Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-11-26
LrrrER YRor eovaREoR WISE
RrrHsOrp. Va Ssv. is, 1887.

seat In the senate Of the United states and
nv name In that connexion has been banded
shout in conversation and by the press, with a
licence which assumed the air Of authority.
By whom. with what motive, 20 what end,
these rumors were started, it is not my purpose
now to discuss. sly object is tOisliay excite
ment and prevent division ia the Democratic
party Of Virgins, and 10 that end I aver, that
these rumoTs are Unauthorized By anything
! said or done BY ne. that they are without foun-
dstion, and I defy the production Of the proof
or evidences that 1 have ever expressed or man
Tested the imputed desire or desigs.
After my arduous struggle n 1855 for the
salvation Of the Democratic party, | fondlY
hoped to have the sympathy and support Of all
its sections in Virginia, and to be able to act
with al in equal confidence, and to serve all in
the ONCE | now I'll. ITegret to say that In this
I was disappointed. A short time only elaps-
ed, after entering upon my duties, before :
jealousy and a distrust were seen where I most
expected confidence and friendly aid aud coun-
sci. did my best, by turning away from this,
10 avert both its cause and its effect. But, in
/ opportunity for harmony, the contest for the
nomination for TIE Presidency came on early
10 1856, and my preference for Mr.. Buchanan,
entertained for many years, was again made
known. / adhered TO bis nomination, for Tea-
sons which noW must be too obvious 20 every
candid aud conservative patriot and Democrat,
TO need either argument OF excuse. No other
nominee Of the party could, probably, have
been elected. There was not one Il his COM
o~etitors for whom I would not cheeTfuliy have
voted. | had, in fact, aided, among other
friends Of Mr.. Buchanan in 1852, in nominating
Mr.. Pierce, and in 1855, had minated my ap-
prevail Of other candidates. But, having for
bis eminent abilities and services preferred Mr..
Buchanan in 1874, IS4S, and 1852, and deeming
him the only available candidate in 1886, ] CO.
operated zsalOusly with bis friends in securing
for bis nomination the vote Of Virginia. But
no ehoItwas made, no resort had to any means,
10 secure this, which could Justly be complain
ed Of by his rivals aud their friends. He hid,
without effort, comparatively, two-thirds Of the
delegation Of Virginia at Cincinnati, and that
majority did not fuily represent the cOnstituen-
cies which preferred him. And notwithstand-
ing the attempts Of those opposed to his nomi-
nation, TO destroy the TreStigs Of Virginia by
attempting to split her delegation in the Con
ventiou, and, In fact, to n lliify a majority by a
minority, BY dividing her districts as well as
be State, and to count the Old Dominion
naught in the nomination, her delegation stood
irm as it had done at Baltimore in 1882, when
thirty-four successive ballots were cast for
James Buchanan, and the vote OF Virginia de-
| cided the Convention in bis favor. The cleo
ton proved how pre-emineutly popular be was
ia this % good old Commonwealth THIRTY
I Al0A.ahA ALnIuAAA1 pAuNAaAA4NA uAm "a CnuAIc
Of Virginia, by far more than two-thirds, if
not four-ffths Of the Democratic voters. A
majority OF the politicians in place preferred
others, but The people preferred him by an
overwhelming, almost unanimous voice.
The election was marked by extraordinary
manifestations. The contest was: whether
sectionalism, caused By the foreign influence OF
old England and Canada, operating in the form
Of Black Republicanism upon New York and
the New England States, and upon the lake
borders Of other States, should invade US fur
ther South or our own nstionslism of De-
mocrscy should drive it back further North.
Pennsylvania decided that issue but for a
time r was extremely doubtful. And in the
midst Of that doubt there was heard a low NUT
tering ia the South Of q subdued, but sullen dis
content among some few Of those who voted
even for NIr. Bucbanan's election. The feel
ing, grumbled rather than openly expressed by
them, was Of a hope that The Black Flag might
be raised over rs, to rouse the Southern people
to 4 revolution which would throw of the bonds
II the Urioa. Il is well known and proudly
admitted that, had that flag been hoisted over
he Capitol Of the United States, under the
open p~roclsmations Of the election, | for one,
would have waited for no other -" overt sct"
Of aggression or oppression ; but 1 was, there
fore, the more anxious 70 secure a Democratic
triumph, to prevent revolution and to preserve
The Union. This separated me from the eX-
tremists Of the South.
/ doubt whether they would all have follow
ed me 10 the length ! would have gone, had
causs for revolution been given ; but whilst
was for Wariing of extreme issues By elect
ing a conservative Democrat who could unite
all patriots and save the Union, they, a small
aud very exclusive clique, were for driving Us
upon revolution reluctantly supported The
Democrats nominee, and az heart were dissp-
pointed at the Democratic triumph which saved
Us from all !. last e~xtremities." The horse snd
rider Of Back Rspa2licauism were overthrown,
but ia The general rejoicing there was 20 shout
from the hearts gf the srciEsiue extremists.
