Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-10-21
N NASHVILLE:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER q. 1857.



been entirely free from it. and if it has not
been operating directly it has, at least,
been instrumental in distributing indirectly
its poison into the most precious life chan
nelsLo the body polite. The preiudces
that men form in their youth. or in the
Jealous espousaI of one side of any cause
where their own promotion and advance
ment depend upon the issue, arr. next to ir-
radieable. In both these causes they are
likely to be. formed upon insufficient inyes-
tigatioh ana reflection and whletbesr. correct
or erroaeons, they are maintained with a
devotion equal to that of the heather,
which pFostrates him at the shrine of his
Idol and with the zeal of the bigot, who
foolishly believes that al faiths are heresies,
that do not conform to his own. It has
come to be in this eenntry that political
party success carries with it large stores of
personal honor and pecnniary emolument;
these facts, coupled with the natural weak
ness OF human nature In general, and upon
these subjects in particular, have given to
partizan feeling a strength, and to partizan
supremacy an Importance inferior to no other
passion of human hope or human ambition.
The party which is fortunate enough to
secure them, carries them about in most of
the relations of life-sometimes even al
lowing them to throw dark shadow over
the pathway of friends, and to cast the
Internal scowl of the Ghoul upon the fair
est face of society. The eye of this infuri-
ate spirit of party, is assuming tile deadly
power of that of the tabled Basilisk, com
municating the messages ofsdeath in its fear
full and fierce eglances. So powerful is it,
that it is already charged that it has en-
tered the most sacred receptacle of Liber-
ty in this country, the Courts. Moving
upon a few INSCRIPTIONS politicians of
one section, it has rung upon the lips of
hundreds of thousands of the rank and file
of that section, that the highest Court in
America is a tool of party and nothing
better than bevy of an eqnal number of
pot-house politicians. 1t has progressed
so far in this direction, that we hear dec
larations made, in mock solemnity, from the
Supreme Bench of one of the States, and
that State one of the Gordon of the South,
that such men as Marshall and Story,
were influenced in their judicial decisions,
by the most abject of all motives, those
having reference to the success of partizan
opinions
1t needs no proof to show how deadly
such a spirit is or is likely to be, on the
destinies of Republic. The fact is so
hideous that its suggestion is its damnation.
But if it is suspected of entering our
Courts, with how much greater reason
could it be attributed to the Legislative
Councils of the States and the nation.
The members of these are sent from among
the people at short intervals, and the com
petition is so great as to cause the aspir-
ants in too many instances, to forget the
high prerogatiVes of the Legislator, in the
ignoble scramble for place, and in an over
weening anxiety to legislate for the popu-
lar tastes in preference to the popular good.
Buncombe speeches and the manufacture
of thunder disgusting phrases for DISCUS
ting ideas) seem to be the chief business
of Legislatures. Whatever is likely to ex-
cite applause for the time being is seized
upon with the greatest avidity. In this
way the real business of the people is for
gotten, and the business of the party be-
comes "the paramount object of patriotic
DESIRE" We have observed, with regret,
too much of this feeling on the part of our
democratic friends of the present House of
Representatives. They are not probably
aware of the full extent of the influence of
this party spirit; but it is quite apparent not
standing. They are in an overwhelming ma
jorfty, and could well afford to lay aside their
violent party feelings; and if they desire to
engraft their opinions and principles as
democrats, on the domestic policy of the
State, let them do it in the manner and
with the air of craftsmanship. No move
is made on the opposite side of the House,
of any general Importance, in which they
do not imagine they see the shadowy
footprints of cat in the meal. I"
This is exemplifed in those questions OF
State credit, internal improvements, cur
rency, &c. A proposition emanating from q
know nothing on this subject is received
with extreme distrust, and it is postponed
or amended, or strangled by the previous
question, or some other equally disastrous
stumbling block thrown in the way of its
progress. Now, to as, and we presume to
the American members Of that BODY
this extreme sensitiveness appears as
ludicrous as it is evidently out of place
The American members are in such a mi
nority, that they can look any and ever
question which may come before them full ii
the face-we hope they will do so, an6throv
their votes wherever they can accomplish
good, regardless of all other considerations
We imagine that they have no favors {
ask from the majority. They can take a
elevated view of the wants and requir,
ments of the country, and so cast thei
votes-if it fails, then the country ca
have no difficulty in fixing the responsible
~. We hold that the first and highest oil
legation of every Legislator is due to tn
State-we hope our political friends wi
discharge that debt, let Others pursu