Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-31
From the Jackson Wing.
Now by ST. Paul the work goes Brave
Iy on.


NahrIdnd triumphant = Wings rejoicing and
Democracy CresJaLLenH
We have been attending all the political
discussions at Jackson, for the last seventeen
years, and never, on any former occasion.
have we witnessed a more thorough full and
complete triumph than that obtained by Col.
Netherland, over Gov. Harris, at this place.
on last Wednesday. We wish that we had
time. before our paper goes to press. to give
our friends all the particulars of the day. 1t
was a day that will long be cherished by our
friends here as one of the proudest triumphs
they ever witnessed. All honor to John
Netherland ''from way over the mountains!'
He has warmed up our hearts, given conf
dence of success to ever member of our party
and gained for himself the greenest laurel that
ever decked the brow of Statesman.
Col. Netherland opened the discussion at
ii o'clock. in a calm, dignified and argumen-
tative manner, peculiar only to himself; at
times his uusOphisticated common sense home
truths warmed up the hearts of his political
friends. and doubtless found hearty response
from many an honest democrat who found
himself led on from fact to fact and argument
to argument that no candid enquirer ait r
truth could resist The positions he takes he
maintains with power and force of facts
truly astonishing. He makes no attempt az
what is termed popular oratory, but there Is
an cloquence in the honest face of the man
that compcls even his political opponents to
admire him. and to set themselves about the
task of enquiring. for the first time, into the
acts and dOings of their leaders. Great good
must result to the interests of the State, from
the labors of Col Netherland. He will he
the honored instrument to redeem Tennessee
from the hands of the spoilers.
Gov. Harris made his speech principally
set to that same old tune, which every demo
cratic orator in Tennessee so well understands.
But alasl for the Governor, some of the
strings have been broken and he can't make
the people dance at his fidAing Slavery ques-
tion.-This mode of political warfare in the
South has been so long tolerated by public
speakers, that it is considered 10y some legiti-
mate and fair. But in making the attempt
70 identify the Wings of Tennessee with the
AbOlitionists of the North, Gov. Harris very
well knew that he was drawing largely upon
the gullibility of the people; for the Governor
kaOlrS that the soundness and nationality oil
the Wings of Tennessee on the slavery ques-
ton is equal to that of the democratic party.
But the cry of AbOlitiOnism has been SOUNDED
in the ears of the people against every OPP
posing candidate to democracy in Tennessee
ever since 1896; and yet what do facts prove?
An enquiry into the records prove that IN
former national contests, the democratic
party in Tennessee denounced White, Harrison,
Clay, Taylor, Scott and Fillmore, as either
Abolitionists, or the tools of Aboltionists.
The charge is now admitted, as it were 10y
common consent, to have been false and were
only made to effect tue election at the time.
The truth is. every admitted Freesoil or Abo-
Iition candidate for the Presidency, Birney,
Halle. Van Buren, and Fremont, belonged to
the democratic party. The Wing party
never did furnish an Abolition or Freesoil
candidate. But as well might we expect
machinery to run when motive power is with
drawn-as well expect the bird to "sing and
soar without air, or the fish to survive and
swim. when the waters are dried up-as the
democratic leaders to live without agitating
the slavery question. 1t is bread 10 their
stomachs, and breath 10 their nostrils Like
the petrol that seeks the storms like the por-
pus that rolls and revels in a troubled wake
like the war-horse that ''heareth the shout
ings of the captains altar off. and saith ha!
ha''-they have no joy without il. 1t Is
their food, their raiment and their recreation,
and peace TO them is an eternal quietus..
For the first time we saw Gov. Harris self
confidence fail him.-To those who know him
as we do, know very well that one of the
strongest elements of his character Is self
confidence. On the occasion of the discus
sion here this element, the great secret OF bis
popularity ais ueDatOr, evidently faPleu nun
His warmest political friends are bound 10
admit this. Who ever before heard him ask
quarter in discussion! Those who heard bis
rejoinder will remember the pathetic personal
appeal he made not to strike him down! Ii
was evident to all that he felt that the wan
ing fortunes of democracy could not save
him. His whole speech of an hour and hall
and his rejoinder of half an hour was princi-
pally on the Niger question, and the people
having heard il t,cice before here from him II
fell very fiat, producing no good effect for the
Gov. This Hiygr song, that the Gov. sings
used 90 be as powerful on n crowd as The
'4Old Ship of ZiOn," at camp-meeting IN
bringing mourners to their knees. But on
this occasion there were many doubling
Thomases among the brethren, and, IN res
ponding the chorus, they looked Responding
ly at each other, and they mournfuliy asked
the Governor:
Do you think she will be able to take us all homer
To our friends in Middle and East Ten
nessee, we would say, that all is right in this
end OF the Statel On to the charge, Wings
all over the State, and glorious victory
will be oursi few more weeks in the vii
derness, and then the joy, and the glories ol
the promised landl