Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-10-06
Maynard and Polk at Huntington.

HUNTINGTON, Tenn, Sept. 80, 1856.
Editors Of the NashUiHe Patriot:
Gentlemen-On yesterday we had Messrs.
Polk and Maynard with u.s. Mr.. Polk led off
10 a speech of IN hour and half, in which he
vainly attempted to prove that Fillmore had
no chance, and that it was the duty of the
American party, ia view of the crisis, to sup
port Mr. Buchanan that Fremont might be de-
feated, assuming that if they did not that the
responsibility of electing Fremont would rest
upon them; and to show that Fillmore had no
chance, asserted that if he succeeded in carry
ing every State in which he had an electoral
ticket he could not be elected. He said it was
admitted by all that crisis was upon us, anG
asked when the like had existed before; called
upon any one present who recollected the time
when the Union was in danger to hold up his
right hand said the fact had never been so
until the birth of Sam, aud that any one could
see that the nation now stood with one foot
in the grave and the other trembling on the
brink told number of anecdotes and walked
down, apparently in dread of what was to fol-
low, and well he might.
Maynard rose in calm and digni6ed man.
ner and said it had been stated by Mr. Polk
that the Union was in imminent peril that it
stood with one foot 10 the grave and the other
been shaken to its foundation and that it was
important that the people should inquire who
had thus placed it in such perilous situation:
he said that not quite four years since the
American people, in the fullness of their conf
dence, had entrusted the management of our
national affairs TO President Pierce; that il had
not been done 10 stinted manner that the
democratic party had large majorities in both
branches OF Congress and in every way had
full control that at the time of his Inaugural
ton there was general confidence in the stabil-
ity of the Union; that fraternal feelings existed
between the north and the south that seemed
10 strengthen the bonds of union, and that all
believed that agitation on the slavery question
was forever settled, and it was not doubted
but that the rig BITS OF all would continue to be
respected, and that here the proposition Of
man's capacity for self government should be
demonstrated Bot that al these fond hopes
had been by democratic rule blasted in less
than four years. de asked does any man who
is not blinded by prejudice, for one moment
believe that the party who have brought the
crisis upon US; who have prosiituted the pat
ronage Of the government for party purposes;
who have violated the most solemn pledge,
aud arrsyed section against section; who seem
TO have no fixed political creed higher than
party interest; who are constantly saying one
thing and doing another, and who, for party
effect have reduced rs from our happy condi-
lion four years since 70 . state Of civil war, Is
the party 10 DO trusted at such timei NJ
sirs, said he, we are going to judge the future
by the light OF The past, and place tried states
lnen at the helm OF affairs, men who do not
falier in the hour OF Irial, such men as Fillmore
and Donelson. The one who had stood upon
Tennessee soil aud In the face of his party had
the manly 6rmness TO ralse bis voice for the
Union, when the danger was as imminent as
At present The other, had held the reins
Of government when the evil spirit Of agilstion
seemed 10 have taken possession Of the whole
country, and by 6rm and determined course,
By knowing no section less than the whole
country, had safely guided rs through the dir
fichlty. Sirs. If you could have been present,
you would have seen that the people were
blinking; profound silence rsigned; the mental