Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-04-22
The Opposition i'm Tennessee
Can We COalescc in 1850?

! Il AAc ODvDOSAt1On Il CubAGSS0sVe'
Can We COalescc in lS6Os
Our readers are aware that numerou
propositions, Of all shapes and shades, al
now making and floating on the air, wit
reference to union of the Opposition Sout
and the Opposition North on one commo
platform and candidate for 1860, against tn
Democratic party; the platform to ignore a
9aestions of difference between the tw
branches Of the Opposition, and the candidat
to take his stand somewhere ''between ant
betwixt, and a little mixed" Mr.. Bell, 0
Tennessee, has been named by several prom
inent journals for the post. Such a uniol
has been openly advocated by some, hnte'
at by others, and rather favorably regarded
by large majority of the Opposition.
The Opposition party in Tennessee have
recently met in convention, at Nashville, and
nominated candidate for Governor and built
platform. We insert it entire, that Repub-
licans here may see how nearly and cordially
they could stand with our Southern friends
upon what they no doubt consider remark
ably liberal and conservative platform:
l. That the Union, as established by the
Federal Constitution, Is the surest guara,at,
Of tue rights and interests Of all sections OF
the country, and should be preserved.
II. That, while we will maintain with
unwavering firmness our consti,utionalrights
II, relation to sLauery, we believe that the
further agitation of the question tends to nc
practical good to any portion of the country
and should therefore cease regarding the
principle as settled that the people of the
Territories, aohen they come to form a c0,asti-
tuition and establish State Government,
shall decide the question for themselves.
III. That we are opposed to direct taxation,
and in favor of the adoption of tariff ade-
quate to the expenses Of an economical
with specific duties where applicable, discrim-
mating in favor of American industry.
Nv. That the United States should accept
the Island of Cuba at any time when it can
be acquired consistently with the national
honor, and should resist to the last extremity
its transfer to any foreign power.
V. That, in the disposition of the public
lands, otherwise than for governmental pur-
poses, Tennessee and all the old States are
equally entitled to receioe a proportion oith
the States md Territories auhere they are
located.
vi. That we are in favor of reasonable
erteasiou of the period Of probation noac
prescribed for the naturalization Of foreign
crs, and mere rigid enforcement Of the lao
upon that subject; the prohibition Of the
immigration Of foreign paupers and c'im-
inals, and the prevention of all foreigners not
naturaized from voting at elections.
VII. That the recommendation of the
President that Congress shall confer upon
him the war-making power, and subject the
army and navy to his control, with the
demand for enormous appropriations out OF
the public Treasury to carry out his views /;
coupled with the reckless extravaganza, waste
of the public money, and corruption practised
under the present Administration, deserve
the unqualified condemnation and rebuke of
the whole country.
VIII. That we are in favor Of sound and
welregulated banking system, the issues
whereof shall, by being payable on their face
at the place whence issued, be convertible, at
the will of the holder, into the precious metals.
TX. That we favor the maintenance invio-
late of the public faith by the prompt payment
at whatever sacrifice of the public debt, and
no further increase of it unless for some
object of indispensable public necessity.
X. That we here pledge ourselves to use
our earnest exertons and united influence to
overthrow that party, which, having brought
the Government to bankruptcy, and filled the
whole land with discord, have now themselves
caught the contagion, and agree in nothing
lop,;niOn and hound
together by no tie except "the cohesive power
of public plunder;" and we hereby pledge
ourselves, the one to the other, and to our
common country, to use our best exsrtlons to
restore the administration of the Government
to its original purity; and to effect these
laudable objects we earnestly advise the
Opposition to the present Democratic party
to organize in every county of the State, and
prcpare for the work of retrenchment and
reform.
The Hon. John Bell, the proposed candidate
of the united Opposition, then addressed the
convention, endorsing, we presume, the plat
form. 1t was no doubt an occasion made for
the purpose of allowing Mr.. Bell to show his
hand, and define the position of the proposed
Opposition party. 1t is the programme for
the coming ball of 1860, to which Mr.. Bell,
orr Native American brethren, and our Old
Line Wing cousins of the South, who are by
this time becoming little hungry and impa-
tient. are now issuing tickets of invitation to
the Republicans tickets so much apiece
the fiddler and the supper to be paid for by
the invited guests. Let us examine the bill
of fare.
Resolution No. l is the old clap-trap, dingy
generality which has become so familiar, Of
late years, as the heading of any special ras-
cality which its authors wished to cover up.
Besides this, it is not true. The Union may
be one of the guarantees of the rights and
interests of all sections, and again it may not
be. This depends entirely on circumstances
But that it is the surest guaranty OF such
rights and interests, we Internationally deny
It rests entirely with the men who manage
it, and the principles they practice upon,
whether the Union is guaranty of our rights
or their most destructive enemy. The guar
anty to the rights and interests OF the People
Of this country lies not in the articles o.
Union, nor does it depend in the least upon
the Union, but it lies in the vigilance with
which the people themselves guard those
rights and interests.
No. is just such a resolution as those by
which the Southern men cajoled and deceived
the Northern Democracy in the Baltimore
and Cincinnati conventions. 1t is worded Sc
as to cover, under very innocent, harmless
look, certain doctrines and intentions which
they do not venture to express more clearly
The latter part of the resolution is an express
reputation of the power Of the people OF
Territory, aohile a Territory, to exclude
slavery, while the former clause about "con'
stitutiona! rights'' is intended to cover the
whole ground of the protection of slavery II