mittee in their address "TO the People o.
the SLaUeboLding States" urging them to Sc
cure large attendance at the Savannah
convention, betray symptoms of the leprous
disease, Coming upon the heels of the
canvass, when disunionistS are declaring
that the defeat of Fremont is but a post
ponement of the necessity of dissolution,
and when Mr. Rhett, their leader, pro-
claims that in "his humble judgment, all true
craftsmanship, an the South, consists an
!" forming combinations and shaping eUents
:" so as 10 bring about, as specify as possible,
a dissolution of the present Union, and the
establishment Of a SOUTHERN CoNFEDERA-
"CY"-we apprehend that the prime NOV
ers may attempt to employ it as means
of furthering the formation of such
combinations" as Mr.. Rhett speaks of,
to promote the designs of those who
hate the Union, and regard the ConSti-
tuition as "fGtid mass" of corruption.
Looking upon the proposed convention
from the stand point of Conservative I'm
ionism, and prompted by a comprehensive
patriotism, whose noble aspirations are for
the good-not of the South alone-but of
the whole Union, at the meeting of the
City Council last week, GODFREY II. FOGG,
Esq, opposed the policy of sending dele
gates to represent the city of Nashville in
it. The reasons he assigned, and which,
from the action Of the Council, appear to
have been conclusive, were sound, logical,
and eminently patriotic Nevertheless, a
writer in the Union g. American of yester-
day, thinks proper to assail him, and to
impute his opposition to the convention to
his superior attachment to his birth place,
New England, and talks about his "icy
temperament" Surely, the author of this
unjust aspersion of the loyalty of Mr.. FOgg,
is little informed as to the nature of the
man. Few more ardent, genial tempera-
ments are to be found amongst us; and we
are sure We do no one injustice when we
say that no man in this community, no
matter where he first drew breath, is more
sincerely attached to, or more thoroughly
identified with, the South. So deeply does
he feel the Importance of developing the
resources of the home of his adoption, he
permits no public enterprise to go without
his aid. The turnpike roads, which first
gave life and vigor to the progress of
Nashville, and sent out the rich current of !
improvement into Middle Tennessee, the
rail roads which are placing her prosperity
above and beyond the reach Of misfortune,
attest the fact that he has always been
ready to spend and be spent for the public |
good, even whilst men of wealth, natives !
and to the manor-born," have either stood |
aloof doing nothing, or throwing obstacles |
in their path. Amongst the men in this !
community who deserve applause for their
public spirit-and there are many of them
---conspicuously stands Godfrey NJ. Fogg.
He will always be honored, by those who !
know the facts, as one of our public bene-
factors. We would fain hope that our
neighbors of the Union 4 AMerioaH Zone Of
whom is New England man) did not
scrutinize this communication, before Civ |
ing it place in their columns. We should |
be sorry TO think that they are disposed TO |