The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-06-25
BUBBLINGS OF THE POLITICAL
CAULDRON OPPOSITION MOVE
NENTS FOR THE SUCCESSION.
From the New York Herald,

cans Of this city, at their rooms, No. oio
Broadway, opened, on Tuesday evening" a
series of meetings ito welcome the opposil
ton members of Congress on their return
from Washington" At this preliminary
meeting speeches were made by Hon. g.
A. Grow, of Pennsylvania; Hon.. Mr., LoVejoy,
of Illinois, and Hon, Mr.. Morrill,, of Yer
mont; and so far as these speeches may be
taken as the party landmarks for the future,
we may safely conclude that Slavery" the
"slave oligarchy, ""Dred Scott" and the Su-
preme Court, are to constitute the leading
elements of the republican agitation hence
forward to 1860, and that these are TO be
strongly seasoned with the expenditures,
treasury notes, loans and deficiencies of MI.
Buchannn,s administration.
On the same evening with this New York
republican, meeting there was mixed COM
mission of the opposition managers in ses-
sion at Philadelphia, 10 the form of pro.
tective tariff meeting, Henry &. Carey pre-
siding. Speeches were made by Senators
Colamer, Simmons aud Cameron, (republi-
cans) Hon. John Covode, of Pennsylvania,
. (rspublican), and Humphrey Marshall, of
Kentucky; E. Joy Morris, of Pennsylvania,
and r. w Thompson of Indiana, (Know
.NothingsJ, casting about for some healthy pc.
litical organization. Upon the basis of
protective tariff, the resolutions of the meet
ing were levelled point blank at the elections
for the next Congress; and finally, COM
,mittee Of seventy-six persons was authorized
to be appointed by the chair, enlarged with
the duty ST taking measures for carrying the
above resolutions into effect, and thus coop
perating with our feilow-citizens throughout
the Union in the effort to establish real in
dependence"
Such were the elements and such the
drift of the Philadelphia tariff meeting. 1t
contemplates a fusion Of the opposition
forces, North and South, upon that broken
plank Of tic old wing platform-a protective
tariff. We uiust awai! the upshot of the
present experiment. however, in the Pennsy-
vania Congressional elections before we can
undertake an opinion upon the general re.
suits. The solid people of Pennsylvania, or
very large proportion Of them, with their
business 10 coal and in iron works and other
manufacturing pursuits. are naturally enough
in favor of a high tariff and discriminating
duties in support of home manufactures. AT
this crisis, too, when, from the effects of the
late revulsion, The administration has been
driven TO the necessity of an issue of twenty
millions of treasury notes and loan of
twenty millions more to meet the current
obligations of the government, the alternative
is plainly before us of radical modification
Of the tariff for revenue purposes, or direct
taxation of the people in order TO put the
Treasury upon its legs again. Place, then,
the issue before the people for the relief of
the Treasury between a high protective tariff
and direct taxation, and the former will most
probably be adopted. Its exnctions nre in
visible, indirect, comparatively unfelt as a tax,
and optional with the individual to great
extent; while direct taxation involves the
visible presence of the tax collector, and the
inevitable payment of his demands in cash.
Considering, therefore, the public exigences
of the times, there may be something of
practical import in the programme of this
Philadelphia tariff meeting.
We cannot say so much of the niger, and
slavery, and 'slave oigarchy" elements Of the
republican movements re-opened in this city
on Tuesday evening. There is something
for practical agitation in Mr.. Grows "increase
of expenditures" under this administration,
although it is an increase for which Mr.,
Buchanan is scarcely more responsible than
Mr.. Grow himself. But the cry of "slavery
extension" and the "aggressions" of the
'slave oligarchy" is all humbug, when, at
single session Of Congress, we have abe
spectacle of the organization of three new
free States, without even the compromising
addition to the South of new slave Terri
terry. Nor will il answer for Mr. Grow and
his partisans to prate of the intrusions OF
''slave labor" upon free soil, when ut the late
session, every republican in Congress with
scarcely single exception), in some disguise
or other voted for the perpetual establish
ment of slavery on the free soil Of Kansas.
They will not be permitted TO shirk this is
sue before the people, nor can they expect TO
escape the consequences of their repeated
qualifications upon the Lecompton constitu.
ton.
We have said that with the dispersion OF
the members Of Congress among the people
the political cauldron would begin to bubble
and boil on all sides. We see that already
such is the case among the republicans and
the rump of the late Know Nothing will-o-
the wisp. The movements we have touched
upon, however, are but the premonitory
symptoms of he general agitation which is
soon to follow. The democracy, somewhat
terrified of late, will be compelled to show
their hands without much further delay; bu!
not till they move can we identify the loca-
tiOn Of the several parties, or their shift
ing and drifting positions in the field for
1860.