Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-06

spirit Of the Opposition Pressed Picture
10 Look Upon.


to Democracy, we have never known time when
the southern wing Of 1t presented 50 discordant,
reckless and discredtable an aspect as at the present
One year age and they were chaffering with the
Black Republicans for terms that would enable them
to act together as one parry in the struggle Of 1860
And as an in0ucement to such q l1li0r the Louisville
Journal, addressing itself to the Black Republicans,
pertinently asked Why cannot the North trust
that party? The North ,yiR haze as it must always
have from its superior numbers. c preDonderqtfaq
U0ice in the councils Of any truly national party
It need fear obstruction IN iaiiciing Ueageqacs on its
peUidjous representatives. None will more heartily
rejoice in the political death of Acknowledgment
doughfaces than Southern Wings None viii unite
more cheerfully than they in bringing Kansas into
the Union, and thus undoing the wrongful dshonor-
ing and insulting discrimination between free and
slave State, made by the corrupt Democracy, under
the imperious dictation Of Southern disuniOnistsn
The Richmond Wing also decaredi its willingness "to
let by-gones be by-goues and to take DE chances IN the
same boat with ali the elements Of Opposition in the
North and the South, in the East and the West" Mr.
BORIS deputed to New York to ask: VIII the
Republican party unite with US in forming patriotic
Holly Alliance on fair and honorable terms-il-
may meet them (the Democracy at Waterloo in
1850 and extirpate them fOrever?" And yet it all
failed The humiliating terms were only entertain
ed long enOughto efectually commit and thoroughly
disgrace the parties making them. Mr. SEWARD and
his frenOs were too confident of their own strength
TO barter away half the honors and emoluments of
anticipated victory, for handful of malcontents
at the South. They were given to understand that
clean Republican victory was the thing sought for
and the thing determined on. and that no man who
failed to come up to this standard need hope for
favor in the Convention that is to meet at Chicago
The Union movement having failed and a
" Third Party organization having been puton foot,
with many the hope seemed to be INDUCED that a
nomination might be made at Baltimore that would
meet with an endorsement at Chicago, and thus a
practical cooperation be brought about between the
Southern and Northern wings Of the Opposition.
But it is golNr BATES, the only looked to to
bridge the small but somewhat difficult pass be-
tween them, has broken the last hope of union by
his recent letter. assuming out-and-Out Republican
ground on all the questions relating to slavery.
What next? seems to be the natural enquiry Of
every one.
We have been looking with some interest fo- the
first words from our Opposition friends, they
stand gazing into each others faces, with evident
confusion. The Louisville J0suHal was the first to
break the silence "ItI (Ar BATES letter. says the
JOTna, "subscribes to every article in the Repub-
hcan creed, +" and -in the peculiar Republican spir-
it." His Southern friends, said that paper, enter
tanned "the belief that Mr.. BATES, like Mr. CLAY,
would recognise the great principles Of justice and
Of comfy as sacrediy binding on the statesmen Of
the Union, and would regard the abolition Of slave
~ in the District OF Columbia and the exclusion Of
slavery from the common Territories, as equally in
violation Of the national trust if nothing graver"
The Nashville Banner spoke next and took differ
ent view of it. 1t was not that Mr. BATES had dis
appointed such expectations of his friends as stated
by the Journal for said the Banner, upon this ques-
ton of slavery, conservative, UnionIovng men
must and lriH differ" but "the leading idea with
Southern Union men-the party which is arrayed
against sectional organizations, North and South
is opposition TO the agitation Of the subject Of sJaUay'
and Mr. BATES has offended against this "ead-
ing idea" by consenting to give his opinions
on the subject But the Journal and Banner
both argued that they had lost all hope Of suitable
candidate in Mr.. BATES. The next paper that we |
heard from was the old Nqtioaa I7aligeacg jour
nal time honCred in its Federalism and representing
in a conservative" spirit every eleme1. and fac
ton Of Opposition that has opposed Democracy from |
1872 To the present tine The TateIgascsr was de-
lighted with Mr. BATES letter and thought that it
would please everybody but uncompromising sec
tiOnal partzsns" This hit the journal and the Ban |
uey a hard lick In the opinion of this veteran or
gan. the expression of opinion the slavery ques
tion was not in itself an offence against the lead
ing idea" Of Southern Union men; nor were the |
sentiments expressed, though subscribing to every
article in the Republican creed" and in the pecu-
liar Republican spirit just ground Of objection to |
any but Democrats. Then came the Memphis En- /
gldrer, whose editors have been hardly long enough /
out Of the Democratic foG to feel easy in their
position-add read the old lgtelgeRcer out of the |
party, decreeng that it shall hereafter be classed
with GHEEIEs Tribune and GAEEIsoNs LiJadt0rh /
Tor having characterised as uncompromisiug sec /
.ional partzans1 all who would be dispeased with |
Mr. BATES letter without having waited first to /
hear from the organs of Mr.. REIL, in Tennessee.
