The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-07-04


'vowing the authorship Of series of letters
hat have appeared in the columns Of that pa
Der over the signature Of "An Old Clay
Whig." Capt. Williams was the founder Of
he Knoxville Post" and the editor of this
paper was associated with him in conducting
that journal through the heated and bitter
canvass of 1874. We know him to be an
man, possessed of more than ordi'
nary ability, and how he could adopt the
position he does to justify his present
severance from the large majority of his
old political friends, is what we are unable to
Capt. Williams assumes substantially, and
it is the only ground'of his justification, that
there is no possibility of electng Mr.. Fill.
more, and therefore it is the duty of every
southern man to yield his preference for that
pure patriot and distinguished civilian and
cast his influence and his vote for James Blu.
chanan. This is the common argument of
southern democracy cuckoocry of"come
to me, can't to come to you" first started by
the Washington Union, and now to be heard
issuing from the mouth Of every street cor.
ner politician. Now in the first place we deny
that Mr.. Fillmore's chances are not equal
with those of either of the other candidates;
for it is demonstrable that in most Of the
Free States the Fillmore party have a
plurality, and that they can, by proper efforts
carry the States of Delaware, Maryland,
North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and Missouri. And secondly, il
ii were true, as is assumed, that Fillmore's
election by the people was hopeless, we take
the ground boldly that every dictate of pru.
dence, self.preserva.ion and love of sec.
ton require that his southern supporters
should adhere to him. He is emphatically
the Southern candidate, was nominated by
Sothern men, and his nomination drove of
all the Free soilers from his party. Capt
Williams was ut Cincinnati, and knows as
we'll as any one that Mr.. Buchanan was no
the choice Of the South, not by any means
and that it was not until it became evident
portion of the northern delegates would boil
unless he was nominated, would the repre-
sentatives of the South in that body consen
to take him. He knows, and is too candid K
deny the fact, that Mr.. Buchanan's nomina
ton was concession to the ant. Nebrask;
sentiment aud bid for the vote'of anti.Ne
braska democrats. And yet we are gravely
counseled and our patriotism appealed to, t.
give up Fillmore, whose nomination wal
dictated by southern sentiment, and take Blu
chanan whose nomination was concession
to northern sentiment. And this to save tn,
South and the Union!
Capt. Williams admits what every on,
must see, that the prevailing sentiment Nortl
is opposition to the extension of slavery, ant
the tendency and effort is to the formation
Of great Northern or sectional party, TO
the purpose Of warning upon theSouth. He ar
CUES that the way to Illustrate this is to aban
don Fillmore South and thus make North
ern candidate of him, and fuse on Buchanan
and make him the candidate of the South
That's the common sense and sum total O
the argument, and it is unnecessary to pur
sue it. Whenever the South takes the mi
tiative in dividing the country into Southerr
and Northern party. the North, knowing it
powers will not he slow to follow, and tn,
northern democracy, true to their antece
dents, will be among the first to take III,
shute. The southern supporters of Mr.. Fill
more, whether triumphant or defeated, cal
accomplish more for the Union and the Soutl
by adhering to his support, than they coul'
hope to do by going over to the support o
the Cincinnati nominee. If there is an cleo
ton by the people Fillmore will be the man
if it goes to the House Of Representative.
and the Black Republican reaches the Presi
dental chair, it will DO through the instru
mentality Of democrats, as happened in tn
case of Speaker Banks. Mark that!
am asked IL my State will as readily MS
quiesce in the nomination. To thisI answe
yes! Tennessee will give such a minority a
has not been known there since the days q
Andrew Jackson.-Sam Smiths Speech q
the Baltimore ratification meeting,
The worthy representative in Congress
from the Sd district was present at the Bu
chanan ratification meeting, and after sue
gestively remarking to the crowd that h
would have been equally jolly if "old Cass,
who was present, or some other distinguish
ed gentleman, had received the nomination
he INDUCED in the above equivocal promis,
In 1882 Tennessee voted for Jackson, in 3
for Judge White, in 40 for Harrison, in a
for Clay, 4s for Taylor, and 80 for Scott
Since '32, "the days of Andrew Jackson,
Tennessee has uniformly voted against tn
Presidential nominees of the so called demo
cratic party. But Col. Smith intended to con
vey the impression that Tennessee might b
set down as certain and largely for the anna
bic bachelor of Wheat!and. Some allow
ance ought to be made for the excitement an
stimulus incident to the occasion, but real
the gallant Colonel ought not to make sucl
rash promises and excite false hopes in tn
minds of the "ferce democracie." The wing
four years ago carried il for Scott undcrmor
adverse circumstances and heavier detection
Elral.. a, AZ.