Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-01

published speech Of Mr. - ..-,s,-.,--,- Ses-
borough September q, 1913. One of the main
6sots 0fhis speech YES to reconcile the friends Of
Mr. Clay to the nomination Of Gen. Taylor over him,
in ths course Of which Mr. Bell took occasion to
reprOve those who had said that " they would rather
sink with Clay than swim with Taylor" For, said
Mr.. B., "Inthe very nature of things the questions
Of the Tariff United States Bank the sub, Treasury,
DISTRIBUTION &C. are eyaneseent, tFansitory, and in
a generation or less time wiIlpass away. DIsTRI-
BUTTON FOR INSTANCE HAS CEASED TO BE A
QUESTION. The Lands may nOV be considered
PLEDGED for the payment Of the NATIONAL DEBT,
aud Under the continued emigration of millions from
Europe and from other causes, they will soon cease
to exist as q national domain"
Distribution had ceased to be question. Why?
Because i" The lands may now be considered pledged
for the payment Of the national debt" and 'will
soon cease to exist as q national domain"
When Congress assembled in 1850, Senator Day.
ton introduced proposition to revive Mr.. Clay's
Distribution bill. Mr.. Bell voted square out against
it, and assigned such reason as he now gives for
having done SO. The public records show ne ex-
PLANTATION or reason for his course bat the natural
inference that follows from negative VOTE Here
two papable contradictions to Mr. Bells present
assertion. We have hisown language, as contained
in his published speech in the BqHRer of 1885, and
the official records OF Congress. They are positive
AMI plain.
But Mr. Bell also says in the extract we made at
the commencement of this article, that he cannot
see ''hOw any gentleman feel justified in seek
To +ba combustion ,,,,or 4bo r,bl:o
that had no hope or expectation, when l made the
move in the Senate last winter that any such meas
ure could ever be carried" You shall be answered
Mr.. Bell, not by us, but out of your own mouth
The following is an extract from your speech made
in the Senate upon the introduction of that meas
ure, as published in the Nashville Banner:
81 know that the time is unpropitous for the sue
cess of such measure, and do not feel confident
that the time UtB EVER be IN this country. IL IS IMP0s-
sIBLE to bring the attention Of Congress OR THE
COUNTRY any saIutary eztent fear to the course
of policy which should be adopted by this govern
ment in regard to the public service. / am aware
that may be regarded as spending the time of the
Senate very uselessly by invoking members to con-
slider the subject; but few think that any thing of
Importance can be suggested on this question; and
the reason is that their attention and that of the
country is pre-Occupied by questions of one kind or
another of greater interest, in their judgment
There is personal interest connected with this
measure. 1t touches great subject of public poll
cy it is true but Which may be regarded ha1y
been PUT SLEEP FOR THE PRESENT; but nevertheless
this shall not prevent me from making such sugges-
tons in relation to it think should attract the
attention of the country"
Could language be palmer Can there be any
question as to its meaning? Will men doubt their
own senses at the mere dictum of Mr.. Bell. He ad-
mitted that 'the time was ropitous-dd not feel
confident that the proper time would ever come
thought it Impossible to bring the attention of Con-
gress of the country, to his view of this ques-
ton for reasons APPARENT was question that
was regarded as having been put to sleep for the
present"-but nevertheless this should not prevent
him from making SUCH suggestions in relation to it
as he thought proper Who will seriously contend,
after reading the gentleman's own admissions, that
he had any other object under heaven than merely
to originate hobby for the purposes of the canvass
that was soon to off in his own State, hoping
that it might have the effect of diverting attention
from the more odious features of Know Nothingism
and decoy few old line wings into its supportI If
any other conclusion can be arrived at we would
like to know the process by which 1t is done.