Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-12-02
neg. ON Mondny next. Congress convenes and

pE5- On Monday next, Congress convenes and
never, perhaps, was more interest felt in the pro-
cetdngs of that body than at-this time. Upon its
action, in our opinion, hangs the fate of the Re-
public. The sectional strife which has been foster
ed by demagogucs that their foul ambition might
be gratfed, and which, at first a party trick, as
sumed the character of phrenzed fanaticism, has
forced upon the country the grave question of dis
union or southern submission TO northern demands
aud the solution Of this question must be more or
less definitely settled this winter The character Of
the Representatives of the two leading parties-the
Republican, sectional and fanatcal the democratic
no less sectional and even more corrupt-eaves but
little ground for the hope that wisdom and patriot
ism will guide the councils of the national Legisa-
ture. And unless the conservative Opposition can
stay the tide of corruption and fanaticism which
threatens the country with moral and political ruin
the most sanguine patriot may well despair of the
Union.
The South has learned no wisdom from its
suicidal participation in the agitation of slavery
and its frequent concessions of its abstract rights
have taught the North no forbearance When it
was proclaimed in trumpet tones, by southern de-
mocratc leaders, that the Kansas bill embodied the
true doctrines, and that its passage would forever
put the slavery question at rest, these noisy
demagogues placed in the keeping of alien and
pauper squaters all the rights of the South in the
Territories, and in return for this foolish concession
their nothern allies gave them boodshed and re-
newed agitation, rendered the more dangerous by
the vantage ground given in that nefarious bill.
When the war was ended in Kansas, instead of
being content with the victory the South had yield
ed them the bood-thirsty fanatics turned their at
teuton TO the liberation of the slaves of the South
And how do southern demagogues meet this new
phase of the question: BY long-winded and bit
ter TRADES against the abotonists, mingled with
euloges of Douglass, the author of the Kansas bill
aud instigaor of John Browns rebellion STEPPED
TO the lips in the guilt Of moral treason to the
South, the democratic members of Congress have
no higher ambition than to maintain their asceu.
dancy by a coalition with northern fanatics, or. in
the event of failure, to sever the Union and then
proclaim their Innocence of the last act Ut the
tragedy. Thus entangled by guilt and too corrupt
to attempt to retrieve the rights of the South and
TO maintain the integrity of the Union, they will
take their places in the Halls of Congress to rule
or ruin
The Repuhlicans--bastard children of democracy
welded to one idea, and led on by ambitious
Undergraduates of the democratic school of
potics-are but little more reliable than the demo
Gratis themselves in crisis which calls for wisdom
and patriotism to save the country from impending
ruin. With two such factions constituting an over
wheming majority in Congress, the last hope of the
patriot rests upon the small Opposition band stand
ing firmly by the Union and the Constitution, re-
solved to defend both to the hst extremity. The
influence of few such men, in the hour of danger
can not well be measured. Let it be e1ertcd with
frmness and wisdom, and there is yet hope that
oil may be well.