Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-06
From the Columbus (Ga Tipnes
What Friend and Foe think of John He'll.

| A few days ago we published extract from a
! Black Republican campaign document, placing the
| opinion entertained of John Bell in New York, and
! that expressed by Ben. Hill in antthess. The En-
| gtiTer overwhelmed with Offsets this fact, by
| publishing a couple of extracts from two Black Re-
publican papers which declared that Mr.. Bell was
| as good prO-savery man as Mr.. Breckenridge.
Well this is a pretty hard lick upon Mr. Breckin-
| ridge, We admit. Viewing it in its proper light,
however and attributing to its due weight, 1t only
furnishes additional proof of the fact which have
| often declared that Mr.. Bells political course is
wholly destitute of the virtue of stability and that
he has invariably acted in such manner to de-
ceive the North the South. both We admit
then, that Black Republican testimony as to the
opinions of Mr. Bell the subject of slavery is
fitting. But here the conflict stops.
What does the Constitutional Democracy of Mas
sachusetts think of him? Here it is. Hon. b. +.
ll&let in speech before the National Democratic
State Convention of Massachusetts,, on the 18th of
September, said
And yet we are told that the South is hesitating
and dividing like the North, between three CandI-
dates and preparing to make itself easy prey for
the AbolitiOnsts. Gentlemen, that there should be
doubt of the selfreliance of the South doubt of
her unity this vital issue, is the strangest of all
the phases of this strange canvass Whatever may
be done in the North, do not see how the South
can consent to weaken her position in the Union by
diversion from Mr.. Breckenridge to Mr. Bell. Ger
tain it s that the distinctive doctrine of that party
North far they avOw any, is opposition to the
admission of slavery into the Territories and the Gd
mission OF States 1Oih Slavery Now, if there is any
thing that the South distinctvely demands 1t Is that
they shall have the right to settle in the Territories
with their slave property undsturbed, and that any
new State shall be admitted with without slavery
as its people NAV desire. The Bell and EUerett party
is opposed to this in the North. | don't know what
their doctrines in the South; if they are not OPP
posed to it there they have toO faces And therefore
it is that echong with my feeble voice the noble ap-
peal made by my predecessor, Gen Gushing, to the
men of the South, say in adding my humble warn
ing that this is to them the struggle for their very
existence"
We now propose to show what Bells political
friends and supporters, in the same state tnlnH OF
him. The first witness is Mr.. Saltonstall ms
gentleman has been dubbed the conscience keeper
of Messrs. Bell and Everett" and is the political
amanuensis of the latter. At a Bell and Everett
meeting in Boston, not long since, Mr.. Saltonstan
spoke as follows:
Il suppose all adverse to the institution Of
slavery, but we do not wish to interfere with the
government of the slave States. When the sage of
Quincy was fighting for the right of petition Of anti
slavery Ilen, John Bell was on his side. You find
him standing firm against the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise; and for these things the South calls
him anti-savery man. This is the man for IA
tOnal conservative men, a man who is opposed to
Northern extremists
The next witness is Mr.. George s. billiard, who is
also a prominent advocate of Mr.. Bell. In an adj
dress delivered the occasion last above referred
to- Mr. billiard said:
'On the other hand how is it with Mr.. Bell? He
has been all his life in opposition to the dominant
public sentiment of the South. He is protection
ist the South is for free trade. He was in favor of
the United States Banks the South was not He
o3posed the South Carolina notification. He pro-
tested against the removal of the depostes Of all
the Tennessee delegation, he alone favored the re-
ception of the petitions for the abolition of slavery
in the District of Columbia. He opposed the an
nexation of Texas He protested against the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise and resisted the Lee
compton Constitution. There is man in the South
who more deserves 10 be called Southern man
with Northern principles than John Bell. Need we
go farther?