They, however, honest, were sal, and their
cOuntenances were dark and dismal IN the
midst Of general congratulations aud smiles
that the national Democracy had saved our
country once more from extreme peril.
Soon after The election OF President, and do
ring ali Of last winter and spriug, that which
was al first a whisper became more and more
audible, Until il broke out into e loud AM open
" uttering voice that there was a plot to
s~upplaut Mr.. Hunter in the Senate BY Governor
Wise an3 his friends" Knowing that there
was no foundation for this IN aught I had said
or done OF authorized to be said OF done, aud
the bypOthesis presenting itself that there
might be enemies TO both Nh. Hunter and NY
self who were trying 20 SOW tarss between Us
for their own selfish and sinister ends, / still
averted ny mind from o.her definite conclusions
respecting the authors and the motives Of those
reports, aud continued to Temain silent. But
the time came for the organization Of Mr.. Bu-
chanan's cabinet. L va arranged By himself.
to bis own liking, on bis own responsibility, to
suit his own corhdestiai relations in Office, and
was composed OF a majority OF southern men,
CE all sections Of Southern Democracy, prefer
ring no clique, and Of z cast designed 70 har-
monte all elements in the party, North and
south, East aud West. Il was organized on
The National Platform Of the Cincinnati Con 1
%yeGtion. As the head and representative Of
the party, he geHsrslizsd az well as could The
personnel aud material OF the great Democracy
Of tie United States This was what a Presi-
dent or the United States should have endeaY-
ored to do. Il might net please all, individual
ly or sec-iOnaiiy, but IL was for eli and not for
q Pari. And the great mass Of the party was
Feit content and generally acGuiesced in the
organization. But the President had hardly
been iEauguTated, had but lust taken bis seat,
had said nothing and done nothing, besides his
inaugural address and selection OF his cabinet,
defining or indicating a policF-had not been IL
IN ONCE sixty days-Hot thiTty-when a POT-
Opposition raised a quill az every point
Of policy and az every man Of personnel IN the
Administration, and the attempt was made to
The whole Democratic party Of TIE North,
and every Southern man who trusted them,
"AaA aNA4A VI AA-AlA1L q 04A5NDAru ucluuCad- Z
lion. An affiliated press vas found organized
tom Richmond 70 New Orleans, which opened
rs batteries Of sweeping, Tancorous, and vim
dicttVe opposition, den0uHcing certain members
OF the cabinet, and especially certain Southern
members misgiving q to the fOTeign. and exciting
as to he home policy--wsrning against
imaginary evils-d0ubting the good faith Of
some friends-disparaging OthsTs-not sparing
The President himseif-aud especially d~enounc-
fTr = haNfuuan nnm1----- Al Ill sRs. -
and published too before Gov. Walker
was ever sent TO Kansas. We were to be be-
before We we're betrayed! The North
ern Democracy were not 10 be relied Onl Tbs
himself was Of thai Denocrscyli
Now, gentlemen, prior 20 the campaign Of
1870 there were bat two lines Of sectional d.
vision IN The United Ststes-lhe Mason and Dix
on, and the Missouri Compromises lines. They
we're geographical, partly, in their character,
and were well dsfned and understood. Many
evils growing out Of them had been in the past,
and could be In the future, guarded against.
But, IN 1896, another and more Ominous line
vas disclosed, oblterstiug all others. Il was
not defined upon the earth, bIt revealing Itself
Dy what sailors call a - Sun-Dog" in the East.
Il awed superstition like an angry comet por-
evil, and shot a dull black and white
gloom looming through the mists Of the Arctic
ieeberg-striking from over Old England. By
me Newfoundland banks, cutting of all New
England and New York, and passing midway
through pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.
and, indefinitely. Westward. All north of that
line was Black Republican, and all south Of Il
what was called Egypt.
What did this mean Whlt portsnd? Why,
was 4 slgn N ne very heavens Of the wisdom
Of M~ashington's Farewell Address-to bsrpaU,
Of Foreign I.aasace aad SeciiOHal Strife. The
constant commercial and social Intercourse If
New England and New York with Old England,
aud the Immediate Leigbbcrho0d Of the lake
border with Canada, had let 10 the wolf OF
feeling and pfejndics and social habit
and fsnsticism snd influence into our fold
against the Institutions Of The whole United
as established By cur Constitution of
Government. It is the most insidious foe which
has ever invaded our country. It is English
influence, operating socially, undermining our
Institutions. and threatening our peace ami
safety, bound Up 10 the cords Of our National
Ia this sense il Il his nation-this
Irhois nRtioD-0Er nation against its old enemy
English influence. And who met that inhn-
.nee and backed IL from of our nations soil