Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-01
rronths New Hor : rrIOuus. April ..
The Pxesidencv in 1seo.

is an impossible one We are to have o new Presi-
dent, and very probably candidates on ALL hands
This paper is pretty well understood to faTor The
policy OF such action and the cultivation Of such
spirit the part of the Republicans as will secure
If possible, union Of the Opposition in the contest
before us We do not deem il necessary again to
contradict the rumors from time to time set ahoat
that We are laboring to nominate and elect a, B,
or G. Tie single end we keep in view is the iris
umph of our principles aud the consequent advance
ment Of our counITy's prosperity and honor. The
elevation Of or B to the Presidency may seem to
US desirable, but the triumph of cause is of in
fnitely greater Importance. Men are at best but
means to an end; and that end is not their own in
! duction into the Presidential chair.
In the last Presidential contest the votes of the
American People were divided as follows:
Buchanan l s3s, 23s Fremont ,s4I 5l4
Fremont and Fillmore together over Bachaa se
OF course it is plain that substantial, practt
| cal union Of the electors who supported Fremont
and Fillmore respectively insures striumph in 1860
even though there should be some scaling off on
either side, as there probably would be- We can af-
ford to lose One Hundred Thousand of the Opposi-
ton vo,e in 1856, aud still carry the next President
| by handsome majority.
Is there, then, any insupeTable obstacle to SUBJ
stantisl union Of the Opposition in 1860?
| 10 other words-Whst do the Republicans insist
on essential that the ether branch Of the OPPOSE
| ton cannot cOnCede 10 them
Doubtless, there are Republicans whose opinions
and feelings with regard 10 Slavery such as are
not acceptable TO conservative Wings. We, for in>
stsuce, regard the continuance of Humsn Slavery
| as at once great crime and great blunder-as
the main, melting cause Of our country's misfor-
| tunes and perils. We do most earnestly believe
| that Virginia, for example, would have had double
| the population and treble the wealth she now has,
| had her soil never been pressed by the foot of a
slave. So Of North Caroline, Kentucky, Tennes-
/ see SO, emphaticaly, Of Maryland Missouri, Tex
| as. But even Wo have no ideR that the Federal
Government will or should undertake to inter-
NEEDLE with the existence of Slavery in any State of
| this Union. We ask that Government simply to let
Slavery in the States alone, protecting the invioa
bty Gifts Mails and that personal liberty which the
Federal Constitution guarantees to every citizen,
leaving the overthrow Of Slavery to the natural
growth and diffusion of Intelligence Humanity and
Religion. That the Federal Government should
to be the active champion and propsgandist of
Slavery, whether in its domestic its foreign poli>
| cy, we do urge and insist. Beyond that point, we
| do not ask nor expect it to 60. The Annexation
| of Texas under the circumstances and conditions
of that Annexation the overthrow Of the Missouri
! Compact the whole course of Federal proceedings
| IN Kansas from the hour that Border Rufians we're
first permitted to harrass and abuse her Free~Stae
settlers without resistance rebuke from those sp
| pointed and paid to administer The laws there down
to the elimination Of the Leeompton Fraud, we mold
to be gross departures from that attitude which it
| was the duly of the Federal Government to main.
tain with regard to Freedom and Slavery. So with
the mOnsrOns project Of paying One Hundred Mil
lions over for the Island Of Cuba for the single
, purpose Of constituting new buttress and support
of the Slave Power in our Union. Surely it cannot
be necessary that one should be deadly foe of Sla
very in order that he should realize the gross parts
| atty and Injustice sof such projects as this
! We do not ask the Federal Government to spend
Millions to strengthen the Free Labor interests in
in our Union. We protest against spending Nil
lions for opposite purpose. Who says that this
| protest is not justihed2
Nor do we ask desire the prescription of slave
| holders OF Pro-Savery men by The Federal Admin
| istration. If they insist on prescribing u.s. why
| then they raise an issue that we must meet, and
the hardest fend off. But We are quite willing to
return to the policy of the early Presidents under
! whom no mans opinions respecting Slavery we're
made test of his fitness for Office. Now, it is no.
tOrious, no man is permitted to hold office who is in
! any manner an opponent to Slavery.
