Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-03-26
BLACK REPUBLIOANIsM.


Twenty black republicans in the United States
Senstal Think Of that people Of Tennessee But
few years ago there were not more thai four rep
resgutstiyes Of the negro-wOrshppsrs in that body
How has it happened that their number is uow i've
times as great great2 Is not this the legitimate
product of democratic agitation Of the slavery
question. Recur to the political history OF the
country since 1852, and answer for yourselves
Patriot.
"How has it bsppened2" The truthisperfect-
" clear. 1t was bnol0 nothingisn which did most
of the mischief. The combination Of iansticisms
proved too strong for the National Democracy to
defeat it. The Patriot MUST know that the demo-
cratic party has never sgisted these slavery ques-
tons. We have resisted the unconstitutional as
saults upon our rights by the anti slavery fanatics
and demagogues, ard are thereby no more guilty
Of tie charge of "agitating than is be guilty Of
incsndiarism who strives to put out the fire which
is consuming his dwelling.
"Reour to the history Of the country since 1852, "
and, as the Patriot supposes, we have the reason
why there are Eve times as many black republicans
now in the United Ststes Senate as there were
then. 1t is since 1852 that know. nothingism has
come 10 tie aid Of baok-rePubloauism. Maine
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Mich
loan. Iowa. and Wisconsin, with unanimous demo-
cratic delegations in tue United States Senate, are
Tow represented by bls0E-republicaus, because Of
know-pothiDgism. The Patriot cannot dispute this
fact. Itmav say shat southern know uothings
have repudistei their northern alies but the So
o1et organization, appealing to religious Prejudices
and fostered by the Patriot and its associates here
gave the abohtions,s power which they could not
otherwise have obtsin5d. As 3 single fsnstcism,
working per Sc, know nothingsm was dead failure
IN the South. It broke down the old wing party,
which was really formidable here, and did nothing
else. It can itself aspire no higher than to the rank
of faction, and wretcaedy miserable one at that,
What it has accomplished is Just wba. the Patriot
chronicles in the text shove joining the abolition
jsts. it has defeated the National Democracy in
several of the Northern States and placed twenty,
instesd of four, aboltionists in the Senate. To
large extent southern know-no: hingism is Tespon-
gibe fer this result Many Of its leaders have ex'
ulted as each National Democrat n the north has
been struck down by the allied forces of know
nothiugism and sboltionism and such is their
hatred of democracy that We doubt if there is more
of sorrow and regret than Of triumph and e1ults
ton III the announcement they are able now to
make that there are now twenty, instead Of four,
abotionists 10 the Senate.
The Patriot is itself exceedingly inConsstt Mt in
its chsrgs Of d" agitation sgainst tie democratic
party. The charge is founded on the repeal Of the
Missouri compromise. Yet TIE Patriot was in
favor Of that legislation, supporting the repeal quite
as earnestly as We did. Surely, it ought to have
more selcresPect than to JON in this seusaess cry
against the democratic party for agitatiDg the
question, when it gave its own earnest support to
the legislation On which tie charge is founded.