Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-08-19
OIL a II Il : V I'LL Il
Friday, August 10, 1869.
For President in 1880.
HON. JOHN BELL.
OF TENNESSEE.


unns, the name of the Hon John Bell, as a candi.
date for the Presidency and feel that in thus giving
expression TO preference we are consulting the
best interests Of our CONTEMPLATING an important
step towards the restoration of harmony and the
stability Of the Union, already too long tossed upon
the waves of sectional passion and prejudice The
time has come when every good man feels that his
country has higher claims upon him than pertain
to blind party allegiance, and is the time to
consider how those claims can best be asserted, and
under whose guidance, the federal Executive,
they be most effectualy enforced for the COM
mon good. The time has come when the perpetuity
of the Union is the paramount issue before the
people, and the slumbering genius of patriotism
must be awakened TO meet the crais, or all is lost
In the better days of the Republic when men DIFF
fered about measures and principles but looked to
the Union the palladium of national security
and individual liberty, the contests that were
safely left to the arbitration Of reason guided by
patriotism and looking to the honor and prosperity
of the whole country but now that party has
superseded country, and passion and prejudice and
corruption have combined to crush every higher
motive of political action, the people must pause to
reflect or a common ruin is enevitable. Disunion
is now the discordant cry of the ultra fanatics Of
both sections and conservatism scarcely dare lift its
voice to rebuke the treason. What then be
done to restore harmony to n distracted country.
and to strengthen the bonds of almost discovered
Union?
The remedy is simple and the time propitous.-
Nominate John Bell for the Presidency--let his
platform be the Constitution and the decisions of
the Supreme Court, and then let the conservative
men everywhere rally to his standard. Put him
forward MS a national, not party, man-as the
representative of the Union and the harmony Of all
its parts. Put him forward as the guardian of the
constitutional rights Of both sections, not as the
dispenser of government patronage, and every true
hearted American citizen will come to his support
The selfish ambition of demagogues has divided
democracy into contemplate factions, and the cor
rupt means employed to bind together these dis
jointed fragments of once national party, have
disguised the good and taught the blind to see how
thoroughly they have been duped. Putrid fermenta-
ton is rapidly severing party ties, and its emanci-
pated slaves are beginning, once more to feel the
spirit Of freedom revving within them, and rs they
stand and erect in the pride of conscious
independence, love of country is awakened, reason
resumes its empire, aud the partizan becomes the
patriot.
There is now no ground for quarrel between the
North and the SoutA. The destiny of slavery--as
TO the Territories-is fixed. The Kansas bill, with
its squatter sovereignty and alien suffrage, forbid
the South TO COLOMBO outside Of State limits, and
democracy bnvir,r rrhia,-nd this hriopt vir
for the South, the Occupation of the Black Re
publicans is gone-thcir existence, rs a party, has
expired 10y limitation, and the honest among them
are now ready to logsiate for the hte man. lcay-
ing slavery to lake care of itself within the limits
prescribed for it by the peculiar guardians of the
South--calling themselves national democrats
Then, with party ties sundcred by party discord,
and the slavery question settled beyond the power
of the South to alter the decree pronounced against
it, what is there to prevent the honest and con-
sentative of both sections, from rallying in solid
phalanx around the Union to protect it against the
ruthless assaults of mad ianaticSm? What Interest
have the people in the eternal agitation which
dcmngoguos keep up, that they may profit thereby
at the cost Of national harmony and prosperity p
The corrupt leaders of democracy tell us that
southern istiutions are Endangered by Republican
acrrossions and that nothing but n united sontb
can avert the impcndno dancer The cr, is os
false os the motive which prpn,pts If i, base and
the very men who keep it eternally ringing in our
ears are the loudcs in their praise Of Douglass who
> under the cloak of democracy. gave birth to Black
Repuhlcansm and is still umturmg it with the
most parental care. Seward himself odrocotcs no
doctrines more inimcal to the South than those
Avowei low Douglass and the only di1prcrco l,,-
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