Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-19
COMMUNICATION
Defining their Position.

Political vascillatiOn seems to be the order of the
day with some Of the political parties Of our country
In each successive convention TO revoke all the acts
and dongs Of the preceding one is considered Of
/ vast Importance Even the old banner which has
been borne aOft through The hoty contested battle
field with all its glorious notices and Chivalric en-
/ sigma is thrown to the winds and waves no more
DER the tented field. 4 new one bearing other mot
toes and a different battle cry, is hOisted to rally
the brave to arms. This has been the course pur-
sued by the present Opposition party, from its rise
| to the present time. In days gone by, there were
but two political parties in this county, each striving
to elevate and dignity common country; after many
hard fought battlesthe Wing party died, and strange
/ too died while in power. The dismembered and
disheartened fragments of that party, cherishlng
their old prejudces against the Democratic party
soon enlisted under the prOscrptve banner OF know
Nothngism while many found home in the bosom
Of the Democratic family. The old name of Wing,
with all its tlrong Of glorious associations was for
gotten in the dazzling splendors Of the new order.
The name Of Wing become almost extinct during the
reign of Know NOthingism, so much so, that many
former devOees dared not lisp the once soulstrrng
word After a short reign. the name Of American
was blazoned on their banner, and they seemed to
glory in their party name, but 1t was soon evident
that even under that specious name they could not
fight their way to the Capitol Then the Wlseacres Of
the party concluded to christen it with new name,
more all-embracing in its nature it was then herald
ed to the world as the Opposition party.
The last canvass in this State was fought under
the name of " Opposition and often did they
appeal to all the opposing elements TO Democracy to
enlist under their banner and save the country from
Democratic misrule; but the people, true to their
natural instincts gave it such rebuke at the ballot
box that t retreated from the public arena no more
to appear under the same name ButfrOm its ashes,
Ph9nixlike, a new party sprang whose only Dusl-
ness is TO save the Union. This new party assem-
bled in Baltimore and nominated two Old-hne Wings
as their standardbearers in the next PRESIDENTIAL
canvass During the sitting Of that Convention one
of the most remarkable things was the speech Of
the Hon. Gustavus A. Henry Of GAINESVILLE, Tenn,
in which said many pretty things about the I'M
ion. Col. Henry is fine orator and knows how to
entrance an audience. but were surprised to see
that he discards all that once made him glory IN /
being Wing. fe1 gears ago he 1oaS an elIh1tsdS-
tic Wing Here is what he said
&" We are not Wings; we are not Democrats we |
are rot Americans; five years ago you were y we /
are not Opposition men, last year you claimed TO /
be- but we are Union men," Oh consistency, thou
art truly a Jewel Ten gears ago a Wing; IRE !
wears $40 Il HuOl1 Nothing; then an American last
vsqr an Opposition and his gear on the morning Of
The 10Th of Mqy, 1860, Ia The city Of baltimore Union
man. How long he will continue under the same
banner, mortal man cannot tell II may be year
It may be a month We never knew before that
man must discard his Whiggery or Democracy to be
a Union man. We once thought the old Wing party
revered tie Union of these States If so, why give
up those principles for which Clay fought to be a
" Union mane' As dearly as we love the Demo-
efAIlC party, II we thought II favored the lOe1AI
dlsunlon without our constitutional rights are deh-
ed US, would sever my connection with it and rally
under some other standard. But to be Union men
it is not necessary to give up our Democracy.
Is Col. Henry or his party in favsr of Union now
more than ten years ago? When his clarion voice
rang throughout the canvass Of So bearing to the
breeze the tattered banner of Scott did not his
tongue grow almost seraphic over the glorious IN
ion? Has his heart been touched afresh with live
coal from off the altar Of the Unions If not. why
parade yourself and party before the world as the
Z" Union Party D" SHIRLEY.