Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-01-20
COMMUNICATED.

NIEssRs. EprToRs: The General Assembly Of this
State have recently established new Judicial CIR
cult, composed Of the counties Of ObiOn, Dyer Lau
derdae and Gibson and as the time fast approach
ipswhsn the people will have to select their Judicial,
As well as their ministerial officers desire to present
some views to our Democratic brethren upon this
subject. The UNION AND AMERICAN has made such
character with our people for honesty, a0lllty'
and trutbfulness that it circuaes more widely, and
is looked for more xiously in this region, than any
other paper. and this must be my excuse for asking
to burthen its columns with this communication.
The amendments to our constitution which have
recently been made have changed the manner OF
eecting our judicial officers and brought the cleo
t:on directly before the people in strict conformity
with the principles Of true Democracy, and with the
opinions of our able and distinguished Senator
Andrew johnson, who holds that the people are the
true source Of all governmental power. -nder the
ED system remembers of the Legislature, By sW'IP
ping. frequently managed to select tue man me
people did not want but now they have the thing IN
their own hands. The Democracy have always fought
for principle, and not men, and have suffered their
whole attention to be engrOssed in carrying the PO-
lticaI elections, in which party principles we're IN
volvsd. andhave permitted them5elvestO besWIndied
ont of the judicial and ministerial offices which psy'
By the aluring cry hypocriically raised by the
Wbiys and Know Nothings, that merit and quali-
cation alone should be the test in such elections
They have always claimed, with their federal head
Daniel Webster, that their party contained all the
deceucy and talent Of the country, and they hoPeu
with such test to be able to secure all the offices N
the State. The Democracy, in the honest simplicity
Of their hearts, accepted the test, and have been
grossly swinded by their opponents, as the history
of this State will abundantly show.
The old Federal party first laid the pattern and
then the Federal Wing party, and then the Know
No.biugs nearly allied with the Black Republicans
Of the Tortbof running the question in judicial and
ministerial elecions-andt they are leagued together by
secret oaths to support each other IN Ill things DOM
poIitca and socially and can distinguish each otheE
! Inv sicns and grips, which enable them to take the
orvantars greatly Of our friends. Yet we have al
/ mana re,D able 10 f5lsn them whenever we presented
. ,,Dbroken front This circuit lies entirely within
bs Congressional district formerly represented oy
the most willy foe that Democracy has in Tennessee.
7 mean. Mr. Emerson Etheridge, who sold himself
70 the Black Republicans, and has acted with them
| ever since the transfer was made. He has been
beaten in a fair open contest and his friends nave
been routed in every contest where there was any
opDostion, which has been source Of great morlln
cs+ion IN the gentleman in the South with Northern
r-,crivftiss And although he and his friends have
b.su routed. they are not whipped they are active
sps planning for place and power, and assail our
ranks in every way under the guise Of friendship
Is well as by open attack. aud it is tie settled poll
cv OF this oath-bouud party since they have been
defeated in every contest to weaken the Democratic
marty bv division in our own ranks, and by thl'
means they could get some Of their own men in, wh'
set out in wild hunt for Office under The hyPocr'i
cal cry. "that the Office should seek the man, an'
not the man the office
We hold. down here, that our judges should b
men of sound political principles as well as Of ez
tensiye legal learning, and that they should be mel
FIRMLY attached to the Institutions Of the SouIn
We sometimes lose great advantages by DIVISION d
our ranks. occasioned by too great desire VIII
some of our men for place. Isee there Is danger
this in this circuit, where the Democrats could an
ought 10 elect their man. We have three sterIin
Democrats. all running for circuit Judge, two
I Gibson county ana Que IN SbAOh' A-Ny
qualified. and have ALL heretofore, been submisslV
to the wish Of their party. ANY one Of them ca
be elected. while the running Of all insures the de
feat Of 81, and places Know Nothing On IN
bench.
Vow, the object Of this communication is to ca
up5n the Democratic candidates to have an adJus
ment Of their claims by their mutual friends "hIc
could easily be done, and this would secure suc'e
TO the one selected, and would insure man we
qualified and one Of sound Democratic principle
aui one feryently attached to our Southern lnst''
tons. It has always been the doctrine OF the Dem
cratic party that he who would not submit to Il
wishes Of the party, was not loyal Democrat an
should be regarded as a disOrganiser' and hold tn
if any one Of the candidates was to refuse to 60 IN
thing in bsR87gul then the people ought to take Il
who was the loyal subject Of his PdffFe Tor me IN.
ling to make self-sacrifoes for its promotion, al
, not for him who would cripple his party for Sc
nromotion GIBSON DEMOCRAT
IS THE UTAH CANpAIGN.-The Washington St1t