Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-09
Union of the Opposition.

| In reply to the severe and ancalled foI
structures on the recommendation of the Lou
| isvlle Journal of revival and reorganization
of the Wing party, that paper prints an elab
crate article, explanatory of its position, from
which we make the subjoined extracts:
"Without giving, at this time. any opinion
| as to the correctness or incorrectness of the
! bred Scott decision of the Supreme Court OF
| the United States, we may say that the viewt
Indicated by the court in that case must, il
they have been or shall be authoritatively an
nounced by that tribunal, take the whole
question as to slavery in the Territories from
Congress and from the Territorial population.
And now if Mr.. Lincoln and other Northern
meu VIII agree to abide by the decisions OF
the Supreme Court so long as those decisions
remain unreversed, their private opinions as
to slavery in the Territories can have no prac-
teal effect and therefore need form no bar to
a lust cooperation between them and others
in behalf Of practical conservatism. But, II
Northern men insist upon excluding slavery
from the Territories by Congressional legisla-
ton or by the operation of squatter sover-
eighty in defiance of the National Judiciary
if they are resolved TO make that part OF
their platform. or if they mean to make a re-
organization of the Supreme Court or a
change of its character with view to the re-
versatl of the bred Scott decision or any other
decision as to slavery question In the Presl-
Dental election, then the door to all harmony
of action between them and the Americans is
closed utterly and forever. If Northern Con-
servatives and Southern Conservatives are to
act together. they must do it as they did it in
1856 and in 1S52-by treating the slavery
question as settled and determining to dis
courage and put down the agitation of it..
The platform of principles of the American
party admits of every effort to purify the adj
ministration-to correct malpractice in the
discharge of public trusts-to reform extrav-
agance and corruption, and to inaugurate a
sound, healthy, and patriotic administration,
which, in the language of the Vigo platform
lately adopted in Indiana, by a mixed meet
ing of the opponents of the existing corrupt
and imbicile administration of Buchanan,
''shali cultivate friendship between the North
and South. and shall honestly administer the
government for the protection and mainten-
ance of the rights of all sections"
But it does not admit of cooperation with
any organization proclaiming the motto of
mo more slave States" Down with slavery
as a league with Hell''- Americanism is Ut
terly. hostile to sectional agitation and utterly
repudates the sowing of the seeds of sectional
discord; therefore, it cannot cooperate with
any organization which wars upon the consti-
tutional rights of the States or upon the con-
sttutional rights of the citizens of any sec
ton. 1t will not join in any crusade against
the Supreme Court of the United States. 1t
will not enter upon partnership with an Or
ganization whose protested purpose in the
event of victory shall be either one or all of
these. But it does not refuse to unite with
conservative, just, patriotic men from North,
South, East or West, in the attainment of
proper objects, honest administration, the COR
rection of evils. the adoption of salutary re-
forms, the cultivation of kind relations at
home and abroad, the maintenance of the ma
tional honor, the performance of national OBJ
legations and trusts, the spread and develop
ment of American commerce, the protection
of American rights, the punishment of fraud
upon the American franchise, and the cult
walton of spirit of devotion to the Ameri-
can Union.
We conclude then with this declaration: all
sanitary reforms, all sensible measures, all
enlightened and patriotic aims, can and will
be advocated by us as Americans, and in the
American party as a political organization,
unless some other conservative organization
be inaugurated. We shall, until such time,
continue to follow the American flag under
which we enlisted when we joined the party,
aud hope constantly to hear from the mouths
of our American brethren the music Of the
Union.