Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-26

prove that Beech was "only the step-son of
Mr. Toucey's wife's sister, and remarked
that it was an evidence of what contempt
Bile subterfuges, INSCRIPTIONS persons would
resort to. to sustain their groundless accuse
tions." He said that in all his actions as a
public servant, he had endeavored to repre-
sent the sentiments of his constituents and the
interests of the South, and if, during his long
official career, be had committed some errors,
as he was willing to admit be had, "he thought
the people ought to make some allowance for
the imperfection of human nature, and in
stead of visiting upon him such unqualified
condemnation. they ought to throw around
him the protecting mantle Of their charity"
But because he had voted for the Kansas
Nebraska bill and the Lecompton Constitu-
ton, among others, - the Nashville Ban
ner, which seemed to have taken the 5th Con-
gressiOnal district under its personal protec
tioD," had read him out of the Opposition par
ty, and charged that he was no longer of
them. That the Western Review had also
issued its bull of accommodation, and had
been continually poisoning the minds of his
constituents against him. He thought these
gentlemen were wanting great deal to re-
quire that he, and the large majority of South
ern members who voted with him, should
come over and adopt their opinion Oh these
measures. "That they were like the juror,
who told the Judge that ii was impossible to
make verdict, for he never bad seen eleven
such contrary men as were on that Jury in all
his life, that he couldn't induce them to agree
with him by all the arguments he could en-
ploy." He said that if voting for these meas
ures made him Democrat, by the same logic
voting against them would have made him a
Black Republican. That for himself he pre-
ferred the former, and that if voting for them
made him Democrat, then he tcas a Democrat.
That he tcas glad he could hare 10 sag that he and
Mr. Buchanan agreed upon the Lecompton Con-
stitution. for whatever may have been his
instructions to Gov. Walker, Mr.. Buchanan
had certainly chang, his opinion afterwards,
and he could see no harm, since Buchanan had
come to him, in their standing upon com
mon platform. HethOught the public expen-
ditures too great; that the ratio had been in
creasing too rapidly for some time That he
himself had doubtless voted for some unneces-
sary appropriations but they were generally
so tackled on and interviewer with other APP
preparations, it was absolutely impossible to
prevent it entirely without stopping the whole
machinery of Government. But that the Presi-
dent not to blame for aat all, for although he
possessed the veto power, and ought in proper
cases to exercise it. yet he was sworn to exc
cute the laws; and that Congress, not tie Pres
ident ought to be held reponsibietor ii.
He was in favor of specific duties in many
cases, and a tarlffturnishing revenue adequate
to the exigcncies of an economical admins
tration-wOuld be in favor Of a re-enactment
of the tariff of 1916, for short time, say two
or three years, until the reservoir of the
Treasury could be re-filled. He here read a
clause from the Opposition Platform at Nash
vile, remaI king that if, because he happened
to express the same sentiments with the Dem
ocrats, upon certain questions, made him a
Democrat, then the tariff article in that plat
form being identical with the views of Mr..
BUCHANAN, it followed that the Opposition
self He was in favor of the Pacific Railroad
as an abstract proposition, but did not be-
lieve that it would be built in the next 10 or
Is years, that there had been great deal OF
humbug and buncombe about it, and 'much
money wasted in publishing picture books OF
birds, fishes, beasts, bugs and reptiles, which
had nothing more TO do with a Railroad re-
port, than "Dick's band had with Polly's
garter,''-that although be might be willing
to assist ii by grants of public lands, yet she
would not vote dollar out Of the Treasury 70
build the road" In conclusion he would re-
peat that he would not have been a candi-
date had it not have been for the action Ia
] ken by the Rerieo against him, denouncing
his course in Congress, endcavoring to set
him aside and call a convention for the
express purpose of cutting off his head, with
out giving him an opportunity to defend him
lt-That our Constitution guaranteed to
every man the right to be heard, and he did
not intend to allow his official conduct to be
condemned without reserving to himself the
privilege to explain or deny.-That he now
came before his constituents to render them
an account of his stewardship, and in the ex-
ercise of that constitutional right which be-
longed TO every man. he offered himself as a
candidate for Congress independent of any
convention whatever.-That SIR gears ago he
entered Congress as Wing; afterwards he
had been identified with the Americdn party,
but that he had never allowed himself to vote
c,p
happened to be supported by his own or the
opposite party, but in all cases he had con-
suited the interests of his constituents and the
welfare OF the country.-That two years ago
Col. GUILD, his opponent, had told the people
that as the administration was democratic
they ought to elect him, and he would prom
Use to support BUCHANAN in oil the measures
of the administration. But that he told Col
GUILD then, as he would tell the people now,
that "he would rather be dog aud bay the
moon" than pledge himself TO be the automa-
ton of any political dictator, or obligate him
self to blindly follow the herd of any party
whenever and wherever their passion and
prejudice might precipitate them.-That POI
litical parties, so far as they subserved the
ends of government, were very useful spe-
cies of machinery; but when their objects be
came subversiye of the interests of the COM
mon country, that they ought to stop, what
ever might be their names or whoever their
leaders; and that all good citizens ought
to abandon them at this point.--That he
placed his country superior to ali parties, and
that in his votes be would place the interests
of his country superior to the ambition OF his
party.-That he was candidate upon his
own responsibility, and as actions spoke