The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-10-14
Politics Who will be PRESIDENT
(proup the Nashville Daily News)


Mr.. Buchanan's administration has
been contemplate. 1t has been worse
Corruption has been too gross for honest
mems contempt. The people are justly
Indignant at the federal encouragement
of thor affairs Partisan arolosists cam.
cover up the shame by the shallow ire
text, that Congress rather than the Prcsi-
dent should be censured. The Chief
Magistrate has not been considered, here
toforc, an automaton; and however he
may be so in fact, he will not now be so
regarded by the honest voters of the
country. The people will hold him re-
sponsiblc for public abuses under him;
and the faint efforts of those who labor
to cxtenuatc, are simply abortiyc.
The democratic party, then, cannot
produce harmony among themselves 10y
rallying around him. They must look
elsewhere for center. The time was,
when we expected them to make Doug
las their ruling spirit. lie has more brains
than all their prating sectional leaders,
In fact, he is really great man, and has
more popularity with the people than
Wise, Hunter, JEFF. Davis, Stephens,
Toombs, Yancey, and the rest of similar
calibre, all put together. But the caucus
leaders of the party at the South do not
want him. They have declared him I'M
sound in the faith. And he docs seem to
differ with some of them, though we can
really see no difference between the views
he now holds and those he held four
years ago, when they all swore by him.
Possibly circumstances have altered cases.
Many of the principal Southern leaders
have gone so far, that to face about now,
and begin to sing the praises OF Judge
Douglas, would indecently stultify them.
They have no other moderately great
man even, who stands a corporal chance,
on his own merits. Most of their promi-
nent leaders have denationalized them
selves, and can therefore run in but one
section of the Union. What will they
do. then, for candidate? We suppose
they will resort to their old trick, of
selecting mere puppet-somebody new
err before heard of, whose record is piece
of blank paper. This may harmonic the
ringleaders and those in whose veins moth
ing circulates but party spleen and the
love of spoils; but if the great mass OF
the people who have heretofore voted
with them, suffer themselves again to be
caught on so Timber hook, we mistake
the signs of the times.
There never was more propitious OPP
portunity for those who oppose the doc
trines and practices Of that party to over
throw it, than the present. But can they
unite upon any plan for the accomplish
ment of their wish? If each division
and each subdivision of the great aggre
gate persist in war Of ''who shall be
greatest" they can do nothing. What
ever may be said of the democracy, they
will manage to enter the canvass of 1860
with one visible head, and one only
They will have one general: and if he
should be bad one, he will be more eff
fective in command than twenty good
ones, working against one another. I'm
less the opposition, therefore, can har-
monte their various elements, and rally
around some commanding statesman,
| who has The confidence of honest people
of all parties, a lineal successor of James
Buchanan and franklin Pierce may be
elected. against the wishes of an over
whelming majority of The people.
Will the opposition once more play the
fool stubbornly? While they behold in
the democratic camp "black spirits and
white, red spirits and gray" all harmoni-
ously mingled, and clad in the outward
garb Of democracy, (which, being inter
preted, simply means cohesion,) will those
who oppose them, mainly because they
wantonly squander the peoples money,
stand on the order of their march against
the common enemy? Will each put on
uniform peculiar to his slightest in
Election of opinion, and write upon his
banner, "Rule or ruin"
Ifthe opposition choose, in their levity
to pursue such course, it will, whatever
may be the result in 1860, bring about the
inevitable election of q northern man, by
northern votes alone, in the contest of
1864. We can see no chance for nation
atty, if the Southern democracy be al
lowed to rule four years longer. They
have gone too far on the current of sec
tional bitterness, ever to turn back
A LARGE STEER.-At the Caledonia