Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-08-19
A General survey Of the ResuIt--The
Duty of the Opposition, and OF all
GonaArvaffve Hen.


A General survey OF the ResuIf--The
DUTY of the Opposition, and OF all
Conservative Men.
In the general result of the elections that
have just taken place in the States of North
Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas,
the friends of the Union and coed govern
ment have much to cheer and encourage
them. The general tone of the discussions
and the tendency of the issues in those cleo
lions have been to separate the conservative
from the extreme element in the South, and
to test the question whether the South was
prepared to present united front, as a sec
ton, against the North as section, and thus
precipitate purely sectional contest ON the
isolated issue of slavery in the presidential
election of next year. This, together with
that of whether the people would longer
tolerate the corrupt and profigate use of the
peoples money, and the general mismanage-
ment and inefficiency of the administration of
public affairs, formed the chief and almost
only issues relating to Federal politics which
were canvassed. The popular verdict on
these as exhibited in the Congressional cleo
lions, has been highly favorable to the con-
servative Opposition of the South. We have
gained two members in North Carolina three
IN Kentucky, and four in Tennessee. In
Texas the independent candidate in the west
ern district, who opposed the extravaganza of
the administration and the ultra schemes of
the fre-eaters, is probably elected while the
member from the eastern district, in a lengthy
circular during the canvass, took highly con-
servative grounds as contrasted with the
views of the extremists of his party. The
elections in Alabama, also, were mainly con-
tested by democrats entertaining extreme
opinions, against democrats holding more
moderate views; and in every case, we
beheve, the more moderate men prevailed
These facts indicate clearly that the masses
of the people of these States are really the
friends Of the Union and enemies of section
alism. The fre-eating leaders, acting under
the name of national democracy, and still
clinging to an organization which embraced
all shades of opinion, and yet retained the
support OF the party as unit, have been
able to sustain an apparent show of power,
which has probably mlsrepresented the true
popular sentiment, and gone far towards per-
petnating the bitter animosites which exist
unhappily between the North and the South.
Now, however, we have a foreshadowing of
the emancipation OF the true sentiment from
the false, and hopeful indication that if the
colleagued agitators, North and South, shall
persist in their efforts to produce a sectional
struggle in 1860, a majority of the Southern
people will be found to throw off the tram
mels of party allegiance, and while rallying
to the cause of the country, place their heels
upon the necks OF those who have hitherto
led them. The democratic party, however,
is quick to perceive these dangers to its per-
manency and supremacy, and its unlimited
resources in the arts of equivocation and
double dealing, may enable it still to cherish
the hottest disunionsts as its ministers and
leaders, and cody implore and possibly Sc
cure the support OF the friends of the Union
for the sake of the Unioni The ultimate
extent of "the cohesive power of public plum
der' has never been fully tested. 1t may be
.. 4II5, me
dlsunionlsts and conservatives of the South,
and the squatter sovereignty men, the
anti-Lecomptonists, the servile hunters of
place and the abject snappers-up of public
bounties at the North. This is problem to
be solved at Charleston in June next.
In the meantime it is important that the
Opposition should not only keep up their or
ganization, but perfect and complete it, In
the brief season of repose that intervenes
between this and the opening of the Presi-
dental campaign, they should rest upon their
arms, and embrace every opportunity to i'm
prove their Notifications and brighten their
armor. Not less should the conservative
democrats of the South keep vigilant watch
upon the movements of their party leaders.
Should they succeed in harmOnizing at
Charleston, the act of union will! but pro-
long the strife and pave more firmly the path
OF sectionalism in 1864. 1t will result in the
end as the like Process did at Cincinnati in
1856, cheat and a fraud. 1t will blindfold
the South to the dangers to which il drives,
1t will perpetuate the agitation of the slavery
question, it will intensity the sectional aspect
of our national politics, and will embolden
and strengthen the arms of the abolitionists.
1t will render still more necessary the susie
nance OF a broad conservative national senti-
ment by the Opposition, aud an unwaverng
devotion to the interests of the Republic.
In the wild conflict between sham democra-
cy and sham republicanism, it will be the
province Of the Opposition to rise in the
midst of the battle and scourge them both
alike. We have an abiding confidence in the
sober sense of the American people. We be- |
lieve that majority of them will unite in |
sustaining the constitution and the laws, will, |
in purely sectional contest, rally to the |
support of the Union and fight under the |
banner of its friends We have indications |
of this in the recent elections of the South. |
The Southern, national, conservative Oppo-
sition now hold the balance of power in the
House of Representatives in Congress If |
they but use that power wisely, they may
gather around them the entire conservative
people of the Union in the next years strug-
gle. Ii depends on the North, aud il the
issues are fairly put between the democratic
party and the black Republicans, we feel as
sured that the Northern masses will spurn
both. With the strength we have, the prin-
ciples We hold and the patriotic aims we
cherish, it is worthy of the highest effort Let
us be prepared to make it. Let US not relax
our organization and thereby lose shat which
we have gained; but continue in our well-do-
ing until We achieve the sacred mission of
wrestling the country from the hands of its
enemies of every uame aud degree, and of
bringing IFS administration back to the har-
mony, simplicity and purity of its earlier and |