Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-17
The Contest for Speaker.

The Baltimore Clipper correctly says: "The
aggressive and dangerous doctrines promul-
gated recently by q portion of the Republi-
can party. and endorsed and commended by
many OF its recognized leaders, have made
that party the common enemy OF the whole
South, and the conservative people of all sec
tions. The democratic and American par
ties are equally opposing this Northern sec
tional organization, and its success, if it
should succeed in the organization of the
House Of Representatives, will be attributa-
BILE exclusively to the contumacy OF the
democrats in refusing to give their whole
vote at once for an American or Southern
Opposition candidate for Speaker. 1t has be-
come apparent that the democratic candi-
date cannot be elected, but, 10y the aid of the
democratic votes an American can be elected,
and that is the only hope of defeating CT u
Republican.
"Of the two hundred and ihirty-seycn mem
beers of Congress, one, JONI YoUNG BRowN,
democrat, Of Kentucky, will nottake his seat
this session. Two others, GREEN ADAMS,
American, of Kentucky, and STALwoRTH,
democratic, of Alabama, are detained at
home by sickness. leaving two hundred and
thirty-four to vote in the election Of speaker,
in which, without the adoption of the plu-
rally rule. one hundred aud eighteen are re-
quired for choice. The Republicans have
one hundred and ten, including some of the
Peoples men and anti-Lecompton men the
Democrats have eighty-nine, including the
anti-Lecompton democrats of Illinois, and
the Southern Opposition have twenty-five.
Il is proposed to defeat the Republican can
didate by union Of the Southern opposi-
tion vote, and this eau be done only by the
democrats voting for the American candidate
or the thirteen outstanding votes one will
probably be given to the democratic candi-
date, making ninety democratic votes: two,
Messrs. BRIGGs and JuxkTS, have been voting
with the Southern Opposition and will con-
tinue to vote for IAN American, and four
others are willing 10 vote for an American.
but will go 10 the Republicans rather than
TO the Democrats. The Others are understood
Co prefer the Republican candidate TO either
OF the others II compelled Ia give their
votes 10 one OF tuctH. lnuS, II the NnOie
Southern Opposition vote were to be given
to the Democratic capdidate, it would be in
sufficient to elect, as be could under no cir
cumstances obtain more than one handred
and twelve, or, including the vote Of BRIuGs,
OF New York, one hundred and thirteen
votes, while the American candidate by the
aid Of the whole Democratic vote can as-
surediy be elected, for in addition to the Que
hundred and eighteen votes ready to be cast
for him, IL IL understood that several OF the
Peoples party men will vote for an American
candidate. il their votes would insure bis
election.
Under these circumstances, IL will be
plainly seen thatii the Republicans should be
successful, the responsibility will r~ss un-
questionably upon the Democrats, who Will
thus have manifested before the country Gheir
preference for the success of e Black Repub-
lican Speaker of the House Of Representa-
tives to that Of any one OF the Southern OPP
position. For this sin they will be answer
able TO the constituencies, whom they shall
thus abuse aud deliver inio the bondage Of
Northern sectionslism. and to the country
which they imperii by th> Inauguration Of a
strictly sectional contest that may result In
. dissoilfi.n Of the Union aad perhaps la
civil war;