What the Republican party unitedly demand and
insist on is such change in the policy of the FEEDER
al Government as will render it 20 longer patron
and partisan but ausOpponent 70 the future Exten-
sion Of Slavery. We insist that in future it shall
act with regard to Slavery Extension in the spirit
which induced Jefferson to devise and Washington
to sanction its introduction in the Federal Terrific
ries and Gen. Taylor TO favor its exclusion from
California. So much, in essence, the Republicans
/ must and will insist on: How many of the other
wing of the Opposition will object TO it? In other
| WOfuS, now many OF lue CONSERVATIVE wings GeN
sire that the Federal Government shall continue to
! be employed il has been through the several
Democratic Administrations since Tyler's apostacy,
as agency for the propagation and diffusion of
! Human Slavery?
We do not believe that there are ten thousand
voters in the Union outside of the National Demo
cratic organization who desire the Extension of
Slavery, that the Federal Government shall favor
] such Extension. In our intercourse with Southern
| Whigs-and it has not been very lmited-we never
met one who did so who does not now call himself
| a Democrat.
IT, them we are not essentially at variance on this
| point, We insist that insurmountable barrier
exists to prevent the ''fusiOn" We desire. We be-
leve that Maryland, Delaware, and Missouri, with
possibly Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina,
may be carried in 1860 for National ticket which
shall be frankly but inOfensyey hostile to the Ex
tension of Slavery.
few words as to men:
As We desire the open and hearty cooperation of
conservative Wings TO help us elect a Republican
President, should such be nominated, we do net
begin by notifying those Wings that we will not
support nor vote for one Of their number, should
one be put forward the Opposition candidate. 1t
seems to US consistent neitaer with good policy,
good manners, nor even good faith, 10 do so. Most
certainly, We should prefer original RepubI-
can-GOv. Seward or Gov. Chase, for instance
but shall heartily and zealously support one
like John Bell Edward Bates, or John NJ. Bolts,
provided we well assured that his influence his
patronage, his power, if chosen President will be
used not to extend Slavery but to oonfne it within
the States that see fit 10 uphold it. And when we
say this, We ask those who insist that the Sla-
very issue is subordinate and that questions con-
corning the Tariff Internal improvements, so,
ought predominant, TO meet in the same spirit
You say, Messrs Conservatives that what the
country eminently needs is REIMBURSEMENT of the
Tariff so as to afford at once adequate Revenue and
incidental Protection to the exposed and suffering
branches of our National Industry. Very well do
you doubt that Gov Seward, or Gov. Chase if Pre-
sdent, would commend land approve such Tariff?
Mind, We are net now urging that distinctive Re-
publican should be selected as the Opposition stand
ard bearer in 1850: only showing that if q |
Republican should bsso nominated, you are bound by
your own principles to sustain him. If the Repub-
licans are good enough TO vote for a candidate of |
your own stamp, they are good enough TO be voted |
for by those of your way of thinking Why not?
As 10 our valiant Republican brethren, who keep /
reiterstng that they will never support any but a
distinctive, original Republican and that the Plat
form Of 1886 must be re-afirmed VeT6atiH in 1860,
we simply say, 1t is not wise TO deal in rash prOmi
ses, rash threats, rash prophecies You will
doubtless do what is best in 1860, whatever you
may think or say now; and it is not wise TO utter
hot words which may return 10 plsgue you here.
after. If an original Republican shall be our can
dldate IN 1860, you will want Conservatives to
forget that you threatened TO oppose one of
theT sort If nominated while if our nominee should
not be Republican of sc, you will want to forget
those threats yourselves.
We say, then, to the exclusives on either hand,
Keep cool. Victory is clearly within reach of the