Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-11
VIM. ]. Sykes and John C. Brown at Pu,
IaSki.

No less than two thousand persons were present
on Monday the 9th inst at Pulaski, to hear the po-
litical discussion between the above named gentle
men. representing the Breckenridge and Bell parties
of Tennessee.
The debate was opened by our talented son OF
Maury He began about l04 o'clock and held the
audience quiet listeners for one hour and three
quarters, To his powerful arguments and systematic
reasoning characteristic of but few men OF any
party in the South He took up the platform of the
Democratic party and proved 1t sound and consist
ent and proved the Democratic party to be the only
party upon which the people Of the South can rely
to secure their rights and preserve the Union. he
proved it to be the only party that mad clearly set
forth It's principles and defined its position upon
all the important issues in this canvass-that the peo-
pie of the South could not consistently vote for any
party that neglected and refused to aVOw Its doc
trines and principles; this the Bell party had done
in presenting its unmeaning and indefinite platform,
-@The Union the Constitution and the enforcement
of the Laws He challenged Mr.. brown to take
issue with him upon the Democratic platform. This
Mr. B. in his speech refused to do, but upon the
contrary said it the platform OF the Bell party,
and that the Democratic party had taken tner thun-
der-that they favored federal protection to proper
tv in the territories-that it had always been the
principle of the Opposition party. Mr.. Sykes said
Mr. Bell and his party had placed themselves upon
the political acts of their leaders in and out Of the
legislative halls of Congress as their ony platform
in this campaign That being the case, the prIncI-
ples of that party were recorded upon the history
of our country and upon that record he showed the
inconsistency of Mr. Bells votes, and their antagon
ism to the interests of the South lie said he dIdn ac
cuse Mr. Bell of being AbOlitionist, but showed
thst his votes upon the Kansas and Nebraska BILL
and upon the LecomptOn Constitution were at war
with the South and opposed 20 the votes OF all the
Democratic party North and South, and witt but a
few exceptions, opposed to the votes and VIII OF his
own partv and in direct utilization with the whole
of the Republican party. He also gave short his
tory of Mr. Everetts political life and proved with
out cOntrovertOn his sympathy and animation with
the Republicans yet he didn't accuse HIM OF being
an Abotionist. Mr.. Brown took issue only upon
the votes of Mr. Bell earnestly vindicated and said
bs Marty justified and endorsed him in those votes
Mr. S said that we were charged with being
ire-eaters and disunionlstS. led by 1ancey, hhett
Davis & Co., whose course would inevitably bring
sbout dissolution of the Union, and that Breckin-
ridge was the candidate of 1ancey d Co. lie salts
facioriIv convinced all who were present that the
charges were false and were only urged as political
canita in the canvass to scare IN voters TO their
ranks He proved, according to the reasoning OF
the Opposition party, that II Mr. Brecklnrldge was
disunion:st from receiving the support of 1ancey
A. 60 that both Bell and Douglas were disuniOnists
nv the support of Peter Il. Stark Co., fre-eaters,
and the disunOn speech OF EXpresldent Fillmore on
the mart of Bell and Everett, and Gov. WINSTON, OF
Alabama Herschel V. Johnson and others, the
mart of Mr. Douglas who advocated upon the same
terms dissolution of the Union. This was not
controyerted by Mr. b, except upon the part OF Mr..
Fillmore upon the truth of which Mr. Sykes said he
wonld Mace his existence. Mr. B. yielded the point.
It was complete triumph OF our party, under the
force and power of W. j. Sykes, in his speeches on
the 9Th It is Justice to Mr.. Brown to say that he is
a courteous and and able debater and acquitted
himself with honor but he is undoubtedly upon the
wrong side. as a great many OF his party were con-
virced after the discussion The debate was con-
ducted and closed courteOusy upon both sides This
vos the first discussion in the State In the present
canvass. and should the Democracy continue to
schieve such victories the one of Mr. Sykes over
Mr.. Brown, at Pulaski, the Democracy undoubtedly
will carry Tennessee by larger majority than ever
known before. 1t is the first time in the history OF
our country that the Opposition yielded the issues
and the victory in political contest They say he
Isl is one of the ablest men in the State II that
the Democracy agree with them The debate OF
last Monday will bring hundreds Of votes to breeA
and Lane. The Douglas men are scarce mere; tle
most of them are going for Breck and Lane, Iew
will vote for Bell and Everett they say they want 10
beat the d-m-d Breckenridge men; but TINS aVails
nothing, are getting more Opposition than we
are losing and should the other counties prove as
true as old Giles, Bell will be only nominal candl-
date on the day of the election.