Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-01
Il NASHVILLE:
TUESDAY, APRIL /, 1865.

having been the first TO so characterize IL, and
desire that he shall have the credit. ~ Union
and american.
Pity it is our neighbor cannot get cor
rect report of the proceedings Of the Ma
tional American Council Gen. ZouIcoF-
FER never, in any speech in that council, or
any where else, used the word "verbiage"
in connection with the ne,o platform. He
did make a speech, however, in which,
whilst speaking of the 18th section of the
June platform, and declaring himself in
favor of preserving its "pith and marrow
he said there was great deal of "verbiage"
about II (the 18Th sectiOn) which was unne-
cessary and which he preferred to strike
out
Now, we presume, the Union and Ameri-
can, since it has fallen desperately in love
with the 18th section, would like to know
what that "verbiage" is We doubt not
the General had in his minds eye that por-
ton which speaks of the violated pledges"
of the old parties, &C., which was so alb
horrent TO Democratic and Old Line Wing
leaders last summer and which our neigh
Dor declared, did with unheard of effron-
terry, and, with the recent blade of Joab,
insidiOusly stab the Nebraska bill-that
great measure to which the South owes so
much, and now the settled policy of the
country-characterizing it, not only as an
obnoxious act but as a violated pledge"
Will not our neighbor admit that the Gen
eral was rightI
Whilst speaking of the course of Gen.
ZoLuCoFFER in the American Council, we
will refer again to the charge of inconsiS-
tency which our neighbor has made upon
him, because he voted for the new platform,
the 18th section of which condemns the
policy Of the administration touching the
repeal Of the Missouri Restriction, &c. In
the speech alluded to above, Gen. ZOLLI-
GOLFER urged the striking out Of all the
specifications in that section but in the
noise and confusion" which prevailed, the
question was lost sight of and failed He
discharged his duty in attempting to get
rid of the obnoxious specifications. 1t is
therefore not inconsistent in him to support
the platform, neither should he be held res
ponsible for the portion Of it which he de-
sired to strike out. at certainly is a new
doctrine" remarks our contemporary of the
GAINESVILLE Chr0uicle, commenting on this
subject, that one member of convention
shall be held responsible for an act of the
majority, especially when that individual
exerted himself to defeat that act" Nor
should he be censured for voting for the
platform, for as our contemporary quoted
above justly says, neither conventions nor
legislative bodies could make any progress
in business, if each member were to set up
his judgment against the whole body, and
refuse to vote for any bill or proposition
which did not meet his views in its minuteSt
details. Such a superstition is an absurdity,
and the application Of such a rule to any
is palpable injustice. Every
member of minority, in every delibera-
tive body is justified, by usage and upon
the broadest principles of justice, for voting
for proposition, in the aggregate, after
having protested against any particular
feature"
To elucidate this point further The Ne
braska bill, whilst pending before Congress,
was so amended as to deny to Congress the
usual supervision and approval or disappro-
val of the laws enacted by the territorial
legislature This amendment met the de-
cided opposition Of the Union and Amert-
can. But its adoption did not drive our
heighbor from the support of the bill He
took it, with all its imperfections, because
It enunciated the great principle of non
Intervention )" and he would think any one
Inkind who should hold him responsible for
The offensive amendment.
Again: The principle of the Wilmot |
,Proviso was applied to the bill establishing |
he territory Of Oregon. AARON V. Brown, |
=. Z. STANTON, ANDREW JOHNSON and other |
tennessee Democratic Congressman voted
for the bill, and Mr.. Polk, as President,
igned it, All of them were opposed to
he principle of the Wilmot proviso con-
,ained in it, but would deem it unjust for
any one TO charge them with inconsistency
On account Of their action in the premises.
If the conduct of our neighbOr and these
gentlemen is defenSible, how much more
is that of Gen. ZoLLICoFFER, inaSmuch
the 18th section of the platform commits
he American Party in The future 10 sup
ort of the Nital principle Of The NEBRASKA
III; whilst TIN obnoxious specifications are
lerely an expression upon an event Of the
ast-unnecessary, it is true, but of no
articular consequence.
Democracy and Black KePubIicanIsm.
The Democracy and the Black RepubIi-
ans are rivalling each other in their denun-
iations Of Mr.. Fillmore. Such an alliance
this can have no other effect than that of
ndearing him still more to the conserva-
i've, Uniou-loying masses Of the country.
lis conduct, as President, was such as to