The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-11-27
A NEW PHASE OF SECTIONALISM
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a NEW PHASE Or SEEllONALiSM
(From The Press.1 r. -
We IRE grAti6sd 70 perceive, RON several
Of the leading papers In the Southern States,
that the contingency Of rejecting Governor
Walker, when his nomination is transmitted
to the Senate by the President, which seem
cd so probable only few weeks ago, is not
now 90 likely to happen. The ground upon
which it wasisupposed Gov. Walker would
be rejected was a common ground, upon
which both the extremes Of the Senate,
North and South, were expected to harmo-
nize. Their complaints against Gov. Walker,
If not exactly similar, were sufficiently so to
induce common action against him; and while
this union, reluctant or otherwise, appeared
to be highly probable, frnnkness compels us
to say, There were few complaints made
against the Republicans by the violent enc
mics Of Walker IN the Southern States. The
fact that MI. Greeley and his coadjutors were
ready to recommend the rejection of Gov.
Walker, made but slight impression on the
New Orleans Delta, the Richmond South,
and other journals Of that school; but since
the rejection Of the attempted frauds at Ok
ford and McGee,a new aspect has been Civ
en- to the question.
The Republican Senators will be compell-
ed to change ground, and instead Of voting
to reject Gov. Walker, they will be forced to
follow public opinion in the free States,
which distinctly demands, as indeed we be-
lieve will just men Of the South, that he
should be confirmed; SO that II. he is to be
rebuked, for his last demonstration in favor Of
fair election, IL will be an unavaiHnp at
tempt, so far as the Senate is concerned, and
the enterprise will only consolidate the North,
without distinction Of party, In his favor. =
Now, If there is one thing against which
we have more perseveringly protested than
another, II Is this calamity Of sectionalism.-
II was the fear that the North would be con-
solidated against the South, and the South
consolidated against the North, which so
largely contributed to put the Democratic
candidate into the Presidency in 1856. Sec.
tiehalism,or geographical party, is that evil
In cur system which the patriots of the Revo.
dictionary era anticipated with dismal FORE
bodings, and against which Washington nd
monished bis countrymen in his Farewell Ad-
dress. And itiwould be sad thing to sec
tionaiize this country on question like the
Oxford and MCGEE frauds. It would be a
most disgfaceful spectacle to see a public
servant repudiated and condemned because
he had set forth id defence of the purity Of
che ballot box, and in favor of the principle
that the majority Of the people should rule;
for, however men may mystfy the issue, this
is the great principle involved. These con.
sidsrations have doubtless presented them
selves forcibly to our Southern fellow-citi-
zens; and we are clearly indebted for the i'm.
provedlcondition Of things, to the fact that
no man is willing to run the hazard of pre-
cipitating the disaster of sectionalsm upon
the country upon the, objections now urged
against Robert J. Walker. Let US be frank
with each other. The prospect of making
Kansas slave State is hopeless. There is
not q Southern man who believes such q
thing possible. Every demonstration shows
that the majority of the people of Kansas
are in favor Of making it free State; and
we greatly mistake the Southern people il
they can be rallied in support of any policy
against Governor Walker which has for its
basis neither more nor less than tacit en-
dorsement of the monstrous and notorious
wrongs which, in the discarge of his high
duties, and following the dictates of his con-
science, with all his Southern proclivities
with all his long career of devotion to the
South, he was compelled to condemn and to
defeat.