Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-12-29
- 1870 lIanIEe.lo.

When WA. u nEWAkD pfoclalAe0 % Nss-esteA
thst slavery must cease, and the whole country
must Be devoted 70 Freedom. The more timid Of The
soaiharn opposition were appalled, ana asloundsd 81
the boldness OF the proposition. But frNiHg that
the sentiment Is endorsed BY a majority Of The
domiuart party in the NORTH whose aid and alliance
thsy seek, the Know Nothing organs are preparing
the public mind 10 receive the odious doctrine
We have long been convinced that the enemies Of
the Democracy would sell TIE South for success
that they would submit 10 any humiliation TO obtain
triumph ever he Democratic party. Their only
hope Of victory is in q coalition with the Black
Republicans and they are resolved 10 receive any
terms which their new allies may impose upon shem
Even SrwARD's "bloody and brutal manifesto
hiss failed 10 disgust them. TIE Louisville 5omRzi
pEonouuces lie most objectionable sentiment "a
perfectly innocent proposition, and eulogiEes The
speech as one Of the most "eloqqeut and graceful
ever delivered from the American stump" Other
opposition papers ct the South have sought 10 palli
ate the enoTmiiy Of Is doctrines, and even those
which we're startled ct frst, By the open and uudis
guissd hostility which il proclaimed against the
people and institutions Of The slavs-holdng States,
have greatly moderated the ions Of heir eOndemna-
ton. It will be remembered that Mr.. SEWARD as
serted in his Rochester speech that in the next FIVE
years the Republican party would organize in the
Southern States, ard while do not fear thst any
considerable portion Of the Know Nothing party
viii 50 far beiray their own interests TO unite in
such movement, We cannot fail TO recognize in the
facts, to which We have referred, settled determin
alton on the part Of The BEEE and CalTTENDEE or
gans, to promote Mr.. srWABD's plans. Strange as
it may seem, Leading and Influential papers here in
Tennessee are attempting to arouse popular haired
against the institution of slavery. The Franklin
ReUisp in its issue Of December 16, contains long
editorial article il which that Journal repeats the
sentiment Of SUMNER and WItsoE, that slavery is
based upon sristooraey, and incompatible with pure
Jeffersonian Democracy. This is nov the most pop
ular mode of assailing the institution among the
abolition demagOgues Of the free States, and is
intended 20 excite the luminosity Of the masses
against the owners Of slaves Il is somewhat signi-
fcaBt that the Franklin Rsyiflg is one Of tba warm.
est supporters Of Mr. BELL and in the issue before
Us expresses its preference for Mr.. BELL and en-
dOrses the views of VIZ r. SEWARD. That we may
do NO injustice to contemporary quote large
portion Of the article from the RsUieg, only taking
the liberty Of itsliczing such passages as We think
should receive particular attention.
Democracy vs.. slavery.
We have heretofore argued in the columns Of the
ReDie that democracy Is Incompatible h The ezsfees
Of such iasfifEs0R domestic siaosFyfhaf the TAI
Ter Is necessarily and essentially dspeadH upon soe1i
state AID political 0rgaais10H o. less aTistO-
cratic In the present condition Of political affairs
in this country, this msy perhaps be regarded a
mere abstraction, the discussion Of which can have
no influence upon the political action Of this or any
other State OF our confederscy. We are ready to /
admit this and that return 10 aristOerafie ivstutioas
sach tie 1iateHaace Of African slavery among
a5sotsv regasrss roJt J violent reDoEution Is not
nor to Be ezPeefed-hardiy TO Be hoped for
However this may be, we can no darm TO grow /
out of such an enquiry OF from showing the truth
upon this any other subject ana we have some
reasons for desiring to place ourselves distinctly on
the record in regard to this. And to avoid all mis-
apprehension, We here state that by the term de-
mooraey, we do not mean the democratic party, now
so called; bat employ the term in its genuine efymo
logical import. For still greater safety, define
our democracy to be political community in which
the absolute sovereignty resides in 8 numerical mas
jority Of free white male adults.
With this precautionary definition Of the word, /
we state our doctrine TO be that democracy is IN
consistent with the permanent existence Of African
slavery 10 auy community where large majority 1
of the voters OF soveregns are not shareholders Is
a eoyoIIarH from ftis proposition, q 1oOus that
r or Eafer democracy igilE d6olisb 4 fric11 slGBer
Tennessee and The i've other nozsheR Stare S,gtss
We not about to infiot upon 9RFfesders rep
heretofore said-upon this topic; indeed DO We i
E1uteSdTo discuss it a. ali Oar present purpose
is TO show that do not stand alone in our opin-
ions-tO aaduce some high authority in confirmation
Of our views.
We have heretofore alleged that the anti-slavery
party N the free States is the natural and legitimate
outgroWth Of democratic sentiments and institu
tons. We proceed now to prove that the two great
leaders Of that party, in both its phases, Of Republic
esnism and abolition, regard this matter just as we
DO IL - rfsr HI ~
SenstoF Seward considers himself and his adherents
standing upon The platform of genuine, Jeferso
nisn Democracy aud that al pTo-slaUery political &C
zion implies departure from the democratic idea
In fis zee entirely agree Nth him. From his late
speech ct Rochester, make the following extract.
Speaking Of the Constitution Of the United States,
he says:
This is Constitution of freedom It is being
converted into q Constitution Of slavery. Il is a
Republican Constitution Il is being made an arisN
collateral questions concerning temperance or the
elective franchise properly settled Let me ask
all such persons whether Time enough has not been
wasted on these points already, without gaining any
other than this single advantage namely, the discoT
cry that only thing be eectually done one
time, and that the thing which must and win be
done a. any time is just that thing which is most
urgent and will no longer admit Of posponement or
delay? Finally, We are told by faint hearted men
that they despOnd the Democratic party they say is
lnconquerable and the dominion Of slavery is con-
sequenty inevitable. reply to them, that the com
plete and universal dominion Of slavery would be in
Olerabe enough when it should have come after the
last possible efOrtat escape should have been made
rhsFs would in that be left to us the consolng
rejection Of fidelity to duty. y
Eat / reply further that knoW-few, think
nov better Than 1.-The resources aud the energies
Il the Democratic party, which is identical with the
lave power. do ample prestige TO its traditional
popularity. ] know further-feW, l think know d
letter than 1.-The disadvantages and difficulties Of
rganizing new political force like the Republican
arty, and the obstacles it must encounter in labor
1g without prestige and without patronage; but Il
all this, know that the Democratic Il
arty must go down snd the Republican party must
se into It's place TIE Democratic party derived ts
regh orgiaGty iron It's adoption Of the principles Of
uat and exact justice 10 az So long it prac
ced this principle faithfully it iuvulnerabe; il
soame vulnerable when it renowned It, and since N
80 time il has maintained ITSELF not by virtue Of its
Fn strength, or even of its traditional merits but
cause there as yet had appeared in che political Of
Id other party that had the Coincidence and the Il
ursge 10 take up and aVoW and practice the life III
spring principle which the Democratic party had vi
rendered At last the Republican party has ap- ST
AIRED. II svows now, The Republican parfy of rl'
100 did, ia one cord fah and as l0orks EQUAL rt'
d ezaet i48fics 10 az men Even when it first Gu
tered the field only half organized, it struck Sp
which only just failed to complete and toi
umphant victory In this, lie second campaign tro
has already Won advantages which render that
umph now both easy and certain" e1
The italics in the above extracts from SRwARp's A'