The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-12
JOHN BELLS ORGAN

The Nashville Republican Banner the organ
of John Bell, is spelling all the fine prospects
of -szAaA41A.asAn,,Ee l.,ratEk 15epupneans.
While Mr.. Bell is hobnobbing with the Repub-
licans and semi-Republicans of Pennsylvania
and New York, his organ is denouncing "Black
Republicans as being no better than the Black
Democracy; and the great original sin of each
of these parties, according to the Republican
Banner, is the fact that they trace their origin
to Thomas Jefferson, who is Denounced as an
accomplished and most ineffable demapopue ,,
The editor says:
I" The Democratic party claims Thomas JEFF
ferson as its father, founder and oracle We
admit the claim, and clearly perceive the Inca.
nents of the sire in his offspring.
The Republican party-the Black Renub-
lican party-claim him also as parent and law
giver The similitude is not less striking in
this branch of the family. The mathematical
axiom, too, that things which are like the same
thing are like each other, is indicated in the
striking likeness which exists between Democ-
racy and Black Republicanism. Both are sec
tonal, entirely sectional, and both utterly nm
worthy of the confidence of national Union.
tOUing, COnstitaaionlooing men. It is onIv
necessary to point to this prominent resem.
blance, to perceive that they are twins. equally
foul and deformed."
We deny that Mr.. Jefferson founded the
present so-called Democratic party, which has
no affinity whatever with his principles. Mr..
Jefferson was anti Slavery, while the modern
Slave Democracy is intensely pro-Slavery. Mr..
Jefferson was the friend of State Rights: the
Sham Democracy of to-day, according to Henry
A Wise, is more Federal than Adams or Ham.
llton' Mr. Jefferson, as State Rights Repub
lican insisted that the Executive and CONGRESS-
had an equal right with the Supreme Court to
determine constitutional questions, and that the
States possessed still higher right of interpre
tatlon than either of these coordinate depart-
ments of the Federal Government. The Dem.
ocratic party, on the contrary, insists that the
decisions of the Supreme Court upon the con.
tFoverted powers of the Federal and State iuris
dictlons are absolute and final, precluding all
further dispute, and binding, not only all in au-
thority, but the whole people. Every man is de-
nounced as traitor, by the official and other
organs OF the Administration, who ventures to
doubt the correctness of Supreme Court decis-
ion. The Republican Banner knows that we
speak the simple truth in this matter. and #
should retract its imputation upon the memory
of Jefferson which is implied in the statement
that the present debauched, apostate, and Sla.
very-propagating Democratic party has anv
affinity with the great apostle of Liberty.
The following paragraph from the Repub-
ticdR Banner will leave no Doubt unon the
mind OF any one about the paternity of the
party to which Mr.. Bell and his organ belong.
1t is frank avowal of Federalism, and we are
sorry to add that modern Federalism. like
modern Democracy, has sadly degenerated.
Hamilton, though lattudinarian in his oonsti.
tutlonai theories, with a strong bias for the
English form of Government, was a great and
manly patriot, and friend to civil liberty.
This cannot be said of those who have inherit
ed his constitutional theories, and who now
claim HIM as patron saint. The modern
Conservatives, with a dozen aliases are one
and all Pro-Slavery, with no manly warnings
for the liberation of the race, or for the progress
OF civilization. The best that can be said of
them is, that they are for letting things alone
The Republican banner says, allpding to JEFF
ferson, that, the fertile genins of that accom-
plished and most ipefabls demagogue begat
this fallacy as a popular hobby, whereby he
might promote his Presidential aspirations in
competition with Alexander Hamilton. His
offspring, in imitation of the parent, are given
70 the same art of propagating fallacious dog