Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-17
The Rank Fest.

A portion of the democratic Journals of the
State are disposed to ignore the Bank ques-
ton as a party test The Memphis appeal,
one of the most discreet and thoughtful or
pans of the sham democracy in the State, de
livers itself in this wise on the subject:
Tennessee has been a sovereign State since
the wear 1876. and during that whole time,
we do not think that the currency has been
made test Of Democracy. Whiggcry. Know
Nothingism or anything else. 1t has uni
yersally been treated as domestic and not as
a political question.
We know that there are those in the State,
who hope to see the Democracy divided upon
what seemed to be made an Issue in the last
Tennessee Legislature. The distinction be-
tween hdrds and Softs was raised in the Legis-
latrre on the currency question, and we know
that an effort has been made to spread this
distinction and this difference among the peO-
pie. But we are moreover prepared to say.
that the bait will not take. The Democracy
of Tennessee are too loyal to be divided on
the bank question, and we assure those who
are anxious TO incorporate into our State
Democratic creed those interpretations on the
subject of the currency. that after the Con-
yention, they will be found in the vocative.
The terms hards and softs should have died
with the occasion which gave rise to them;
and no man can be deemed friend 10 The real
interests of the State, The success Of the Demo
cratic partv tcho tcW msiS upon their present use,
or syire 10 keeD Ghpe tie distinction rhich they tenn
pordrily Conveyed"
Further, touching the reforms adapted by
the last Legislature, the <ilPeaL persuasiveiy
remarks:
"Tbat BODY, however, did all that could
have been reasonably expected OF them under
all the circumstances which surrounded them,
stretching their powers, as some of the courts
have supposed TO their utmost capacity. Let
the reforms proposed be fairly tried and
tested by experience; and then, il found ne
cessarv and advisable, we may venture upon
others They have so far worked well, CIV
ing us a currency equal to any in the Union,
and readily converted into coin at the will of
the holder; and besides, exchanges on all
points are in favor of the State. But, as we
have previously intimated, the character and
extent of any reforms which may be found
desirable. is a matter for Legislative action,
and not property rihia The pror!nce and scope q a
Party C6npeition."
On the contrary the Democratic Herald, at
Columbia nearly month ago held:
al is NOT quite clear that IN the net State cam
pdiqn the currency question IS 10 be The terdi'g issue
contest, to assemble in convention, define
their exact position and nominate their
candidates. The Issue is being rapidly made
up in the public mind. Indeed majority of
the people as we'll as the politicians and
presses have already made mp their minds
With "A very few, (and, for the good Of the
Democratic party, fortunate excentionO every
one of the bank aPologists are hno'e-nothings
Throughout the State it will be found that
ninety-nine out of every hundred bank men
are know-nothngs. We do not assume
however. nor do we believe that the entire
mass OF KnOw-nothings of the State are
banktes. On the contrary the result of the
next contest will show that IAN Immense
majority of the whole peop'e-composed OF
almost the entire Democratic party and a
very large mass of the rank and file of the
Know-uotAings are dead out against banks"
Again the same paper says:
.'In the coming campaign we are TO meet
| for the first time the question of State cur
rency. Ii has never before arisen in a
| practicable shape, and a party we have
| therefore made no record upon II. Ii is true
that the general principles of our precedents
a. part OF u national organization. upon a
similar question of national currency, INK our
| position yet il has never been aathoritaiiSely
defined The duty Of defining oar ers'o line q
poliy belongs u rgf and appropriately 70 Tee ned
State Coanes.t'ea y oar party
These two are certainly at loggerhesais.-
| 1t may be If some moment 10 the 'harmony
If the party TO have tue matter decided
before proceeding TO make up the issue. We
know OF democrats who would like TO know
how il Is. Speak out gentlemen-let us
have no eoncealments.