Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-24

delegates estci 70 rsaid
aThe Patriot prints a table showing what
would be the Presidential vote, as parties now
stand in the several States. This table gives
the Republicans 1872, the Democrats l43, and
the Know Nothings votes. The P0tia con-
siders this an alarming state of things. and.
as the Democrats cannot in its opinion, peat
the Republicans, il urges union OF the OPP
position for this purpose.
When Democrats look at the PdtTiots figures:
they may not thiuk it fair, with an admitted
capital of I43 electoral votes, including
three free States. to give place. in the contest
with black republicanism to faction, DC. -
Jirion and An7erican.
While the table printed by US undoubtedly
shows that as parties now stand in the sever
al States, the Democratic nominee would re-
ceive l43 electoral votes, we we're very ex-
plicit and emphatic in stating, as our strong
and settled conviction. that in a contest be-
tween Democracy and Republicanism for tse
Presidency, parties would not stand as they
now do; but Indiana and Illinois would most
unquestionably follow the example of Pennsyl-
vania, and cast their votes for the Republi-
can nominee Dcducting from the l43 votes
placed in the table, as parties now stand, to
the credit of the Democratic candidate, the
Is votes of Indiana and the IL of Illinois,
and concedng to him the s votes of Mary
land, ard the electoral vote between him and
his Republican competitor would stand, Re
publican I76-Democrat 1877!
That would be complete sectional vote,
with the exception of California and Oregon,
which are set down to the account of the
Democratic candidate, though, in our opinion,
more likely to vote with all the rest Of the
free States than with the slave States.
And it is the completely sectional charac-
acter Of the vote, which conclusiyely demon
strates the utter hopelessness of the Demo
cratic ticket in n contest with Republicanism.
The two parties stand arrayed against each
other on exclusively sectional grounds, and of
course the Southern wing the weakest in
numbers, would in such a contest, be out
voted.
Moreover: The two parties being what they
are, must continue sectional as long as they
constitute the only two. or the two great par
ties in the country. The union of the South,
have been foreseen, brought about union of
the North under Republican ascendancy. So
long the former cndures, SO long viii the
latter
1t was this sectional character Of the con-
test that the " PATRIOT " considered " alarm
ing Occupied, as il was, with the certainty
Of Republican success in a single-handed con
test with Democracy. And it was to avert
from tie country the dangers and mischiefs OF
this sectional division Of parties, that we
urged a union of all conservative, anti-sec-
tional, Union-loving men Of all parties stat
ing, at the same time, what we are satisfied is
the fact-that there is an immense number of
conservative men in the free States who, hav-
ing acted with the Republican party on the
issues which grew out of the Kansas-NcbT
bill, are opposed to its continuance sec
tiOnal party, and are, therefore, ready and
anxious to contribute to the formation of a
national party out of the conservative. anti
sectional elements Of all parties. To this end,
they are willing to support for the next Presi-
dcncy Southern man and Shareholder,
provided his character and antecedents afford
a sufficient guaranty of his nationality.
Here. then, as we maintained in the arti-
Gle commented on 10y the Union and American,
and rs we still insist, the people Of the South,
with the certainly of defeat staring them in
tue face if the existing sectional contest be
continued, have an opportunity offered them
of effecting the Reorganization of the Repub-
~ Of 10 h..
tendency of sectionalism as party bond-in
the free as well Us in the slave State.
viii the people Of the South. or the con-
sentative portion of them who are opposed
to merely sectional parties, avail themselves
of this opportunity? That is the question
n question in the solution Of which, it is eur
firm belief, are involved the durability of the
Union and the peace, happiness and pros
perity of the country. and every section OF
the country.
In urging upon conservative, Union-loving
Democrats at the South to lend their aid to |
this patriotic movement, we are not urging |
them to unite with a "flctiOn' for the over
throw of their party Their party is even
in sectional contest with Rcpublcanism
will infallibly continue in a minority. We |
are inviting them TO unite, not with ''fac-
tion," but VITA the sound, conservative, ma
tional men of all parties, for the high pur-
pose of putting down Northcrnisma s n party /
bond. at the North, and Southernism as a
party bond, at the South.
And seeing that Of these two isms, North
ernisn is numerically much the stronger
seeing that in a contest with it, SoutherEism,
represented by Democracy, must necessarily
suffer defeat. is il not the obvious policy of
conservative Democrats, even looking at the
subject in a party point of view, to surrender
the ascendency Of Southernism ia the Soath,
IL by so doing, rs we maintain they can, they
can destroy the ascendency of Northernism
not only at the North, but, in the national
councils?
Not only rs patriots, but Us party men,
should all conservative, Union-loving Dem
ocrats unite in this great national movement.
Delegates 10 the Sta1e Convention