Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-03
MA SHVILIE:
Guilt and its Consequences.

Guilt and its Consequences.
AS dog returns to his vomit, so does
our neighbor of the Union and AmeTioan
to his fruitIess attempt to attach odium to
the conduct of the National Americans Of
the Federal House of Representatives, du-
ring the Speakership contest. He, in COM
pany with the whole Democratic press,
failed most signally in the attempt few
months since, and their efforts now will be
equally Intellectual. Statements can be
perverted and motives can be mlsrepre-
sented but the language of facts is plain,
and their evidence incontrovertible. The
record of that contest has become the his
tory of the country. 1t is written, and
cannot be erased. The public mind has
deberated it, and its judgment is formed.
From it there lies no appeal, nor can it
be changed or modified. Time has been
when the characters of men, the import of
measures, and the events of crises, were
SO enveloped in doubt as to prevent full
scrutiny, and truthful opinion on their
merits. But it is not so now, and especially
not here, where free people sit in judg-
ment on the conduct of their servants, and
approve or condemn by high and en-
| lightened standard.
The course of the Democrats during the
| AP III TOD
the elevation of BANKS to the Speakership,
may we'll excite the solcitude of them
selves and their friends. The high arena
on which they figured, the Importance of
the issue decided, their perfdy to the good
of the country, and the interests of the
South which they so ardently professed to
have at heart, their utter slavishness to
mere party success all conspire to move
their fears, and make their seats before
the tribunal of public opinion, restless and
uneasy. They cannot hope that it will be
forgotten, for it takes its place among the
eras in the history of the government. The
election of an avowed sectionalist and dis
unionst to the third station in the govern
ment will be remembered, and the guilt of
those who permitted it will be as lasting.
It's shade will grow deeper, as the passions
it excited shall give place to reason, and
the stern, impaSsive justice of pOsterity
shall pass upon it. 1t was q consciousness
of guilt which prompted the lengthy letter
of Mr. JONES of this State, and a similar
feeling gave origin to the article on which
we are commenting. They seek to SUBJ
stitute a record of their own, for that the
country has made up from an impartial
statement of the case. Their only refuge
from the rays of popular Indignation is
sophistry and perversion. The culprits
beg the poor benefit of doubt. A pre-
text for their conduct, would be received
as an inestimable present. They despair
of reversing the verdict, but plead most
piteously mitigating circumstance They
shall not have it. The facts forbid it,
Such fragrant outrages admit of no pallia
ton. To omit the corrective in such cases,
were but to bid for their repetition The
interests they trihcd with are too high, the
risk to the peace and quiet of the country
was too great. When public men show
themselves SO reckless and Indifferent to
the trust in their charge, it should be
taken from them, and committed to other
hands. These faithless stewards are pre-
monished, and seek to avert the stroke.
But judgment has been entered up against
them, and will surely be rendered.
The Union and American's article opens
thus: "Six 18th section Know Nothings,
by voting for Ii. NJ. FULLER, and two who
failed to vote on the final call of the roll,
February Cd, Indirectly elected n. p.
BANKS" Those whose business it is to de-
ceive are fond of indirections There is
somebody, however, directly responsible for
this result. Let us investigate this point
first, and afterwards look to subordinate
issues. Weeks of balloting and caucusing
and conference had established beyond
doubt that the plurality rule would ensure
the election Of man obnoxious to South
ern and national men. Time and again
had those who favored such result, at
tempted its adoption, but the combined
strength of national Americans and Dem
ocrats had as often defeated it. Though
unable to agree upon candidate, they
both saw the necessity of preventing the
success of measure which would inevita-
bly, secure an end both professed to de-
plore, but which the sequel will show was
but hollow profession with one party
On the morning of the I'd of February,
after repeated reflections of Black Repub-
lican motions to adopt the plurality rule,
SAMUEL a. SMITH, of Tennessee, rises in his
place and makes the motion. Mr. SMITH
and sufficient number of Democrats vote
with the Black Republicans, aud the pIu-
rality rule prevails. Thus, by motion from
Southern slave-holding Democrat and
the votes of his party associates, was the
first and most important and absolutely in
dispensable step taken in the election of
BANKS. 1t was plainly evident that under
the majority rule it could never have been
accomplished The experiment had been
tried week after week and failed. The
plurality rule was his only hope, and Dem