Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-12
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY u, 1866.
The American Party and the Slavery
Question.

mooted, and its Importance makes it wor-
thy of an answer 1t is undoubtedly one
of the graVest which party was ever call
ed upon to decide. 1t should be carefully
considered in its every aspect, and duly no.
ted in all its bearings. Upon its correct
solution depends the very existence Of the
American Party, and we think in great
degree the peace and welfare Of the coun-
try. In its consideration two questions
arise which we deem essential to its proper
understanding, and correct conclusion.
In the first place, IS II, as a party Increment,
polite or practicable land secondly, aohat IS
infinitely more important, is ii, aside from
such a rie1c, inherently proper ? Is it our
duty as Southern men, aware Of the magni-
tude of the interests involved, or as UniOa
men and patriots, looking to the Constitu.
ton as the supreme and sufficient guarantee
of the rights of every State, and every in
dividual in the confederacy? We think
not and without circumlocution, or prefa
tory argument, we commit ourselves against
the measure, and enter demurrer to the
action proposed by the Washington Organ,
our city contemporaries and others. We
favor the retention of the twelfth section of
the Philadelphia platform, not sticking for
its words but for its meaning. We think
its phraseology might be modified without
impairing its sense. We do not however,
want that carried to the extent of convert
ing it into a medley Of unintaHgible phrases,
capable Of erery construction, nor do we wish
it laid liable to the charge of pale-pink
euphemism. In word we do not wish its
vigor affected by the Bolts! We regard its
substance as the embodiment of sound con-
stitutional doctrine, and think it alike i'm
polite and improper to swerve from its
maintenance.
The limits of one article will not permit
US to elaborate the reasons which have led
our minds to this conclusion, but we shall
glance to-day at some features of the ques
ton.
u The first newspaper in the country which
discussed this particular point of ignoring
the subject of slavery in party platforms
was the Washington Union in its impress
sion of June Bird, 1867 Taken altogether,
its article was a most singular one. 1t sat
out with the proposition that irrecOncilable
opinions would always divide the North and
South on the abstract question Of slavery.
Following up this train of thought, it arriv-
ed at the end of the second paragraph at
the conclusion, that harmonious national
party could not be organized which did not
ignore the question of slavery, (omitting at
that point to use the word abstrad) 1t
concluded by presenting the slavery planks
Of the Baltimore platform Of '52, as the
democratic doctrine. This article was inn
mediately attacked by the leading southern
| journals, both American and Democratic,
as inapjeat treasure TO the South on The part
Of The Government Organ/ The author of
the article had however left in the word
abstract, used in the first paragraph, a con-
venient loop-hole to escape. His apollo
! gistS helped him through, and defended him
from the assaults of the Richmond ERgUj-
rer and the Charleston Mercury, by protest
ing that his only reference was to the alb
stract right or wrong Of the institution of
slavery. 1t was intended for a feeler to
public sentiment at the South, which could
be readily withdrawn if it became uncom-
Portable That was its evident object
VSince then the American Organ, at Wash
ington, the National american at Richmond
and two papers of this city, are, we be-
lieye, the only newspapers in the South
which have defended the course, which,
but few months ago, met almost univer-
sal denunciatiOn from the southern press
and people when but bare hint of it was
dropped by the Washington Union
7 The subject of slavery, as a cold insensate
abstraction, has nothing to do with thepre
ent question. That issue in the United
States has passed out of the hands of mere
abstractionists, thin.skinned reformerS, and
dreaming Platonists II has become great,
lire, earnest, practical question. II is lorest-
ling tcihh the gorerHmert for It's reyy life, and
as a mast desperate antagonist. Ii has been
! long years since it was an abstraction.
! Commencing as a sentiment in the sickly
brains of handful of ideal perfectionists
at the North, what was then tiny eur
rent has swollen into a mighty torrent,
threatening to undermine the foundations
Of the Republic, and bear it away upon its
impetuous bosom, ruin and a wreck. 1t
is too late in the day to think of ignoring a
question which has grown so strong that it
will force itself to be kn0rR and to be felt.
| Obsolete land distribution, bank and tariff
| questions may he eschewed and ignored,
but question which threatens the saerifa
| Of State and iadiriduai rights, not 10 SPEAK
Of millions If property, CANNOT BE IGNORED
But we have anticipated. We intended
first to argue its policy, and show its mex
pediency if not utter impracticability and
afterwards to take that view which we have
limited at above and which should be the
paramount consideration with every Ameri
can, who values his party because its basis
is principle aud not yote-catching plat
/ form. 1t is urged by the ignorers that the
twelfth section has sundered the party il