Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-29
From The Natimlai intelligence.
The acgutsstfon orCuba.

little Dat1erlDg 10 tne lnteingence OF the pro-
pie, it would sometimes be amusing, to observe
the different and contrary grounds on which
the same measure or policy is not unfrequent-
-iy advocated in different parts of the country
by the loyal adherents of the same political
party. If only the same practical conclusion
j. reached. it seems TO be a matter of agree
ment among the patrons of more than one
political issue, in the present as well as in
the past, that they should be respectively
left to base their advocacy of its eligibility.
on such considerations may ne found to
hest compOrt with their own Judgment and
the necessities of the case arising from the
iiprejudices' they are severally called to
address. Though it il quite impossible that
the same measures of State policy can effect
pr cisely opposite results, and though, when
the day of final reckoning comes, one or the
o her OF the coluding or seif-deceived con-
stituents of the same political organization
must be doomed to disappointment and
defeat. it is common to observe a mutual
willingness on the part of all to compass
definite ends without any very strict regard
to the motives by which they have been COM
mended to the popular support of different
communities
When, in the discharge of our plainest duty
as public journalists, called faithfully and
candidly to reflect the expressions of popular
opinion in all parts of the Confederacy,
have sometimes been compelled to disclose
the grave differences which exist among our
Democratic friends in their variant support of
the same measures, il has been charged by
few among the more partisan journals of the
Democracy that in thus making a. simple
record of historical facts we were animated by
a desire to ''sow discussions in the party" and
give encouragement to the esprit of faction.
Under some strange inversion or confusion of
ideas, it would seem 10 he held by such that
we are responsible for the unpleasant facts
which We merely chronicle, and which we
could not suppress without tOrfeitng the con-
fidence we desire our readers to repose in us.
If the Democracy will give over their bick-
erings and briug themselves into harmonious
accord. not only over the men they support
and the measures they spouse, but also over
the principles in whose name those men and
measures are urged, we shall be quite as ready
to rccite the evidences of their union as we
have been To reveal the the late indications of
that disorganzatiOn and discOrd which, by
the admission of the official journal, threaten
TO become chronic in the party. u r
Among the measures formerly advocated
by portion of the Democracy, both at the
North and the South. is the acquisition and
annexation of Cuba, though we are glad to
believe that the most sagaciOus leaders of the
party in both sections have abandoned the
object as impracticable if il were desirable,
and undesirable if it were practicable. At
the South it has been common for some To re-
commend the measure because of the fancied
accession it would bring to the political pow
er and social system of that sectiou-cOnsd-
erations which, Notwithstanding the warn
ngs of the more discreet among Southern
statesmen. have sufficcd to outweigh in the
obvious objections TO such a scheme, when
in its relation 10 the national de-
fence and The Federal expenditures, the for
mrr of which would he positively weakened |
and the latter Incidentally enhanced by such |
an extension of our borders AT the North |
il has heretofore been common among the |
advocates of this same measure to base its adj |
entirely on the new commercial IA |
cilities which it would afford to the trading |
ilnd manufacturing classes of that section, who |
it was argued, should be willing to forego |
their preludlceS against an Increase of ''slavc |
States on the ground of the ameliOrating in |
huences under which the social system of Gu |
la would come on her incorporation into the |
Union. and also on the ground of the atore- |
said economical advantages destined to be |
rcaped almost exclusively by tie North.
We learn, however, from recent develop |
ments of Northern Democratic opinion, that |
the annexation of this coveted island is now
urged in certain quarters as an essential aEti- |
slavery measure, deserving and challenging |
the support of all who would weaken the po- |
litical influence of what is commonly and oft
en- most absurdly called "the Slave Power
As "A single Illustration of this theory. we
cite the following significant resolution from
the proceedings of a Democratic meeting, held
in Albany New York, on Saturday last, for
the purpose of nominating a candidate for
Congress from the metropolitan district in
that State:
''Resoloed, That the course of ERAsTus Cor
MING in sustaining the administration OF the
President of our choice, is fully approved by
this Convention, and that we shall take much
pleasure in seeing his vote recorded for the
requirement of Cuba. should Manifest Des-
tiny bring that question before the present or
the next Congress, to which we intend he
shall lie elected, believing that by its peaceful
acquisition the slave trade will be effectually
stopped, the border slave States be made free
States. and more extended market opened
for the wheat, corn, pork. and other products
of the North and West in exchange for cheap
sugar"
1t is no part of our present purpose to
comment on the propositions contained in
this slightly confused and cOnglomerate resO-
luton, which. notwithstanding its syntactical
involutiOn, explicitly prOpOunds the doctrine
that the Albany ID 1mocracy advocate the ac-
quirement Of Cuba because, among its other
advantages. they believe it would convert
1.-THE border Slave States into so many addi-
tional Free States, and thus tend to increase
the preponderance of the latter in the Con-
We have lately seen in more than
one Southern journal some sprculations con-
firmatory of this view, pointing to the most
probable results of Cuban annexation, con-
sld"red in its purely sectional relations: but,
whether the view be well taken or hot. it
serves to afford another illustration of the
fatal harmony concerted on practical mea-
sures when the latter are advocated on prn-
ciples Numerically antagnnistic to each other.
For surely the Southern Democrat does not
unite with his political coat, derate of New
York in hoping for the acquisition of Cuba
because he believes with the latter that ii
will have for its inevitable consequence to
drain off the slaves from the border States of
Delaware, Maryland. Virginia Kentucky, and
Missouri, until in the end those States will
help 10 swell the increasing numerical pre-
ponderance OF 1.-The North" And, as it is
quite impossible t,Iat both wings of the party
can witness a fulhlment of their contrary
hopes in the premises, who does not see that
their temporary nnion in the advocacy of this
measure is destined. should it ever be success
full. to plant the seeds of future and perhaps
resentmcnts? However sincere
each segment of the party may now be in the
opinions it holds, il must needs be that the
one or the other shall find in the end that It's
hopes have been brought to confusion; and
hence the political necessity as well as the
moral propriety of coming to some harmon
ious understanding, not only upon particular
measures of public policy but also upon their
legitimate aim and logical tendency.