Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-09-25

Inen close around you wrap your klver
For that cold voyage up Salt River
Goldsboro,' Sept 10, 1856.
Letter from Hon. John Bell.
The following letter from the Hon. John Bell,
of Tennessee, was read at the great American
meeting at Knoxville, in that State. It's senti-
ments are eminently sound, patriotic and conser-
vative:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug 26, 1856.
GENTLEMEN Your letter of the 29th ultimo, in
vting me to attend and deliver an address, at a
Grand Mass Meeting, to be held at Knoxville on
the 4th OF September, reached me in due course OF
mail. have delayed an answer until the present
time, in the hope that circumstances might occur
enabling me to accept the invitation but am
disappointed, and must therefore decline IL.
trust, however, that it will not be unacceptable to
you, If avail myself of the occasion of this reply
to your letter, to express some views on the inn
portant subject which will probably engross the
attention Of the large assembly of the citizens of
East Tennesse, expected at Knoxville ON the 4th
OF the ensuing month.
The political condition and circumstances of the
country have reached point of extreme peril
Never, in our past history, have the elements Of
civil discord and commotion been so widely dis
semmnated, or assumed SO fearful an aspect If
civil war does not exist at the present moment,
we can feel no assurance that it will not soon DO
upon US. Our destiny as naton--as people
is now suspended in doubtful poise, and how it
shall incline he is blind indeed who does not see
that the result of the pending contest for the ex-
ecutivc power of the government, may decide
No wonder, then, that the judgments of many
good men should be perplexed in deciding upon
their course. All true patriots, at such crisis,
will feel less concern for the success of the par
ticular party to which they may be attached, than
for the safety of the country
IL may be asked in what does the safety of the
country consist ? | answer: in the preservation
OF the Union. In every aspect in which / am
able to view the subject, regard the dissolution
OF the Union as the direst calamity which can be-
fall the people-the people of the South as well
as of the North. 1t is fashionable to state some
exceptions to this general truth. / am prepared
to state none, within the range probable events
admit the possible occurrence of state of
things, in the operation of the Federal Govern
ment, which would be greater evil than the de-
struction of the Union. glaring tyranny-an
oppressive and persistent violation of plain and
unquestionable constitutional obligations or sim
liar disregard of constitutional limitations, in the
practice of the majority on subjects of vital inter-
est to the minority, would be virtual abrogation
of the bonds of union and justify resort to rev.
outionary remedies. / use the terms, revolution
dry remedies, in reference TO the possible oppres.
sions of a majority, in welding the Legislative
and Executive powers of the Government, because
have no faith in the political metaphysics of
those who seek to establish a peaceful mode of
breaking up the Union by deducing from the
Constitution right OF secession in the States |
regard such doctrine as equally unsound, delu-
sive and mischievous. Delusive, because it can
have no efficacy in preventing civil war; and mis-
chevous because it tends to misead and seduce
the people of State into a revolutionary measure.
for insufficient cause under the false idea of immu
nifty from the ordinary hazard of revolt against
an established Government
But the practical question still remains to be an
swered--What course should the patriotic citizen
adopt in the pending contest for the Presidency,
best calculated to preserve the Union and there
by save the countryg
The prime cause of the present unhappy juno
ture of affairs was the repeal Of the Missouri Com
promise The irritations created by that measure |
at the North, and the conflict of sentiment which
has always existed between the North and the
South, on the subject of slavery, infained and
eIasperated by the unfortunate state of things in
Kansas and upon its borders have led to great
party issues, which, for the time being, threaten
to swallow up all others. The issue is, in it's ma
ture, sectional and tends thoroughly to the form
alton of two great sectional parties. 1t has already
given rise to the organization of purely sectional
party in the free States formidable in its numbers
and the zeal with which it is supported Under
these circumstances some sterling old Wings have
advised that the South should unite in the support
Of the Democratic nominee for the Presidency, as
the surest reliance to elect national, and to de-
feat sectional candidate. make no question of
the patriotic motives Of those gentlemen; but it
may be made question, whether they have not
mistaken the true polcy--or miscalculated the ef. |
feet of the course they advise should it be adopted
They assume that the sectional candidate, (Col |
Eremont) may be defeated by uniting the vote of |
the South upon Mr.. Buchanan. The South alone
cannot elect Mr.. Buchanan and is there no dan
ger, that the dropping of Mr.. Fillmore in all the
Southern States, may so strengthen the prospects
Of Col. Fremont in the North, as to enable him TO
cnrry those States which the Democratic party |
now reckon as certain for Mr. Buchanan, and with |
out some Of which, he cannot be elected, even
though the whole South should unite upon him 7
large proportion of the adherents of Mr.. Fill
more at the North, whether Americans or Old-ine
Wings, have stood all their lives in determined
opposition to the Democratic party, and should
bis friends in the South, wavsr In the support of
his cause, and thus cut off all hope of his success,
many of bis Northern friends may be driven TO
give their support to Col Fremont, as the only