Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-03
UNION AND AMERICAN.
FRIDAY MORNING., APRm 3, 1857.
TIE Ron. JOHN BELL AND his NEW BUBBLE.

The BON. JOHN BELL AND HIS NEW BUBBLE.
But few public meg, CT equal talents, of any
n,rtv. have served 80 long ia the councils Of the
nation aod done 50 little to advances The public in
ts,sst ~ the Hon. JoHN BELL So evident fact
rsonires bat little rChetton TO impress itself upon
the common understanding Of every impartial mind.
We invite tie reader, whether his predictions be
favorable or uplAvorsbls to this gentleman, to re-
view bis long public history ard fad, if he can,
what great reforms or other measures Of public po-
Icy have ever been accomplished, or aided in their
accomplishment BY the weight Of bis Influence OF
his talent It viii be hopeless and iruitIess
task. Scarcely an isolated case can b found in
which il can be claimed that tie labors or vote Of
Mr. BELL have contributed to the accomplishment
of any important legislation to the country. His
Whole life has been spent simply and solely, in the
service Of himself He has never bad thought
nor an aspiration that could soar to point beyond
the limit Of mere personal ambition. he has
never known the Tina when party and country
we're not both subordinate to the single aim OF in
dividusl advancement.
In strict keeping with tbs general character is
his recent movement in Congress to revive the old
obsolete and exploded idea Of dividing tie proceeds
Of the public lands among the States. This was
one Of a series Of measures upon which the coun-
try had thoroughly and efecualy placed its zeal OF
disspprobstion, and its most ardent friends bad
acknowledge and yielded a wiling acquiesence
to thst decision. There wes no agitation of tie
subject in the couary-no deman from suy quar-
ter 70: revival Of the qusstioa aud the announce
ment of Mr.. Bell of his intention 10 introduce
bill 10 that fleet, was rot perhaps, anticipated by
single individual ia the entire limits Of the Uni
ted States.
The question very naturally suggests itself, lOLy
has Mr.. BELL thought proper to Introduce such q
measure into the Congress Of the United States 2
Iff0r the public good he, Of course hiss soma hope
Gifts passage by that body. fit @as simply to en-
able Mr. BILL to have an opportunity Of advOca-
ting such II jeot, be had done that often before;
and be was impeding public business mourning ex.
psnse ard unnecessarily sgitadng Congress for an
idle qualification of his own in introducing il at the
time be did. Ether one or the other Of these pro.
positions formed ths motive that scustei this gen
tlemsr. Which was it? is the question
The present is D smocrstic administration. The
Ssnals at this time is strongly so, md the House
is likely 10 be, ct the meeting Of the next Con-
gres. The views Of the majority Of those Ssna-
tors snd of the President in opposition to this CID
exploded issue IS part Of the history of the coun.
try, and are as well known Es those Of Mr. BELL
himself Will Mr.. BELL contend tina. be has the
shadow Of a hope Of producing change of those
lifetime oonvicticna2 Does be dream that Mr..
BUCHANAN will yield his welLestabished opinions
of the unconsdtutionality Eof such measure, in
Difference to the re-vamped arguments that the
Senator may make? or course not. A simpleton
would know better, aud the most plej1dicsd op-
porent has never regarded the grave Senator a
simpleton. Mr.. BELL has had the csndor to admit
that be had no such expectation as the passage of
his bill. In his speech on the subject as copied
into the Banner and Patriot, he ssys:
81 know that the time is uPpropitious to the sue
cess Ct such measure, and l DO not feel Confident
that The time will ever be il this country. 1t is
impossb bic to bring the attention Of Congress, or
of the country, to any sRlu.Bry extent lear, to
the course OF policy which should be adopted by
this Government in regard TO the public service
/ am aware that ! may be regarded as spepdirg
the time OF The Senate very uselessly by invoking
members to cor slider the subject but few seem 10
think that auythicg of importance can be suggest
ed this question; and the reason s that their at
teution and that Of the country is preoocupied BY
questions Of one kind or another OF greater inter-
est, in their Judgment"
In view of the facts and of the foregoing con.
tessoD, it is evident that Mr.. BELL could not have
introduced this bill for the legitimate purposes of
legislation but that it was done for sn object cut
side and Independent of Congressional action, w:
the creation Of q nsU element for the approaching
caRvass in Tennessee 10hsrsn the personal fortunes
Of The distinguished gentleman himself are in7nas-
diatsly Involved. When this is remembered, every
one familiar with his public history will cease to be
surprised.
There was great necessity, in the opinion Of Mr..
BILL, for the introduction of bis bill-not that be
had the slightest hope Of its passage, for that he
expressly disavoWs; but because . canvass was
coming on in Tennessee, for which some new ele-
ment OF agitation must be prodased, 10 divert the
public attention from the odious and unpopular
features of know nothingism and form basis for
the opposition to rally on in their future struggles
for sscendercy in the State Is it rot even SO?
We cay, therefore, that Mr.. BELLS PrQjec, is an
efe;e humbug-s sheer pretence-iDtended solely
for home consumption and for selfish purposes
new warp in the mesh Of wiles which thst gentle
man has been weaving through long public lfa,
with as iudomitsbe energy as the spider spins his
web.
The people Of Tennessee will Sd understand it,
and none but The most stulrifed poi isans will be
heVe for moment that his moVem snt in this mat
ter is with any view or ezpectstio a Of accomplish
ing the purposes set forth in tbb bill. We are
gratifed with the belief that tho public now IN.
derstaDd Mr.. BELL as the gentleman understands
himself.