Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-24
THURSDAY, JULY "a, 1865.
A new phase in the COntest-Thc old
Buck down with the ThumPs.

bic. No one who has been accustomed to
watch the progress of political events, or
possesses the least acumen in determining
the movement Of the currents, can halt
long between two opinions relative to Mr.
Buchanan's prospects of election. Never
at so early stage in the Presidential can.
vass, has one of its main issues been so
clearly Swallowed forth. So changeful and
varying are the causes and influences which
operate on the public mind that it is usu-
ally safest, and it is the custom of discreet
men to postpone the formation Of an opin-
ion till within month or several weeks of
the election day. But in this case the il
dications are so prominent that such delay
is unnecessary Indeed, the facts of every
days transpiring have forced the opinion
upon every well-informed man, whether Mr..
Buchanan's friend or opponent, that unless
some unexpected revolution occurs, Il is
impossible that he cen be elected.
To some this statement may seem rash
and unsustained, but those who have OBJ
served closely do not doubt it, We repeat
that Mr.. Buchanan'S well-informed friends
in all quarters Of the Countrywide leaders
of his party everywhere, are to-day salts
fed that the probabilities of his election
are very meagre, and are daily rapidly les
sening. We confne our remark to those
cool, dispassionate gentlemen intelligence,
and of exact and extensive information.
For we hold that it is impossible for any
man to be in possession of the facts which
have transpired in the political world since
the LIST day of June last, and possess the in
telligence to understand them without being
driven to the conclusion that Mr.. Buchan-
ans defeat is certain. There are many other
points in the contest upon which it is yet
impossible to determine, but the success or
defeat of the Democratic candidate is not
problem. So well understood will this
be in few weeks, that the question to an
intelligent man will be little short of an
insult.
This fact which is now so clear and obvious
TO shrewd observers began to be apparent
within week after his nomination. In
deed his nomination was only effected after
serious struggle, brimfull Of bitterness,
which, though to degree pent-up, was
nevertheless manifest. 1t resulted in
straining of the joints and bending of the
timbers of the rickety old ship which was
to bear his fortunes, which, Of itself, had
she met no storms, or encountered no
breakers, would have made it impossible
that she could live to reach port. She
would have settled and gone down at any
rate, even though the Fremont gale had
spared her rigging, and blast their souls,
if her foreign crew had not scuttled her
These combined disasters have sealed her
doom, and the waters of the political Dead
Sea will soon settle over her rotting hulk
Mr. Buchanan'S nomination was cOnsum-
mated in an apparently unanimous huzza Of
enthusiasm, but it was hollow and heart
less, as events soon proved. The South,
who had labored vigorously against him,
went home with her chagrin but ill-conceal
cd, and upon the appearance Of his accep-
tlnee, with a fat and unmiStakeable avowal
of doctrine which majority of her State
Conventions had vehemently denounced,
this discomfort began to express itself, and
is now being diffused throughout the entire
South, and is destroying him silently and
surely.
Within three weeks after the session of
the convention which nominated him, a
convention, composed entirely of delegates
from the section of the Union in which he
lives. met in his own State, and nominated
ticket which has already lin a little
month" drawn from him his main support
throughout the North and Northwest.
We think we can safely say that in this
brief time he has lost scores Of thousands
of voters, and the crevasse is still Enclosed,
and booming with its tide of German and
other foreign votes. This disastrous STAN
pede is so obvious and undeniable, that bis
most sanguine and strenuous supporters do
not claim but three or four Northern States
for him, and all of these with the excep-
ton of one, have not twenty electoral votes
among them. Ii must be borne in mind,
too, that they only dam these, while they
are by no means conceded. So far from 1t,
that in our judgment be has not shadow
OF chance for two Of them.
Had the Cincinnati candidate no other
impediments 10 successful race, these
alone would ensure his defeat Bat when
we take in consideration the entire absence
of enthusiasm and spirit among bis friends
the seemingly forced and reluctant sup
port which is given him-his own cold,
froggy. chilling nature-his forty years
record, notified with Inconsistencies from
it's commencement to the date Of bis
Wbeatland letter Of acceptance, black
with bis hostility TO southern institutions
and the rights and Interests OF the slave
bolder-his rank Federalism disclosed in
~. r,oos,ar s,,aach In 1878 consiStenfly