Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-06-12
TERMS OF ADvER1ls lsING.
The ClarkSyille Publishing Company,
Chartered by the Legislature of Tennessee.
ADDRESS OF THE NATIONAL A
MEXICAN COUNCIL, ASSEMBLED
AT LOUISVILLE, ON THE 2, INST.

Called by the passing away of another
year to meet the members of the Ameri-
can party in National Council, the occasion
demands reaffirmaton of our opinions.
We are ready to-day as aforetime to give
a reason for the faith that is in us, add as
ready to day as ever before to stand fast
by our VOWS of devotion to our whole
country. Neither dsmayed by defeat, nor
disheartened by opposition-neither dis
couraged by the past, nor without hope for
the future-we meet together both to coun-
sci one with another, and to show to the
people of the united States by our presence
and our numbers here in open convention
that as a party we are hopeful and deter
mined as to our future course of action.
The dominant party at the North and
the dominant party at the South, by ap-
peals made to sections Of country and the
passions of the day, are temporarily sue
cessful. But temporary triumph is no
evidence of permanent success. Nor does
a victory secured by passion give evidence
of true attachment to principle A true
soldier will never be disheartened in sus-
tanning good cause because of one or
many defeats
The nine hundred thousand American
voters who sustained the American candi-
dates for the two first offices in the gift of
the people in November last may enjoy the
consciousness Of an honest work well
meant and well done. They neither coun-
ted the cost of defeat nor faltered in the
discharge of a great public duty, and had
the thousands of men who agreed with
them in opinion as to the justice of their
principles and the fitness Of their candi-
dates acted upon the same convictions of
public duty, the result would have been
far different At the North, tens Of thou
sands voted for Mr. Fremont upon the
plea that there was no chance for Mr.. Fill
more, while tens of thousands voted for
Mr.. Buchanan at the South upon the plea
that vote for Mr.. Fillmore would secure
the election of the candidate of the mis-
called Republican party. 1t was a cruel
and uncalled-for sacrifice of principle upon
the altar of expediency, and one of those
sacrifices of principle which, if persisted
in, in private life, as is sometimes the case
in the consideration Of subjects of great
public moment, would result in common
disaster. When patriotism becomes the
rule of action and a true love of country
points out the path of duty, nothing can
excuse the yielding up OF that which is |
right for that which is merely expedient
We do not, however, seek to recall any
thing in the past calculated to wound the
feelings Of those who were tempted in
moment of dependency or thoughtless-
ness to forget their obligations to their
country or their associates in principle,
Thousands who left our ranks in Novem-
Der, drawn away by the temporary ex-
pedients and passions of the hour, have
returned TO the fold of the American party |
They have been taught in the bitter school
of experience that the word of promise
may be made to the ear and broken to the :,
hope Where there was pledge to secure,
and the power to effect a pure ballot-box
the want of which is one of the great
evils of the times-and to accomplish which
ought to unite the good men of all parties
there has been either a criminal indif- |
ference to the evil itself or bold particle
patton in that wrong, So in the promises
made at the North to secure a ure fran
chise through the agency Of registry law,
where all could see and know who, under
the constitution and by the laws, were
entitled to vote.
In no instance that we can recall to
mind have either Of the two great organiza-
tions opposed to the American party en-
deayored to secure those Wholesome re-
forms which are essential either TO an in
telligent or honest exercise Of the rights
of franchise, Even where an attempt has
been ugeic ms in New York, to secure
practical reform under the naturalization
laws, SO that, while the clause would not