Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-28
Executive Interference I'm Elections
rebuked by Gov. Jones.

The contest IN Illinois between Senator
DOUGLAS and the black republican Lincoln,
progresses with increased spirit and enthu-
siasm. DOUGLAS is making the greatest
struggle of his life, and there would be no
doubt of his triumph were 1t not for the in
reference of President BUCHANAN and
his Office holders, who are doing all they can
to secure the success of the abolition republic
can candidate. This interference, although
winked at in some quarters, especially in the
South, by democratic leaders and organs in
the service of the President, or hungriiy
awaiting the falling crumbs from his table, is
making deep impression upon the minds of
honest, rejecting democrats, who feel the i'm
portance of keeping the ballot box free from
the centralizing influence and domination of
the Federal Administration. An indication
of this is seen in the speech of Gov. JONES at
Springfield H., sketch of which we find in
the Memphis Appeal. We make an extract in
point:
awhile in the controversy between the
President and Mr.. Douglas he and they might
have no particular interest, yet there was
one principle involved in this controversy to
which as being one of the fundamental doc
trines of the old Wing party, they should
now show their preference by sustaining Mr..
Douglas; this was THE FREEDOM OF THE ELEC-
TIVE FRANCHISE FROM ExECUTTE CONTROL OR
INTERFERENCE In this and the Capitalization
of power in the Federal Government our
fathers realized was the greatest danger to
our freedom With millions of money at his
command, and thousands of off1ce-holders
holding their places at his pleasure, Presi
dent, if he so desired, might so exert his
power as to sap the very foundations of this
Government, and destroy the sovereignty of
the States. He did not charge Mr.. Buchanan
with doing this, but if he was attempting TO
interfere in the elections by the use of Exc
cutive power and patronage, that course
ought to be rebuked by Wings and DEM
ocrats He thought that Mr.. Douglas had
done more. and still could do more, to adj
vance the interest and prosperity of the
State of Illinois than any other man-and he
did not believe that, by searching, another
could be found who had the heart, the will,
and the brains to do so much for this State as
Douglas. He was for him because he knew
the man, had seen him tried and had wit
messed him standing almost alone, nobly,
manfully, and periodically defending the
great principles of the Constitution. He had
been with Douglas in the contest in relation
to the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and knew that
he was only governed by the most patriotic
motives"
Gov JONES, it will be noticed, addressed
these remarks particularly to old line Wings,
because, opposition to Executive interference
in elections was leading feature of wing
policy; but, in the early days of the republic,
the democracy occupied the same position,
and there are thousands of the party now
who adhere to the old Jeffersonian standard,
aud, we suspect, would gladly see Mr.. BUCH-
ANAN sharply rebuked. May we not hope
that they viii take measures to resist the
the usurpations of the Federal Government,
and arrest the tide of corruption which
threatens to deluge the rights of the people
and the rights of the States?