Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-26
AN ABSTRACT OF THE SPEECH OF GEN.
HARRIS. AT EAsHvILLE.


l. Gen. HARRIS inquired, what claims have the tv
parties that are now asking your support and con
fdence upon you?
J. Is there gentleman in this vast assemblaee VII,
will for one moment contend that great, prosperous
happy and free people like ours should be governed
by the DEGREES of an oah-bound and secret council
called together by secret signs and known to eacl
other BY secret grips; DEGREES, in the making o.
which none permitted to participate except sucl
as will bow down and take upon themselves thu
solemn Oaths and obligations that compel them to
obey the will of the Council in all things political
aud social however much it may conflict with their
own honest views?
How much political liberty sleft to the man und de-;
such obligation? If he believed that the per-
petuity of his government depended upon his voting
for you, he dares do it the Council has ordered
otherwise. But, said Gen. H., my competitor saws
that these things have passed away; but will my
competitor tell me- what dark and threatening clouds
lowered overtime country what great danger menaced
our people, what great evil had fastened itself upon
US in 1855 that could be remeded by, and required
the interposition Of such an organization as this
and If 1t was necessary to the country in 1856, will
my opponent tell us why it is not equally necessary
and proper now; will he inform US what new light
has broken upon their vision to assure them of dam
gers past, and present security He said be wanted
information upon these points. In his opinion such
an organization could never have been necessary.
but if necessary in 1856, he wanted to know in what
respect the condition of the country had changed.
so as to make it no longer necessary or was he to
conclude, from the fact that the oaths signs and
secrecy had been abandoned, that they we're wrong
What mas Know Nothingism ever done for the
country, to entite it to support and confidence?
Il filed the last House of Representatives with an
abolition majority that elected Banks, the abolition
ist speaker of the House, the third office under the
Federal Government. 1t struck down the gallant
Gen. Shields, who returned from the Mexican war
pierced through with the enemys balls the history
Of whose patriotism and love of country was written
with his own blood upon the sanguinary fields of
Mexico The gratitude of the people of Illinois
gave him seat upon the floor of the American Sem
ate, where he nObly sustaped the rights of the
South IN the dark and threatening struggle of 40
90, standing side by side with Clay, Cass SC. But.
unfortunately, the Irish brOgue was upon his tongue
and the relentless hand of Know nottingham struck
him down and placed the abOlitionist TrumbuIl in
his place 1t has put the abolitiOnists Hale and
Wilson in the Senate also, and recently the North
ern wing of the order have gone soul and body into
abolitiOnism. The elections are over in all the
Northern States, and they have not been able 10
elect single Know Nothing member to the next
Congress, the contest throughout the North having
been purely between the National Democracy and |
Abolitionism. We told you last summer that the !
Democratic was the only party in this country that
was national in its organization and national in its
had the will and the pewer to pro-
tect rom the ruthless and insane attacks of ia |
natcism, the Constitution, and the rights of the cit
liens under it, and thereby preserve and perpetuate
the Union.
But Know Nothingism asserted that it was the only
element in the country, and assured
you that the only chance to defeat Fremont and Sec
.onalism was for you to unite with them on Fill
more The truth of our prediction of last summer
stands Yindicated and verified by the history of to-
lay and the fallacy of K. n. predictions is estab
ished by the same unerring test Instead of having
he power to defeat Fremont of which they boosted,
hey were utterly pOwerless every where except in
title Maryland Suppose you had yielded to the
'ersuasions Of Know NOthingism last fall and Ten
lessee, Kentucky and Louisiana had gone for Fill
more, the South standing thus divided against her
elf, the election would have been thrown into the
House of Representatives, where the abolitionists
lad already shown they had the power to elect the
speaker, and thus under the lead of Know Nothing
Sun you would have given Fremont another chance
election, and if he had succeeded instead of the |
erfect confidence that you enjoy to-day in'the sta
ility of your government and the security of all |
our rights under the Constitution, you might have
cen this glorious republic lighted up from one end
D the other in blaze of civil war,
Is there a man here to-day, of any party, that
oes not rejoice that Know Nothngism did not sue
eed in dividing the South against herself? am
ltisfed there is not one. 6
The condition of the country is the same TODAY (
nat it last fall. The contest then was between
le two great political elements the National De.
Ocraoy and Abolitionism, and the contest today b
the North is strictly between these parties. no t
now Nothing banner being seen to wave upon f
orthern field; while in the South the contest is be-
7een the Democracy and Know Nothingism. a T
ere faction, confined in its present operations to
" of the Southern States, agreeing with the abo- tt
ionists upon the principle of opposition to
v DSLOSAo'iO PaAhg5 IN It's u
forts to strike that party down Will the people W
Tennessee foster mere faction of this character ell
d aid it in the work of striking down the only
tional party in the country? ty
Suppose, said Gen. H., that Abolitonism and "
low NOthingism should succeed in striking down pl
e Democratic party-can Know Nothingism adj bl
mister the Government, when out of about 1870 be
mbers already elected to the next Congress thew pr
We but go, and out of 296 electoral votes last fall nc
~ got but eight? II is faction, powerless an
good, and only potent for purposes of division ce
ey have no power to administer this great Gov hi
lment, any other Government, larger than n kq
age corporations and if by the united efforts of to
Know NOthings and Aboitionists the National fro
mocracy should be stricken down. the inevitable Ur
ult is that the Government must fall into the an
Ids of the Abolitionsts, theirs being the next an
st powerful political party in the country. The
t political history of the country shows that the
nocratic party is the only one that has ever been
e to maintain the rights of the South against lev
attacks of fanaticism. the
md IN order that this may be distinctly under se'
ID, call the attention of my competitor to the &C
oreal fact that am going to state. 1t is this 10
en- the Constitution has been assailed and the the
Its OF the South under it threatened, by the mad
infuriate attacks of fanaticism-when your 10
rs, and Cases. Websers and Calhouns, felt the sur
lors of apprehension for the safety of the Re- que