Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-08-14

1hTURUAE motsNAIs"s AC~@OSA A+' AS0o'
"PIping Tines,
We have been unable TO conjecture for some time
mast. What issue the opposition would make in the
1ext canvass We could discover no single princi
pie on which they could harmOnizs-nO common
platform on which ell the various and coHtending
factions could unite. But the mystery is nov
solved Our neighbor Of the BanEer has started
question, which win swallow up all others and re-
coucle the inoongruous elements Of the opposition
The slavery question viii now be forgotten, the con
test about foreigners and Catholics will cease.
Even Distribution will sink into insignifeance and
.shide its diminished head, nOWthat our neighbor
has presented subject Of such general and absorb
ing interest The importapt issue which the Amer
lean people viii be called on to decide at The next
election is 'water pipes" This is the only matter
which deserves the smallest share OF public atten
fiou. It involves the life liberty and happiness Of
every man, woman and child throughout the nation
and it behOOves the people to ponder long and de-
Hberate mRturely before they determine what posi-
ton they will take on the question. The readers Of
the BannsT will be saved the trouble Of thinking
much about the matter, however. Our neighbor has
explained it to everybody's satisfaction If there
is anything that the Banner does understand, it is
''Wster pipes" and the the Banner has taken its
position. Nav. it has taken several positions on
The question, all equally satisfactory and equally
manageable Our neighbor has demonstrated them
all to be correct. Why then should his readers con-
Germ themselves any further about the matter
They can take any side of the question they please
and quote the Banners authority to sustain them.
With such bulWark of defense why need they fear
opposition or assault. The Bulls hide shield" Of
Ajax was invulnerable even to HeetOr's spear, and
the man who shelters himself behind the Banner
''may defy the world in arms"
But let US not trife with subject Of such grave
magnitude and importance. Our readers are less
fortunate than the readers Of the Banner forwe can
not pretend to the logical ability Of Sir Hudibras
and the Banner, who
A hair twixt south and southwest side,
On either which he can dispute,
Confute, change hands, and still eOnfute.
We have not our neighbours versatility in taking
several positions on the same question. So we are
determined that our readers shall have the benefit
Of the Banner positions.
Our neighbor sets out with well told, story
equal in interest to Little Red RidingbOod, about
q certain contract between the government and Mr..
LAWRENCE MYERs for the construction of water
pipes in Washington City. This contract is freud
ulenty let by the Administration, which is the wolf
of the story,to Mr.. LAWRENCE MYERs, who buys his
irOnin Glasgow to the injury of poor Pennsylvania
manufacturers, waO are starving to death for want
Ofsomelhing to do. This Mr. LAWRENCE MYERS, who
buys iron in Glasgow, is Influenced by the admin
istration to give the foreign manufacturers more
than the Pennsylvania manufacturers charge, and
this is done by the administration for the purpose
Of bribing votes" or as the Banner expresses It.
"bribiDg new recruits to enlist under the Deuocra,
tic standard" We may infer from this that Mr.
BUCHANAN cOntemplates the still greater strocty Of
buying men in Scotland to come over here and vote
for him in 1860.
After moving our sympathies deeply by this hear
rending recital the Bassr says in its issue of Au,
gust 4
'In the case stated BY the North american home
competition was entirely excluded, and the New
York and Pennsylvania manufacturers could not 90
tain the contract, although they altered to supply the
iron from eighty fire cents 10 one dollar ton cheaper
than Il could be supplied IN GiUgow."
Here then is the first position taken by the Ban,
Her. Pennsylvania and New York manufacturers
could supply the iron cheaper than it could be sup
piled in Glasgow; and the Bonner goes on to prov,
from these facts that we must have protective Ia.
riff. On August 18th the Banner states that iror
is cheaper in Scotland than in this country, and
CUES tberefrom that we ought to have a proJectiy
tariff. We again quote the Banners language:
The iron can be bought al a l2Ccr figure IN Scot
land than IN america, but instead OF aiding the ar
rFf b1 TT4s1s i Hr4r tot
1t. If iron can be bought cheaper in Europe pur
chssers will 60 there for supplies, and manu-
factories will continue 10 languish The cas-
would be different if We had tariff Our iron Coul
then be afforded the cheapest, and our mRnufactO
ries would flourish"
Here, the reader will perceive, are two differen
positions already, and the best of it is, the Bann.
makes each of these conflicting statements prov
the same thing viz: the necessity of O high tariff
But this is not all After making such exceller
use of the price of this iron. the Banner bold
throws away both Crutehes on which its argumer
has been prOpPed, and says in its issue Of yesteI
day, it s not material whether or not rou il cI espC
in Scotlond than America The Banner has sui
Cseded so well in establishing its proposition froI
conflicting facts, that is confident Of establishing
without any facts at all They are not material
to our Rsigbbor. He can stand alone and wal
unsupported. He can prove any thing he please
whether he has any premises to 20 on or no
We have no doubt he could have gotten along just
well if Mr.. LAWRENCE MYERS never had bought an
iron and the government never had aDy-''wat
pipes"
The Banner concludes its argument on wat
pipes by saying,
1--WE are sorry We have not space in to-day's i
sue to discuss 'his subject more fully"
We cant symPathise with our neighbOr in h
sorrow. We are glad Of it, for really if OF
neighbOr had had space, having already exhaust,
column and hall, he would have told US so mar
things that we never could have remembered the
in the world. We are permitted TO dismiss the su
je0t at this point, promising readers to report
them faithfully whatever the Banner may say abo
'Fster pipes hereafter
Gov. Browns Letter.