Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-05-09


nSgL The meanest imaginable political compound
that could by possibility, be combined, is Federal
lam, Abolitionism and Know Nothingism) But not
withstanding the wonderula and adaptation
in the main, between the three, cannot think so
poorly of humanity as to believe that there are any
respectable number Of American citizens whose
minds are so stepped in political degradation as to-
knowingly, embrace them all. And yet there are
thousands in Tennessee who, to say the least OF IT.
are stenngt the counsel and following the leadota
newspaper organ whose editor receives and reflects
In one harmonious whole each Of these distinctive
isms, in their most hiieous and disgusting form
We aflude to the Louisville JOWHaI-Of course
Conducted with great industry and ability, it mas
succeeded by its party service in reaching The FIRE
sides of larger number Of Tennessee leaders, than
any paper of the same party printed even in our own
State Hundreds Of men, who out for the blindness
sfpary prejudice would xii it from their door, read
It with a sweeer rel.s. than they read their bibles
That its editor IS a Know Nothing, is matter Of
common fame That he is one of the "intensest
Of the orf.er, was attested by the part his paper
piaysI in the bloody riots which have so recently
Bgraced the city in which it is printed. That he is
an A5otionist in sentiment, must be evident to every
one who has been familiar with his political essays
and editorials He freely admits, in his published
biography Of Mr. CLAY that he regards slavery with
s'mingled adherence, as 81 a monster Of evil; a
deadly vampire draining away the life-blOOd of the
Republic" He will not deny that he once main
tanned that all men have a right to liberty,
ter tOkat color, and that revolution had commen-
eed owhose wheels must continue to move onward
till they reach the goal Of mjUsrsal freedom. These
general ideas, early Swallowed forth, have been the
basis of his whole subsequent course relative to
slavery.
That the writer Of the editorials in the Journal
Is 9 Federalist, we presume he would not deny if
questioned The masses are but as dumb brutes in
his estimation without the aid Of Judgment or NOR
al sense That only the best and the Wisest in
other words, the hgh-bOrn and intelligent-are
capable of managing public affairs. And that the
idO q of the people looking TO themselves instead
Of particular men, is either sheer nonsense or RI
dieulous bull, without philosophy Or reason in it.
One of its recent articles deplores the scarcity of
that sort of men-thOse leading spirits born rule
which are 50 much needed to govern the country.
The poor people, in its estimation, are a family Of
orphans, without the judgment and influence of pa
rental concern, and unable to take care Of them
selves. By way Of enforcing the idea, it says:
Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that
the masses of the people, as distinguished
from the intelligent and conscientious few, can
achieve wholesome revolution in public affairs
The bund affections Of the individual might
well be expected TO elevate him without the aid Of
judgment and the moral sense. The body could as
easily conquer its lusts without the aid of the soul
The idea OF the peoples looking to themselves in
n GfrrF Iv oft or
. ridiculous bull. There is neither philosophy nor
IN 1t. The best and wisest of the people are
in . republic, the only source Of national regenera-
tion, aud the best and wisest Of the people are
"neB."
What the Journal means by the words best and
and visest" is the favored few, born to think for
ths many.
And this is the paper that is looked to as author
iy Tennessee upon questions in political ethics
paper that blends in its columns the worst ele-
msuts of all the isms with which the country has
been plagued in the course of it political history
The most fJrci5ls argument the editor could make
IN behalf Of his proposition that the 'idea Of the
people looking to themselves instead Of men, is
strictly either sheer nonsense or ridiculous bull,
would be to instance the fact that thousands of the
very people whose want Of common honesty and
sense he thus pirates about are regular patrons of
his paper, and are ever ready to applaud whatever
position he assumes. Such are the follies of men
when binding prejudice gets the mastery Of reason
~ The Banner Of yesterday contains call
With hundred signatures, for Convention to nom
mate candidate for Congress in this district, Maj
HEyR4 having declined. The Banner says that q
similar call is being gotten up in Stewart General
ZoLI1ooFFER having expressed determination to