Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-28

ture the assertion, that the paradoxieal opin- |
ion will be embraced by all observing and |
rejecting persons.
OF individual Democrats, dispersed over
the country. each with his peculiar profession
of faith and object of pursuit, there is I'M
questionably very abundant supply. But
they no more constitute a party in the philo-
sophical and practical sense of the word. than
heap of unbewn and nnadlusted stone conf
stitutes a palace. For the realization OF that
idea, there must be primarily common foun-
dation. then due subOrdination aud fitness
among the parts, and finally a complete unity
of organization. We doubt IF any one Of these
conditions can be predicated Of The Democracy.
In the first place, will any man pretend 10
affirm that Democrats are agreed upon ba-
sis of principle? In respect Of 'chich one among
the political issues before the country - there so much
epel as an approach TO undninry IN the '.Party.
Not surely in regard to popular sovereignty.
The disagreement between the President and
his Secretary of State on this subject, is the
symbol of an equivalent difference among
the Democracy. Not in regard to the Pacific
railroad, for here again the chief of the Ad-
ulinistration is at points with his cretary OF
War, and the class of strict construction
Democrats dissent from the faith OF their less
scrupulous associates Not in regard to fed
eral appropriations for the improvement OF
rivers and harbors; since the division OF the
Cabinet on this issue is likewise responsive to
a similar division among the mass of the De-
mocracy. Nor yet is there anything like
unanimty in the 'party" in regard to that
most important matter of all-that tariff
question, in respect of which Mr.. Buchanan
affirms one belief while Mr.. Cobb maintains
directly the opposite.
We need not recapitulate all the points of
divergent doctrines among the Democracy. 1t
is sufficient to say that upon no single issue
RfNFa
basis of action.
In the matter of organization we discover
an equal absence of concord and unity in the
party" We have Lecompton and an An
t-Lccompton faction; there are the followers
of Douglas and here the adherents of Buchan-
an; in short, as many are the aspirants for
the Presidency, so many are the cliques and
cabals among the Democracy.
Heretofore, the administration has afforded
a rallying point for the individuals of the
party" but, instead, it is become an origin
al occasion of dispute and dissension. In
these latter dags the recommendation Of democratic
EIecutiue implies hhLe more authority nth Dem
Ocrdfic Representative than ruth member Of the
Opposition.
Similar language was held by the Wash
ington Union few days afterwards. In that
paper of the LIST of February last, we find the
following declaration:
at is certainly true that if we were to look
for evidences of the EXISTENCE OF A
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN CONGRESS,
zee could not discover IL by the analysis OF the
votes of members on any measure or any
number or series of measures that has been
before that body for long time"
Is it any wonder that our public affairs
should have fallen into the utmost confusion
that they should have been conducted with
out any settled plan of policy-that abuses
should have crept into all departments of the
public business-that waste and profgacy
shonld have everywhere prevailed in the ex-
pendture of the public money-tbat the
treasury should have become bankrupt-that
Congress, majority in both houses being
Democrats, should fail to pass the necessary
appropriation bills--that the present Demo-
cratic Administration should have been re-
duced by Democratic Congress to the pitia-
bic and humilating shift of issuing ''certii-
Gates for the most paltry sums to the small
est and most needy mail contractors for want
of the means Of payment-and, in short, that
the government of this great and patriotic
nation should have fallen into contempt at
home and disrepute abrOad-are these things,
we say, however unprecedented in the pre-
vious history of the country, to be wondered
at, when such party as both the Democratic
organs at Washington describe it, should have
possession of all departments OF the govern
ment, aud the management OF every branch of
the public business?
But to proceed with our citation of Demo-
cratic evidences of the utter decentralization
Of the so-called Democratic party, here is an
extract of letter dated Richmond, Virginia,
January Sd, 1859, addressed by
GOVERNOR WISE
To David Hubbard, Esq, of Alabama. The
Governor asks
as strict construction and are State Rights
to he abandoned. and are we to give mp State
corporations to the bankruptcies of a Federal
Commission? Where would have been our
People aud their effects last year if Federal
Power could have put our State Banks into a
course OF liquidation under commission of
bankruptcy? Is the South-is any portion
Of our country in situation To rush into
war-wars invited by the President with
three European and five American Powers
Are we TO be a Grand Consolidated, elective
North aud South American Imperialism p
The question is not, Twill not the Union be
diSsOlved?' That is a settled question. But
the question is. Is the old Virginia Democrat
ic faith to be abandoned, and are we to rush
on with the President into full scheme of
Federal policy which in its whole outline and
filling up exceeds any Federalism in all its
points which Hamilton or Adams or any
other Latitudinarian ever dared to project or
propose -
In another part of his letter, the Governor
says:
THE President bids high. To flibusters
1 -. IL LII,
Mexico-to the West Pacific RailrOad-tO
the North protection to Iron and coarse wool
ens-and To the great commercial centers
the power of Capitalization by obvious uses
and abuses of n Bankrupt act TO apply to
apply to State Banks. Yesterday Biddle was
monster and day few Wall Street
Bankers can expand and contract upon us
more like vice than he did--and what
would they not do if they could force the
poor provinces when they please into bank
ruptcy"
At a recent meeting of the estate Rights
Democracy of New Orleans, at which that
veteran Democrat, Col Mauhsel White. presi-
ded, the Hon PIERRE SoULE delivered an adj
dress in the course of which he said
sin Louisiana, as conceive, we have to
fight but against single enemy-o1feiai inter
ference and corruption"
In the same address he said
We mean to disentangle ourselves from the
thraldom in which we have been kept for
years by an unprincipled gang of political
spectators and blacklegs and we are
here to vindicate our rights, and exercise
the inalienable prerogative of self-govern-
ment.
That the time has come for us to assume
that position, is made manifest by the disgust
with which the more patient aud enduring
in our midst have witnessed the scandalous
and revolving corruption and foul dealing
introduced in eur parry proceedings, under
the direction and management of the. few
miscreanIs who claim nhsolnfe control oYeI