Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-11-01
YOUNG MANI BE CAREFUL HOW YOU
CAST YOUR FIRST vOTEl

you identify yourself with sectional party, that
cannot last but q single year ind then be blown
oct like candle? Where win you be next year
Look to this, young man. There is no event of
your life of more importance than this Begin
right That is every thing to you.
Look at the history Of the democratic party,
and of the factions which have from time to time
opposed it: s
In 1889 the opposition to the democracy were
in favor of strong government"-so strong as
to almost amount to constitutional monarchy.
In 1913 they were in favor of the "alien and
sedition laws" and high-minded measures of JOIN
ADAMs's administration, which destroyed the free
dom of the press and put almost unlimited power
in the hands Of the President. They were also
opposed to immigration, and extended the natu-
rslization laws to fourteen years.
In 1903 they were opposed 70 the purchase of
Louisiana, which embraced the whole Southwest
ern country and gave US the command Of. the mouth
of the Mississippi, declaring that the land was not
worth dollar, but was a mere barren waste.
From 1870 to 1916 they denounced the efforts
the French were making to become free people,
and sympsthized with England and the continent
al despots, who were laboring to restore the royal
house of Bourbon against the wishes of the French
people NAPOLEON and THOMAS JEFFERSON were
the great objects of their hate during that period.
In 1872 they opposed the declaration of war
against Great Britain, preferring to allow that
nation to impress and carry off our seamen upon
the high seas and to commit the most outrageous
spoliations upon our commerce.
In 1914 they got up the traitorous Hartford
Convention, the object of which was either to force
the General Government into disgraceful peace
or else to form q separate confederacy of the New
England States. Among the resolutions passed
by the Hartford Convention, was one that none
but American born citizsns ought to be eligible to
Office, and also that no more slave States should
be admitted into the Union. Here was promul-
gated the germs of those principles that distinguish
the oppocition in our day.
During the war the leading opponents of the
democratic party took the side of Great Britain,
and deemed it unbecoming moral and Christian
people to rejoice over the victories of the Ameri-
can arms
In 1920 they, headed by RUFUs KING, were at
the bottom of the Missouri agitation about slavery
which threatened the overthrow of the Government
1t was through their acts, according to the testi
mony of THOMAS JEFFERSON, that the North was
first arrsyed agsinstithe South in the Halls of Con.
gress, upon the negro question, which, it was sup
posed, had been settled by the Constitution.
In 1928 they opposed the election of ASDDEw
i bo &C ,,il; to-
chietan" and declared that, rather than have such
President it would be preferable to have "war,
pestilence and famine"
In 1882 the opposition to the democracy allied
itself with the rotten, corrupt United States Bank,
which had become dangerous by its vast moneyed
power, to the liberties of the people. They said
the country could never get along withouta United
States Bank, aud would be ruined if the monster,
under the control of NICHOLAS BlDDLE, was crush
ed. When the Bank insulted and babe defiance
to the President and representatives of the people
in Congress, the leading opponents of the democ.
racy staunchly justified it. They were in favor of
Q vast system of internal improvements being
undertaken by the. Government, which would have
increased the expenditures hundreds of millions of
dollsrs-made the administration at Washington
all powerful-sspped the foundations of public
morality and virtue-rolled up great nationa
debt, and entirely destroyed the republican sim
plicity of our institutions.
In 1897 they were against the policy of the
Government keeping its money in national coin
under its own control, aud declared that it never
could succeed. ..
In 1928, in several of the States, they got up
crusade against the Freemssons, and professed
holy horror of all secret societies, even thoss that
were not connected with politics, and tried to put
them down by law.
In 1886, forgetting their assertion that military
Presidents were 30 dangerous, they nominated one
an experiment which they repeated in 1910, l84S,
and 1852; in the two latter instances going to the
regular army after them, and choosing men who
had no experience IS civilians.
In 1910 they elected President by the "hard
cider" excitement, and, in 30 doing, opened the
floodgstes of drunkenness and intemperance
throughout the land.
In 1842, under pretence of protecting Ameri-
can industry" they passed high tariff, the effect
of which was to make the whole country pay trib-
ute to and be taxed for the benefit of few hum
bred manufactures in New England and Pennsyl-
vanis.
In 1874 they..opposed the annexation of Texas
to the Union.
In 1886 they opposed the Mexican war, and took
the side of the enemy during the whole contest,
with few honorable exceptions. When peace
was made they declared that our territorial acqui-
sitons, including California, New Mexico, and
Utah, 81 were not worth dollar"-an evidence of
short sightedness almost unparalleled in history.
In 1850 they very generally refused to follow
their leaders, CLAY and WEBSTER who favored
peaceful and fair adjustment of the slavery ques-
ton, to keep open which menaced the integrity of
the Union.
In 1854 they opposed the Nebraska bill, which
carried out the principles of the adjustment oil $50
and repealed the odious and unconstitutional Mis-
souri, restriction upon popular sovereignty.
In 1854 they also organized themselves into a
secret political society, and made war upon the
fundamental principles of civil and religious liber.
ty The ends of that organization were narrow,
aristocratca and bigoted, while its manner of pro-
csdure was as hateful and anti-American as could
possibly be conceived. Through its instrumental
lty they endeavored to destroy liberty of con.
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