Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-27
..1gnOrIng tho slavery Questions,

Our opponents say that the slavery question is
not in this canvass, and they sometimes censure us
Cor what they call unnecessary discussion of it.
We remember a precedent for this in 1856, when
they also resolved to ignore the slavery question.
But it continued living and dangerous issue in
spite of this ignoring. Indeed, we hardly remem-
Der 10 heye seen it burn more 6ercely than at the
very time this resolution was arrived at II is get
an issue. 1t cannot be ignored. As well laght the
man whose house is on fire ignore the existence Of
the hsmes, as for us TO refuse to seek safety from
she dangers which surround as by ignoring their
discussion. Our rights in the confederacy have
been threatened for years, and We have yearly seen
the party which prosecutes the war upon them in
creasng in strength. 1t is no longer miserable
little faction which threatens Our enemies
have possession Of large majority Of the non
slayeholdipg States, aud they dthanty tell us hat
they will cease agitsie agaipst slavery only vi
its abolition. vt TIVE who act only in sef-defence,
are sometimes called sgistOTs, and are remODstis
ted with tor hin ing th.t We have any eneDi, 1t
is but little more tasn twenty years since aboliti
ism first ait mTIed 10 become politoal power 10
the country. We heard FIRST Of ri &c a5OiiOn-
Isl elected TO Congress In Vermont. In year
two there we're half dozen iu the House. Then
Senator was eleoed Aud now the whole OEpO-
si,ion In the Nor,h,rn S at is an anti-siavtry
pArty, wbish has once been ab to elect a speaker
of the On ted SITS House Of Representatives;
which aheady hotsts that it will conn oil The next
Houes; and which c,Bfdeuty oIuuts on eleeting
the next Pr 81 i,nt Of The United STA IS.
lis WITH .ueh fscis and such ate Of things
before taem, that men in our midst continue 10 cry
peace" aud to ignore themselves aud insist that
otnets shall ignore Tue existence of peril
aeirai,n There can be no more sUIcldl policy
IN, .siutd than this won be. HoWever ma urSl it
nav be 10 .shu our eyes to painful tru,h," it is
true wisdom. when danger is abroad, TO meet it al
the threshold. We are sure that il is he yielding
to- and the eoquetting with, the slavery sgitatOrs
North By Southern politicians which h IS done more
than s else 10 give strength to the abolition forces
Of the NJrtl When these men see those IN the
South who are dispos d to aggression and de-
fspd the constitutional rights of their section, de
nouncsd here at home a. agitators, while hardly
word Of complaint is urged by the men who bring
the charge agsiust the Northern fanatics, they can
think no otherwise than that they have friends in
our castle TO aid them when their assault becomes
more earnest. Were we united, there would be but
little agitation and less danger.
The true state of the case is this: we have among
us men hating the Democracy with malignity which
never exhausts itself, and laboring to accomplish its
overthrow The abolition fanatics of the North
,,pite with these men in the South in this hatred
but this hatred springs from the obstacle which the
Democratic organisation has presented to their AbO-
Ut,on schemes These men can only overthrow the
Democratic party by uniting. The Northern men
will not ignore the slavery questions for tnat is all
thew care about. The Southern members Of the OP-
pOsition must therefore ignore it, there be no
fusion against the Democracy.
In this state Of facts lies the secret of the clamOr
against agitation which We hear raised in some quar-
tiers in the South We remind our readers, as a suf>
fcisnt reply to this ClsmOr, that agitation against
slavery is the whole capital which the Free-State
enemies Of the Democracy have for use; and that
fusOa of the Southern Opposition with this North
ern Opposition the extent that it strengthens the
sggressOr, renders the agitation more dangerous.