Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-11-04

The Crisis The New Congress
and the Southern Opposition


: and the Southern Opposition
Party. al--.e.s
! The Hon. Horace Maynard, prominen
member Of the conservative opposition
majority elected 90 the new Congress from
Tennessee, in recent public letter touch
ing the Presidential question says that ''tht
future of the country depends very nucl
upon the course of the Opposition during
the next twelve months, but that
In the minority, as VIC Of the South nre, our lin
of conduct must necessarily depend more orless upot
the course of affairs in the North. Ifthat large
numerous and respectable portion the people ther
3 who at heart are neither democrats or republicans
who desire good government for the whole coun
try, and wish 10 live on terms of kindly equality
with their fellow citizens of every latitude will
stand forth and assume an organized form, VIC car
rally under common standard. But if the altcrna
tive submitted toour choice should be Douglas demo
cracy or Seward repphlcanism, the issue is hardly
worth following to its conclusion.
The alternative here suggested between
I"Douglas democracy" and Steward repub-
licanism is a third party of "a national con.
servative character, calculated to be alike
acceptable to the Union loving body of the
people North and South The late bloody
Interpretation at Harper's Ferry ofthe in
famous sectional and revolutionary pro-
gramme of w. II, Seward shows that the
crisis, has, arrived for an active national
party organization of the character sug-
gestcd; and this good work should be prac-
tically commenced with the organization
of the new Congress.
Down to this late desperate abolition
raid in Virginia, and from various leading
Sou, hern Opposition politicians and news
papers, a very general disposition has been
manifested within the last month or two
for coalition with the Northern repub-
lican party in the matter of the House or
ganization but this old Kansas fanatic
Brown, has fully developed the all absorb
ing ascendancy in the South of the slavery
question, ondVthe primary necessity among
all men of all parties in that section ofpro-
viding for their future security against the
abolition incendares of the North, begin
ming with w. II. Seward and his political
engineers.
In this view of the subject, the Southern
Opposition party in Congress are now
charged with the highest responsibilities.
They cannot now undertake any coalition
with the republican party in the business
of organizing the House. without first ex-
acting from that party the reputation of
Seward and his reasonable Rochester plat
form. If this concession cannot be extor-
ted from the republicans, the only altorna-
tive remaining TO the Southern opposition
members will be the formation aud the or
ganization of an Independent party. The
republicans may perhaps be ab TO organ.
u ize the House without the assistance of a
Southern vote; but still, in the practical
business of legislation, the balance ofpower
which the twenty -one Southern opposition
members will command must MT be over
looked At all events, if they cannot
bring the republican party down from the
reasonable and bloody platform of Seward
no other course will remain than the active
organization of third party, in Congress
and throughout the country, and in direct
opposition to all the disunion slavery agi-
tators of the day, North and South.
All the late Northern elections point in
the same direction-the absolute prostra-
ton of the Northern democracy by the
republican partyas a sectional anti slavery
organizations Thus, against the Southern
sectional democratic party, of the North
is promised an easy victory in 1850. But
with the seasonable organization of new
opposition party of the character indicated,
it will be able TO cut in between these two
sectional parties, North and South, sufi-
ciently deep to carry the election at least
into the House of Representatives, where
We may hope for good result.
This important achievement, however,
will depend upon the wisdom, bravery and
discretion of the twenty one Southern OPP
position members of this new Congress.
They may control the House organization;
but even if they fail in that, they may still
control the legislation of that body as be-
tween the Northern and Southern disunion
agitators. But, best of all, these twenty,
one Southern men may shape and control
the Presidential election, and save the
country in 1851 from "an irrepressible
sectional conflict" by seizing and welding
the popular balance of power, North and
South, in 1860.
The commentaries of our Southern jour
mails upon thir Harper's Ferry revolution
ary outbreak are beginning to come in,
They foreshpdow deep and powerful sen
sation throughout the South aud reac-
ton which will listen to no terms Of mercy
in behalf of Seward, to no affiliations with
Mr. Senator Douglas, and to no concessions
on any side, with the view of sottening
the anti slavery sentiment of the North,
The crisis, then, is at hand, for new party
which, in dropping the slavery question,
will be competent, North and South, to
I save the Union.
: IMPORTANT TO EVERY ONE.-Exerciso
for the body, occupation for the mind =
these are the grand constituents of health
, and happiness, tho cardinal points upon
which everything turns. Motion seems to
} be great preserving principle of nature