Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-14
THURSDAY, APRIL IA, 1859.
The Strength OF Parties I'm Tennessee
What the Opposition have TO con-
tend agaInst.


In 1857 there was nominal majority in
favor of the Democracy, as shown in the
Gubernatorial election Of that year, Of
II,371-by far the largest majority given in
any election in Tennessee since 1910. This
majority, if taken as the settled and deliber-
ate sense of the State, would seem truly ap
palling to the Opposition, and would serve
TO discourage them in the present contest
But we wish to call the attention of our
friends to some facts which go to show that
this majority, though actually recorded
against us, is not to be received or esteemed
as exhibiting the true strength of parties in
this State; that the true difference between
us and our adversarics is really insignificant
The record shows that in 1855 JoHNsON's
majority over GENTRY was 2, l57-the vote
for the former being 81 .499, and for the latter
65,342. The next year BUCHANAN received
1858, while the vote for FILLMORE footed up
66,l7S-the democrats gaining 6,l39 and the
Americans only s36-and showing clear
majority of 7 AGO in favor of the Democracy
We all know how that contest was fought
and under what overwhelming disadvantages
to the friends of FILLMORE. Nearly the
whole increase of the popular vote was
thrown in favor of the Democracy. The con-
test in the nation had"assumed such a shape
that it was urged with powerful effect that
FILLMORE stood no earthly chance Of cleo
ton, and under the most depressing influence
OF this circumstance, the result was entirely
disastrous This then could not be considered
as a decisive measure Of the strength of par
ties; as the deliberate and unbiased senti-
ment Of the people. without the unhappy
disturbing cause which influenced that can
vass, the chances are, in our judgment, that
the scale would probably have turned in favor
of FILLMORE.
The very next year, however, in the short
space of nine months, the democratic majority
was run up to III 81. But strange to say,
the popular vote had fallen off from l39, SIG
to I3O,9S5. OF this enormous decrease of
1881, the Democracy sustained 2,460, while
the Americans sustained 6,37l. Under the
signal defeat of 1856, the Americans were
dowu-cast and dispirted all over the State
and utterly refused to rally in 1857, nine
months afterwards. They were greatly dis
organized, and did not even go to the polls );
and hence the defeat OF HATToN by nominal
ly largely increased majority. IL was not
because there were more Democrats, but that
the Wings and Americans folded their arms
and wholly failed to put forth their strength.
On the contrary, we believe that HARRIS
polled the full strength of his party, the
falling off of 2d60 from BUCHANAN's vote
being Wings. who could not be induced TO
vote. for HARRIS and refused to vote at all.
IL this vote be added to the vote of FILLMORE,
where it properly belongs, in estimating the
true strength of parties, it would leave the
democratic majority in 1857, 1910. This
would give democratic increase on the vote
ofJoHNsoS in 1855, of 3,G79, and Wing and
American increase on that of GENTRY of 81
296.
We believe this analysis is truthful ex-
position of the real state of parties in 1857.
We have no doubt tina. there were many old
Wings who voted for HARRIS in 1857 who will
vote against him in 1859, and who, utterly
Disguised with the misrule of the Democracy.
will rally to the standard Of the Opposition
in this campaign. Besides. we rely on many
Democrats to abandon their broken aud dis
membered party and vote with the Opposi-
ton. At all events we have every encourage
ment to cheer and make us strong Instead
OF going into this canvass without hope, we
go into it with real odds against us so light
as not only not to depress, but to nerve and
i.fa Il,
and to greater activity of effort.