Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-18
''Lfke a Sheep before the shearer he
Is Dumb.3


As Dumb.,,
As early as September last. we propounded
to the PATRIOT and other organs of It's party
the following interrogatories with reference
to the position of their party d
Are you in favor of winding mp the Bank
of Tennessee; and if SO by what process!
Are you in favor of continuing all The
Stock and free Banks now in existence and
are you in favor of chartering any more
banks? a
These questions have not to this iay. been
iully and fairly answered by the PATRIOT or
any other Know-Nothing Press. They are
stlii lodging the issue Union and American.
In our issue Of the 22nd of September last
we made the following full and fair answers
to the questions above. -rrrr ~rsr,
I'VE are Of opinion that the State should
not engage in banking, for the reason that it
is of doubtful legality aud doubtful policy
But since the State has engaged in it, she
should not so suddenly discontinue it as to
suhjectherself, TO loss or her citizens to in
convenience. II the Union and Planters
Banks should be re-cbartered, it is probable
that the State Bank could be put in condi-
ton of gradual liquidation, so as TO avoid
loss to herself or Inconvenience to the citizens,
in which event we should be in favor of that
step. To the third question. (the continu-
ance Of the stock and Free Banks we have TO
say that we are opposed to the violent inter
terence with vested rights and to the char
tering of any more banks, unless it should
appear for the best interests of the people,
and not for the mere accommodation OF reck-
less money adventurers."
We also asked the Patriot and other Know
Nothing organs to answer the following
question. , a.. .
Are you satisfied with our present sub
treasury system; or do you agree with Mr..
Bell, that II has proved a failure and that
United States Bank should be chartered in its
stead
The Patriot fatty refused to answer this
question and has failed to do SO up to this
time.-Jnton and America.
On the same day, 22nd September, in
answer to this question we said ft
AT present we decline to discuss,
(this question: for it does not come
within the scope of State policy, and
its present discussion could result in
no practical benefit to the people. and would
fail TO interest our readers If, nevertheless
the question of a National Bank shall be
raised in such a manner as thai it shall be-
come Il practical question before the people,
then We will not hesitate to take position
Again on the 9th September last, in an
article on "a United States Bank, /" We said:
;"The discussion of the subject has not,
however made any considerable impression
upon the popular mind-nOt enough at any
rate to induce any political party either in
the North or in the South, to propose the es-
Establishment of an institution of this charac-
ter to furnish sound currency"
And after citing the history of the last U.
S. Bank and the causes of its extinction as
well as the difficulties in the way of re0pening
the question, we further said:
Nevertheless. if further discussions should
have a tendency to awaken the American
party to proper sense of the Importance of
a great regulator of the currency, and 1t
shall be adopted leading feature of our
policy, no journal will give ii a more Jealous
support than the PdtrtOt."
In answer to the question whether we dis
sent from the doctrine that, slavery and the
rights of shareholders in the Territories are
protected by the Constitution and by an APP
peal to the Judicial tribunals of the Ooun-
try" we say that such rights are cOnstitu-
tonal, and that the Courts are the arbiters in
questions of constitutional construction, and
thar our doctrine in regard to the present at
titnde of this and all kindred questions is to
be found in the second clause of the State
platform of our party, thus:
H. That while we maintain with unwaver-
ing frmness, our constitutional rights in re-
latiOn to slavery, We believe that the further
agitation of the question tends to no practi-
cal good to any portion of the country, and
should therefore cease; regarding the prin-
ciple as settled. that the people of the Ter
ritories, when they come to form Constitu-
ton and establish a State Government, shall
decide the questions for themselves.
The tissue of frivolous Undergraduates which
were propounded as an evasion, few days
since, were promptly and fully answered. SO
that ''sheep before the shearcr is" not dumb"
But there is dumb sheep. The
Union and American is utterly dumb when
repeatedly called upon for an answer to the
questions asked by us few days snce-ques-
tons referring directly and Immediately to
the issues in the present CANVASS No sound
of reply is made, but any amount of plain
tive and evasive baking salutes our ears. We
have got the sheep" shackled, however, and
though it beat never so piteously, there il
shall stay till an answer is forthcoming.
VIII the Dlnib-ocratic organ never answer?