But it seems that the Htsligmca- is not to stand |
alone, among the organs of the Third Party move
ment in justification Of Mr.. BATES. That paper /
finds an able auxiliary in the St. Louis Ns'rs which
addresses itself to its Tennessee and Kentucky con-
temporaries after the following fashion.
The Opposition marty IN Tennessee and Kentucky |
EXPRESS great hostility TO Senator Douglas because
OF his Sduatter Sovereignty doctrine in regard to
Slavery. They say that Squatter sovereignty gives
the South chance at al in the settlement OF the
Territories. The only logical Inference OF tins
Southern Opposition to Douglas is, that the South
must be permitted TO carry its peculiar institution
into the Territories and have il protected from
'unfriendly legislation on the part OF 'Squatter
Sovereignty Is this not so: Then TINS protec-
ton leads to the doctrine Of Congressional Slave
Code; and lands the Southern Opposition on the
platform of the Charleston Convention. There IS
no escape from Charleston, i the southern OlIo-
Sti0n REJECT The platform Of W. Bates. Ana inc
National Union Convention" becomes 0Hlg sur
pblSdqe-sO much Calhoun Democracy wasting
itself at Baltimore, and sure to be absorbed by the
Charleston nominee before going to the polls.
VIII our Memphis and Nashville friends answer
us, if this not apparently inevitable.
This was talking to the point 1t placing
.our Memphis and Nashville friends" in a light
il which they did not like to view themselves, and
has elected from the Patriot and Banner Of this city
lengthy replies. The first Of these papers argues
with much ability that Squatter Sovereignty is "a
political heresy" contering ''unrestraincd liberty
upon the inhabitants Of any territory, a liberty
which "is not limited TO the question Of slavery I
but extends 70 every other" Therefore answering
for ourselves. we lthe Patriot shall continue our
hostility to Squatter Sovereignty" With regard to
Mr. BATES the Patriot replies. that -the Republican
p aform Of 1855 and Of the present day is nothing
in fact but the Wilmot Proviso. The Wilmot Pro
yiso assumed. by It's mere presentation. the power
and bv its terms, the duty, of Congress to prohibit
the extension of slavery into any Of the territories
e tine limited States. This was an of the Wilmot
Proviso. and it is the entire essence Of the BePubl
ran creed. Without the subject Of slavery neither
would have had an existence and upon the subject
,f slavery they are identical in all respects. The
Ns7-s. therefore in asking us to support Mr. BATES,
asks us to support the Republican cause, which is
r,t title more or less than the Wilmot Proviso.
The editor Of the NetoS need not be informed OF
the reception that measure met with in Congress
from those exalted statesmen to whom he has been
accustomed to look as cxemplars Of nationality
conservatism patriotism and craftsmanship
The Patriot farther adds:
While we repudiqte squatter sovereignty, we 40
not insist On q slave code for the territories
We adhere 10 the platform of the American party
of 1856 on the subject Of slavery. We are for an