Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-11-21
THE TIMES ON Mr.. BUCHANAN AND THE PENN.
SYLVANIA ELECTION.
fEror, the london Tsraas n.tr...-.on

garo 10 the resuons OF this country with the Uni-
ted States, because it throws the very gravest
doubts on the OF the northern candidate for
the Presidency, and thus restores spirit and anil
nation to the counsels Of the party who have done
their best to promote war between the two coun-
tries a triumphant majority for Fremont was
confidently anticipated in the great Keystone State
Of Pennsylvania q ~ 80
1t is the curious destiny of the ancient dominion
OF William Penn that it should occupy towards the
north and the south the same position politically as
it does geographically Placed on the confines of
slavery and freedom, Pennsylvania seems made to
hold the balance between those discordant ele-
ments and to sink in hopeless ruin whatever party
she may decide to extirguish. Without the sup
port OF Pennsylvania no victory can be carried
against the united south, and with its support even
the enterprise of wrestling the government from
the democratic hands which so long upheld it did
not seem hopeless
The election of the electors whose duty it is to
choose the new President is to take place. as every
body knows, on the 4th of November, and the re-.
cent struggle in Pennsylvania was only prelmi-
nary election of State officers; but it nevertheless
affords fair indication of the probable result of
the future and more important struggle. The sue
| cess of the Fremont party in Maine, Iowa, YER
mont, and Wisconsin has been more than counter
balanced by the announcement of the decisive de.
feat which it has sustained in Pennsylvania. We
w yCI huOW tu0 uCtuuct uuu W cQuJ6C-
ture as to the to which the result is attrbu
ted, but the result itself unfortunately is certain
enough
Whetherit has been that the German population,
never celebrated for its intelligence or enlighten
ment, has not yielded that support which was ex-
| pected from it, but has continued, as in former
days. to give its undivided strength to the south;
whether the vast Sums of money raised for eleoto.
| raj corruption have done their work; or whether
L the Of I1nda Cd 20 IN n
er letter from the States, has proved successful, we
| must wait to learn. Of the results we know, I'M
| happily, too much already.
| The loss of Pennsylvania does not necessariyin-
sure the success of Mr. Buchanan but if that State
shall be in the same mind on Tuesday next that it
is in now it renders the acquisition of majority
| for Mr.. Fremont impossible. Unless matters
change very materially before then, that majority
/ will be equally ont of the reach of Mr.. Buchanan
and Fillmore; but, after what has occurred, con.
hdence would be misplaced, and it is only fairly
stating the result of the altered position OF parties
| to say that at the present moment the chance of
| Mr.. Buchanan appears to be much superior to that
| of either of his competitors. 1t therefore be.
comes extremely important toknow what we have
to expect as to domestic and foreign policy if Mr..
Buchanan be declared the President of the United
1 States.
| Europe has not forgotten the unseemy specta-
Gle of the Congress OF Ostend, when the represent
tatives of America in Europe met together under
| the presidency of Mr.. Soule to hold conference
| on the best manner of attacking the governments
of friendly states, and acquiring the lands of weak
/ or powers
The same principles which were laid down in
that Congress by Mr. Buchanan and his associates
have been embodied by the democratic party in the
| Cincinnati platform, the manifesto under which
they proposed to fight the Presidential campaign.
| From the conclusion of the Ostend Conference we
extract the following to show into what hands the
| government of the United States of America is
| perhaps in the very act of drifting:
"0ur past history forbids that we should acquire
| the island of Cuba without the consent of Spain
unless justified By the great law Of sepreservation.
| We must at any rate, preserve our own conscious
rectitude and selfrespect While pursuing this
course we can afford to disregard the cansures of
| the world, to which we had been 30 often and SO
| upjustly exposed. After we shall have offered
| Spain price for Cuba far beyond its present val
ue and this shall have been refused it will then be
| time to consider the question, does Cuba in the
possession of Spain seriously endsnger our inter-
| nal peace and the existence of our cherished
| Union?"
| This passage seems to need no comment It's
doctrines not obscurey reiterated in the Gin
| cnnati platform. To that platform Mr. Buchanan
gave his assent in these memorable words: being
the representative OF the great democratic party,
| and not simply James Buchanan l must square
my conduct according to the platform Of that party
and inser tho new plank nor take one from it."
| This singular declaration has been the subject of
| much ridicuie aud comment in America. The press
delight to remark that the democratic candidate is
| no longer man, but platform and have carried
their irreverent mirth so far TO christen Mr..
Buchanan in true Yankee fashion, flames B. Plat
| FORM"
There are, as we have sail, portions of Mr. Bu-
chanans character which would lead US to suppose
that, although in asserting to the Cincinnati pre-
grsmme he has nominslly adopted as princp pies
American sscendency in the Gulf of Mexico and
the unflnching application of the Monroe doctrine,
he will not be very forward to put these principles
into execution.
We may anticipate, also, that his accession to
power the representative of the south will raise
such domestic commotion as will fully occupy his
time and attention, without leaving him time to
disturb the peace of his neighbors. This might well
be if Mr.. Buchanan could rule alone. But be will
be as much and probably more than ordinary Pre-
sidents a creature of his Cabinet, and be will be
surrounded by men who have the head to conceive
and the hand to execute any scheme that they be-
ieve beneficial to the party interests of the South
To such persons as are the advisers of Mr.. Pierce
and will be the advisers of MIR. Buchanan, foreign
war is immeasurably preferable to domestic de-
feat, and the acquisition of q new slave State, to
oppose to the next free territory from the north
west that may demand admission into the Union,
is cheap at any expenditure of blood and treasure.
There are some civil dscords that incline to peace,
others that urge directly towards war. 1t remains
to be seen. whether the furious connections of re-
publican America be of the former or latter char
acter.
For England the course of policy marked out
by events is clear and obvious. We cannot forbear
sympsthising with the party which would check
the extension by armed force of the degrading and
facilitating institution Of slavery into countries
suited for its operations and utterly hostile to its
extension. But in the future President of the
United States, whoever he may be, we recognise
nothing but the elected chief of friendly Power.
Whatever his sntecedents, whatever his profess
sions will persist in believing that the chief Of
the people of America will when once elected, rise
TO the dignity of his position and, casting off bis
more questionable antecedents, will know how to
maintain at once the dignity Of the Republic and
the respect due to the feelings and interests of for
eign and friendly Powers.
HON. JOHN N. CLAYTON.
The Providence Journal noticing the death of
Senator Clayton, says of him:
gall of his prepared speeches, well as his dip
11al.