Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-18

Policy OF the SOutns
The Presidential contest of 1856 is ended,
and that of 1860 has Just commenced. The
struggle for the Presidency is over, and James
Buchanan is elected, but the Issues involved in
the contest are not yet settled. These are yet
in the womb of the future, and what the next
four years may bring forth, we must wait to
see, hoping for the best while we should be
forearnIed against the worst
The resistance attitude of the South, com
bined with the division of the opposition, led
to the result we have witnessed. But the
confusion in its ranks now, it is likely, will be
succeeded by harmonious organization in
1860. Mr.. Fillmore is laid on the shelf Ere
mont has served the purpose Of laying broad
foundation for party, the essential character
of which is to be aggressive. and its object TO
control the country aud subject the South 70
the despotism of a sectional majority. After
having thus served his purpose, we doubt that
he will again be put forward but think a new
man from the South will be required, (for the
course of Free-Sollisn is Southwark and
Houston, OF Texas, or Bolts, of Virginia, may
be taken up to avoid the charge of extreme
sectionalism.
The Democratic party, in possession OF the
government for eight years constructively, will
be open to all the disadvantages of being IN
power. Mr. Buchanan will have to turn DEM
ocrats ont of Office to put Democrats in
Disappointment, treachery, ambition, and the
natural tendency of the people to oppose those
in power will work against it. Every calami-
ty, from q failure in the corn crop to an en-
bsrrassment in the money market, will be laid
TO the Administration. When the admission
of Kansas into the Union comes to be acted on
the South will learn the manner in which the
late contest was conducted. She will find, we
fear, that non-extension of slavery was the
middle ground on which the majority Of Mr..
Buchanan's supporters at the North agreed TO
stand. She will find that it will be difficult, if
not impossible, to bring Kansas into this Union
as slave State. She will find that the day
Mr. Buchanan signs bill to that effect, if ever
passed, his party will be dead and buried at
the North.
There is but one Offset to this condition of things
and that is to make the South strong in her una"
teria progress, in her domestic reforms, in her
cisl CONVICTIONS in her political attitude to keep
the North in check by the only arguments which
remains to be used against Free So-fear and in-
terest. If Mr.. Buchanan rely upon old exploded
expedients for success; if he devote himself to a
laboriOus do nothing policy, converting the foreign
department especially into an immense circumlocu-
ton Office, be will sgnalIy fail and find his admin
istration at the end of four years sunk lower than
did ever plummet sound. The country, too, will
be in state Of fermenting stsgnaton, growing
weaker and sicklier daily from repression OF ener
gy and healthy e1pansiveness and stained all
over with political and social plague spots more
hideous than now. But if Mr.. Buchanan turn bis
back on those expeGients, if he refuse TO abdicate
his mission a President of the United States at
this iuncture and direct the energies OF the Gov
ernment where the Ostend etter-the best docu-
ment he ever sgned-pOints, TO wit, towards the
tropics, towards Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico he
will succeed. He will stand where Pierce did in
1858, only on a little broader ground and under a
more defined pledge, but it is TO be hoped that ne
will not bury the platform on which he elected
in the most mysterious recess of the Circumlocu-
ton Office and cover like sCboOboy before the
ferule of some second Marcy. He owes bis eec>
ton to the vote Of the South, and to the defiant
attitude Of resistance which she was beginning to
assume. He should bear that fact well in mind
He will be traitor and insensible TO every manly
feeling of gratitude if he forget il and disregard
the obligations il implies. Then let him live up to
the letter and spirit of the 0stend letter. let him
look to our interest in Cuba, which, by right of
geography and of political necessity should be ours;
let him fOrtify Walker in Nicaragua and forestal
Spanish and French designs upon Mexico; let him
place the great Tehuantepec route beyond the haz
ard of being lost TO US, by securing the grant of
strip of territory across that Isthmus let him do
these things, and we caR laugh to scorn the subtle
policy of Seward, the rhetorical raving of Sumner
and the blatant menaces Of their followers.
Not alone in the South would he find approval
for such course. The acquisition Of slave terri
tory, by conquest or annexation, would find nearly
many supporters, aVowed or silent, in Boston,
New York, and Philadelphia as in New Orleans -
There would be howl from the Abolitionists and
free negroes of course. But the great issues such
policy would bring up would confront us face to
face with England and France. The opposition
would be borne down by that national spirit which
always sways the national heart when confronted
with other nations. The acquisition OF Cuba in de-
fance of England aud France, would not split the
Union-it would strengthen it. The regeneration
of Central America, by Walker in alliance with the
United States, would lead TO the general emanci
patton OF the West Indies from the infamous free,
Begroism established by the enemies of American
Republicauism.
The people from Maine to California are sick and
tired of old issues. They want something new,
bold and expansive. They want a policy in keep.
ing with steam, railroads and teegraphs. They
want new leaders, new homes and new IDEAS The
new policy must come from the South-must be
sustained by the independent press, and the leads
ers in Congress must be men so seated and fixed
in the heart OF hearts Of the Southern people to
command our approval, even il leading US against
established prejudices and party gods.
We have the men for the emergency. We will
have John A. Qatman, Of Mississippi, in the House,
and jefferson Davis, of the same gallant State, in
the Senate They are both men Of principle, re-
gardng fidelity to noble ends infinitely more hon
orabe and glorious than ignobe success. They
are Injured to the battle harness, both civic and
military, and in peace or war, the South will al
ways know where TO find them. They have no
mean past at their backs, but they are men of the
future too, aud in settling the great question
which must be met sooner or later, they will have
conspicuous parts TO enact That question is this,
TO wit: Whether this Union shall be Northern aud
Sectionsl, TO a seeming contradiction in terms)
or Southern and National?
A FREE STATE IN TExAs.-Some may look upon
such a thing as Free State in Western Texas as
improbable, particularly az time when such siren.
uous efforts are being made 20 carry slavery into
a.