Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-05-13
MR.. BELLS PLEDGE.

No one acquainted with the political character and
anteeedents Of Mr.. Bell will misconstrue his late
speech before the opposition convention in this city.
1t was an admission that the next legislature was
expected 10 elect two Senators Congress- and that
the judgment of the people to be pronounced on
his own case. When he has no personal interest IN
canvass he is not found rendering his services to
his party. When he volunteers such tender, as in
his late speech it may be safely set down that he
looks to the result as involving his own political
prospects The programme Of the canvass adopted
by the convention contains inherent evidences Of
Mr. Bells workmanship The studied effort in the
platform to ignore the existence of living issue
the Kansas question betrays the finger of man who
has deepinterest in avoiding the popular Judgment
on that issue. That man is John Bell and as he s
the only one who has peculiar interest in avoiding
such an ISSUE we deem fair to conclude that the
platform was made to conform to his views Of con-
Quoting the campaign.
We insist that it is not manly in Mr.. Bell thus to
seek to escape from issue originally rendered by
himself and we insist that The friends ofthe equality
of the States the great fundamental principle of the
Kansas bill, shall not allow him to raise dust by
stirring mp old defunct questions that he may avoid
the consequ of his opposition to that great Prn
ciple When Mr.. BELL was laboring to defeat the
Kansas BILL he was warned that his course would be
destructive Of his future political prospects in Ten
nessee We invite special attention to his bold and
emphatic reply. He said:
81 declare here today that # my eouEt-ymsR Of.
Tennessee should declare against my this sub
ect and that shall BE- GycertaiRsd TO reasonable Ger
taqty rH not Be 10 the Senate day qftsrgdrd
- = .r-
the 25th Of May, 1854, and may be found in the
official report of the Senate debates on page 948 Of
the Congressional Globe, vol. %, AppendiX). Many
persons were surprised that Mr.. BELL was seen in
the Senate after the Presidential election the
suit Of that contest was regarded by most people
having ascertained to reasonable certainty that
Mr.. BELLS counTymen Of Tennessee had declared
against his course on the Kansas bill. He chose,
however, not so to regard the result and continued
to hold his seat. Upon what pretext he satsfedhis
mind that the contingency had not occurred on
which he stood pledged to vacate his seat shall
not stop to conjecture. There stands tho pledge
there stands the majority Of more than seven thou
sand against his course-and there sat Mr.. BELL in
the seat which he had voluntarily pledged himself
to vacate.
If plausible pretext can be found for saying that
the course Of Mr.. BELL on the Kansas question was
not the issue in the present canvass in Tennessee,
then il is no injustice to him to predict that he will
avail himself Of It in the event Of democratic tr-
umpb, and continue to occupy his seat. The motive
therefore for the effort in the opposition platform
to ignore the Kansas issue is apparent. But whilst
Mr.. BELL has thus adroitly arranged to hold on to
his seat in the event Of a democratic triumph, he
has not forgotten to make provision also, for ena
bling the antiKansas party in all sections, to claim
the result as an kansas victory, in the event OF
a failure Of the democrats to carry the legislature
Tie opposition nominee for Governor, Mr.. HATToN is
well known be the peculiar friend and representa-
tive Of Mr.. BELL and his auti-Kansas policy. This
fact viii be hailed by the anti-Kansas men Of the
North as conclusive Of the position of Tennessee If
the friends of the Kansas bill fail elect either the
Governor or the legislature. These remarks viii
suggest to our party the danger Of allowing our Op-
ponens to evade the real issue by introducing sub
ordinate and collateral questions, with the hope Of
dstracting and dividing our forces No event would
give 50 much encoura gement to Northern fanaticsm,
as an opportunity Of claiming the result in Tennes
see as an endorsement of Mr.. BELLS anti-Kansas
course. Such claim viii be set up if fail to elect
our candidate for Governor or majority Of out and
out Kansas men to the legislature What Mr.. BELLS
course was on the Kansas question, we will take an
early occasion to exhibit in such manner that one
can fail the importance # giving to it an en-
hattie and unmistakable reputation and condemna-
ton