Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-01

ses UP ios MIN as the WORKING mans candi-
date. / must deal with aggregates. In 1852,
Mr., Bnchanan wrote his celebrated Wheat
land letter, in which he alleged that Mr.. Fill
more had run up the expenditures of the
| government to $50 900 ,0O0 and dwelt with
molly horror npon the wasteful extravagauce
OF that pure minded and upright patriot. /
take 1t Tor granted that no Democrat can
object to Mr.. Buchanan's own standard of
economy. According to that $50, 100000
was an inexeusable outlay of the public
money, and the Cincinnati Convention IN
doubtedly intended to endorse his position.
| both by the nomination they gave him, aud
resolution which accompanied it,
| They were thus pledged TO reduction be-
low S5O,000000, and they have redeemed the
pledge by increasing the expenditures to
| SSO.OOO000. according to their own showing,
| TO SlOO, 100000 according to the Washington
| States, whose Democratic orthodoxy has new
er heretofore been questioned. In two short
years they have accomplished such wonders
| in the way of economy that the Government
| is bankrupt, and the Post Office Department.
| that great medium of communication be-
| tween the business man and his customer:
between the father. mother. the brother. the
sister, the husband and the wife-that depart
ment which comes home to the business of
| every man, and the bosoms of every woman
| and child in the laud-that Department.
! around which cluster so many hopes and at
| fections as well as so many commercial in
terests-that department is so crippled by alb
! solute poverty as to be compelled 10 discon-
tinue some of it's important lines. and impose
| embarrassing restrictions upon all of them.
| This is economy with a vengeancei This is
| Democratic fnlfilment of Democratic pledges!
| Oh, how widely the great Bard of England
| was mistaken when he told us there
| thing in a name! If these enormities had
| been perpetrated under any other name than
| that of Democracy there is no calculating the
| extent and violence of the storm which
would now be raging from one end of the
Union to the other
have now disposed of the old and fam-
liar planks of the Democratic platform; and
| ask you if have not kept my promise? If
| have not demonstrated that each and every
one of them has been violated by the party
now sailing under Democratic colOrs? Per-
haps You think that harder task is before
me? Perhaps you think that, although faith
less to the old love. they have at least mani
tested a two years constancy to the new?
Perhaps you think that the ardent love of
Southern institutions. and the wide and bound
less patriotism which dictated the additional
resolutions, still survives; and while all
around has crumbled at the touch of party
interest, this alone still exhibits the grantees
frmness and the marbles purity? Plain truth
requires me to dispel the delusion. The love
of the National Democracy for Southern in
situations very much resembles that of Cleo
patra for Mark Anthony. His power was ne
cessary to sustain her lettering throne, and
her endearments were therefore lavished upon
him; but when that power was struck down
by the arms of Augustus, the faithless fair one
promptly decided upon transferring her
charms to the cOnquprer. The South was ne
cessary to the National Democracy, and there
fore they adopted a resolution at Cincinnati
under which the chivalry went TO work and
converted the Territory of Kansas into State
with a slavery Constitution. But when the
election was over, and. that Constitution was
submitted to Congress, they found. to their
surprise, that il had a Northern as well as q
Southern construction. The Legislatures of
Alabama and Texas became indignant, and
resortcd to the old expodent of threatening
to dissolve the Union. Sundry public meet
ings in Georgia, Mississippi ard Virginia fol-
lowed their example; but the Northern con-
structon prevailed, nevertheless and then
what do you think the Southern Democracy
did? They renewed their oath of allegiance
to the National party, and swore that the
South herself ought to have kicked LocOmp- |
ton out of Congress. They first resolved to
dissolve the Union. if Lecompton was reject
ed, and when it was rejected. they turned to |
us with an unblushing cOuntenance, and said, !
''Our Northern allies have done right. The |
fact is. we ought to have kicked it out our
selves"
You NAV remember, Mr. President, the re-
ply of Walter de Montreal to the Italian
noble, who exhibited his crest, on which was
inscribed the motto, ''Fatbful to death"
IL did not think, ~ replied the Knight of St. |
John, THAT thou couldst be faithful to any
thing, but well know that il could be to |
nothing unless il were to Death or to the |
Devilw
| trust my Southern Democratic friends !
IA
decided Uuion man. | was not much disturbed |
by their threats of disunion; for well knew |
that they could be faithful to nothing, politi- /
caIly. except the Party or the President.
Bat | am wasting time unnecessarily upon
this point; for whether the Northern or the
Southern construction be accepted. it has
been equally violated. If the Northern con-
struction is right then the Southern Demo
cracy have violated it, and if the Southern
construction is right, then the Northern De
mocracy have violated it. In either case
the point | make, that they have been unfaith-
full to their pledges is maintained. and | pass
on to the bold announcement that it was the
right, and the duty of the Government. TO
make the Cult of Mexico an American lake:
and that the Democratic party expected this
much at the hands of the next administration.
Who could have believed that, with this reso-
luton before him, Mr. Buchanan would per-
NIT one American vessel after another to be
boarded and searched by British cruiZers in
those same waters and who would have
credited the degrading fact, that the great
Democratic party would set down contcntcd
under this insult to our national flag, and this
outrage upon our sailors rights. upon receiv
ing a kind of vague intimation from the
British Minister that he was rather sorry for
what bad occurred. Mr.. Buchanan says that
he had demanded and obtained an apology.
Well if he did, il did not put stop to the
wrong, for an American vessel was boarded
after that time in the Gulf, and another in the
barbor of San Juan. and the captain of an
American man-of-war (whose name l have
forgotten, and never wish to reraember) re-
scented the indignity by telling the British
Captain that he must not do Il again. Perhaps
Mr. Buchanan has got another apology but
the Democracy must pardon me for reminding
them that "this is not the entertainment TO
which we were invited" They promised to
make that gulf an American lake. British
ships were to plough those waters only by
sufferance. Il was not dDoiogies for insults
to our national flag which we were led to ex-
pect, but the complete dominion of the sea.
Never before did political party talk so
boldly. Never did political party insert so
strong a resolution in their platform Of princi-
pies and never did any party so quail and
cover at the bare thought OF rousing the
anger of the British lion. II this were
cowardice could pity and forgive it. If the
nerves were too weak tn carry out the
of the heart. the infirmity would
demand our commiseration. But the Demo
cratic party have no such excuse. There is
not one in a hundred among them who. with
an adequate motive before him, would not
rush upon loaded battery without the
quivering of lip, or the whitening of
cheek. IL is not England they fear, but the
loss of power and Office at home. II is a
,picarahla frneEiinU IN l
popular. and rather than encounter this risk
they submit to indignities which | am sure {
must make their cheeks burn as hotly rs ,