Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-06
The Extremes Eace=to Face--The
Issue.

"He thought that Mississippi ought to send
delegates to Charleston OF unquestioned
soundness upon the great issues Of the day;
and there to insist upon the adoption OF
platform embodying a full recognition OF inc
nr;uciples of the bred Scott decision, and
upon the nomination of a Southern candidate
whose antecedents will show that he VIII
stand fully and squarely upon It. Under no
circnmstauces could Douglas, the 'unfriendly
legislation candidate, be supported by the
the Democracy of Mississippi. lie was the
representative man of a fraction winch MAO
BETRAYED the South; and had openly declared
that be would not accept a nomination upon
a nlatform which asserted the right OF the
South to the protection of her property In
the territories.
With his accustomed candor, Ex-GOv. Nc
Rae ayowed himself in favor OF the repeal OF
the Federal and State laws branding as an
icnominious crime the purchase OF slaves In
Africa, thereby constituting system OF leg
islation unfriendly to Southern Institutions
and detrimental to Southern Interests.
In the event of the election OF Black
Repuhlican to the Presidency, the speaker,
fholdnp such election upon tue avowed hos
tile purposes of the Black Republican party,
to be the great overt act,J argued that Mis-
sissippi separately, or in concert with other
Southern States, as she might elect ought az
once to discontinue her connection with the
Abolition States"
On the hand the National Era, in response
TO the Washington States, which had urged
the threatened danger of dissolution OF the
Union in the event of the election of a Re-
publican to the Presidency, holds the follow
ing defiant language:
1.-The States now seems TO doubt If the
North can be made to realize the terrible ur-
oency of the danger, but has no doubt what
ever that the North would foregO Its politi-
cal opinions if the consequences OF electing
a President in accordance with them were
correctly foreseen.
aNow. if the North are little incredulous
on this point, it is certainly not to be won
dered at. The cry of disunion has been al
most incessant since 1880, and that is farther
back than most voters can recOllect. The
laws of human nature do not admit of per-
netual state of alarm. A continuity OF the
same emotion is impossible. The wolf may
be near, but the cry of wolf, too long repeat
ted, falls on dull and doubling ears.
But the States is still more radically mista-
ken in it's other point, that any body would he
deferred from voting for Republican Presi-
dent by the belief that the Southern multi
fers would destroy the Union in consequence
of it, Ii there is any one thing which the
people of this country have undoubtedly re-
solved upon, it is, that they will tolerate no,
further bullying from Georgia, and Alabama
and South Carolina, and Mississippi. If the
nullifiers in those States choose to attempt to
90 out of the Union, SO be it. When the at
tempt is made, we will determine what we
will do about it. We will either let them go,
or we will hang the leaders and suppress the
treason, just as may seem best when the case
arises Intimidation from such a quarter is
simply ridiculous. The attempt at IL will lose
n hundred votes where it will gain one. In
stead OF fearing anything from the sugges-
tion of threatened disunion, we ask no bet
ter assistance for the Republican cause. If
the Southern nullifiers choose to dare the
people of the United States to elect Mr. Sew
ard or anybody else to the Presidency they
will find it glove thrown down 10 men who
are ready to take it up" .s.
That is the issue rendered by the extrem-
lists to the people OF the United States. The
guantle, is thrown down on the one side
and taken up on the other. The people Of
the South are invoked to array themselves
under the dissolution banner of the one;
and those of the North to range themselves
in the ranks of the other The Southern ex-
tremist says to the Northern Republican,
"you shall not elect one of your party to the
Presidency, though you may have majority
with you, and accomplish the object under
and in accordance with the forms and re-
quirements of the constitution: II you do we
will consider it an covert act of hostility to
our rights and our institutions, and will go
straight-way out of the Union. We will erect
Q government of our own" The other re-
plies: "We have majority: We intend to
elect our man: You shall not say for whom
we may or may not vote: BY the blood of
our Revolutionary fathers, and by the terms
of our independence, and the Constitution
which we are all bound to obey,we will
pursue the dictates of our Judgment, and
maintain the freedom of opinion and OF the
ballot: If then you choose to go out of the
Union. SO be it: When you make the attempt,
we will determine what we will do about il:
We will either let you go. or we will hang
your leaders and suppress your treason, as
we may think best" Whichever PREVAILS
assuming both 10 be sincere aud to mean
what they say-the consequence is the same
to tbetUnion. Both are equally fatal-boih
equally inimical 10 the PEI petuity and con-
fraternity OF the States of the Union.
The true and paramount questions for all
patriotic, law-abiding and Union-loving men
is. shall these antagonistic extremes be per
mitted to pursue the issue they have thus
made up to disruption OF the bonds which
make US one peoplei Is there conservatism
enough left in the land, North and South, to
thwart these extremists in their mad career 4!
Can q sufficient number of men be found.
who will unite in a common effort to rilence
the mischiei-makers and avert the calamities
which they are striving to bring upon the Re-
public. II these questions are answered in
the negative, the Republic is Ia effect dis
solved, aud our experiment at seli-govern-
nlent under confederation is a failure.
But if th ey can be answered affirmatively
the popular capacity for selfgovernment will |
still be vindicated. II is clear that the latter
can not take place while the people join and
lend their countenance and assistance to
sither Of the parties whose purposes are dis !
closed In the above extracts. n the mass, s |
cannot be convinced OF this fact by the evil |
deuce which has been accommodating for the |
last ten years, and is now so palpable and /
strong rs TO defy disbelief. We must confess
The prospect is eminently gloomy. aud cannot
be contemplated unmoved by any patriot
either North or South.
Notwithstanding the unfortunate events
which have characterized our political his
Tory since 1854, wherein the strength and
bitterness of party spirit have overridden the
sober Judgment Of the great masses Of the
reople, binding them TO great degree TO
he high obligations of patriotism. our faith
n the reciitude OF the national purpose still
ustifes the hope that union of the honest,
conservative people may be effected for the
contest of next year, and a belief that the