Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-25
From the Nashville Gazette Of Yesterday. Neutral
The Epnlf1icnI Brazilian.


The Political Problem.
No person of ordinary reflective faculties can but |
admit the perilous nature of the contest close at
hand, if he only win cooly attempt to solve and to
reconcile the conflicting opinions issues and ultimate
tendencies of the great parties engaged IN par
tial OF total antagonism to each other.
We know of many causes Ofdisagreement between
the North and the South. as South and NOrth-con-
ictve interests tariffs and other of what may be
termed federal measures in opposition to the great
and well know axoms of Southern men and States
rights but have not seen, in the whole history
of the Government, so much infammabe material
brought out to the surface of politics as IS now TO
be seen by even a casual observer.
We have passed many crisis in the affairs OF the
Nation, and we have probably got the idea OF ma
tonality too strongly impressed on our mlnds lor
the good and safety of ourselves as banded ana
united NATURALIZATION strongly rooted IN our lee-
ngs for the good and safety Of ourselves as cizehs
of sovereign States-united together for the purpose
of common interest protection, and advancement In
civilization.
We abhor and shudder at the idea of dissolution
of the Union while deprecate entirely the notloh
that the national or federal compact, as UoVerh,
ment has any power to coerce sovereign States and
we deprecate even the suppostion that such afstep
would even be attempted, because the bare -suppo-
sition would be sufficient to create the emergency
because the entertaining of Ii by any Important
nartv must produce on the slightest occasion, the
opposing force of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 the deat
We are a law-abiding people, but we are pOnu-
cally free people and this Is essentially politlca
ouestiou not legal one. 4 citizen OF a State ives
his first duty to his State and only through the au
thorities constituted by his suffrage does he hear OF
his political duties to the Nation and when he for
gets his duties to his Stategnores the idea OF her
observation-disclosures that a chlmencal, speculative.
or fanatcal national policy is to be followed IN pre-
ference to the plain teachings Of selprotectlon he
flies like the giddy moth, into the destructive 1ame
The arms of the Federal Government, raised to
strike a sovereign member of the ConfederacyI,
raised to coerce power from when al ieueFal
mower emanates-strkes not the State, but through
itself the heart of the COnfederacy is pierced; and
the wound will let all the life-bood out-wll de-
stroy forever all vital power to exat or prosper us
as a nation-wIll sink the Government into de-
graded and degrading tyranny, or scatter II INTO
fragments.
The consent of freeuen is the condition of free
Government; there is, there can be, no other Inc
existence of sovereign State under coercion Is In
conceivable while single citizen is left to assert
his rights under its sovereignty.
The existence of a Federal Government WIN
power to coerce its sovereign creators Is the purest
! fallacy.
| We would maintain the federal authority in its
| fullest exercise of all the laws framed under the
ConstitutiOn-but the Union is at an end when the
State in her sovereign majesty ressts the Federal
! power.
Most of the Northern States have virtually seced-
ed from the Union in passing laws in direct viola
ton of the laws of Congress, and party leaders are
|
terpositon OF the Federal arm, if any OF the South
| ern States should assume like position.
| Just have three parties IN the south
then we will have but The spirit OF resistance
to the law may prevail in the North, the spirit oi
| disuniOn may be kndled by it IN the South; we
shall in all ways endeavOr to put down the one as
the prime enemy of our national veal, and we Will
not encourage the other long single hope re-
mains of healing the angry strife; but we raise the
warning voice against force against it even IN Mas
| sapb iuStl AZ
| in Alabama. We honor the land OF the pilgrims,
| and we honor her sons, even III their tanatlclsmi
but we love, as well honor, the land OF Marion;
and Tennessee lies in all her majesty OF sovereign
! tv her streams her mountains, and her tall sons,
right between the encrOaching North, and 1.-THE land
| OF rest-beautiful, loyal Alabama"
We intend to meet this great question cally-
look the danger in the face. The problem OF the
safety of the Union will not be solved II solved at
all by politicians greedy for office it will not be
solved by the fanatics of the North or the dsunlon-
lists of the South it must be solved by the great
body Of the people Just now. as 1t appears to US
there is arrayed against the Union, as the support
| eI's of Lincoln and Hamlin, about one half OF the
| North the other half and all the South stand OPP
posed to them This is not as bad as some of us
would have it. We talk of the North as whole,
while the North numbers one half, or nearly so, as
| politically friendly to the South; besides, we can
see how much of trick, how much Of old party an
tpathes have been brought to bear in favor Of the
| Republican movement; and, looking at all these
powerful aids and keeping in view the handspring
of the movement-the tanatical feature OF the
question linvolved-we are surprised, not at
the small majorities OF Indiana, Ohio and Penn
sylvania, but surprised that they are so small. II
the keystone of the arch does not give the RePubl
cans fifty thousand majority in November, 1t will not
be the fault of the platform There is magic in the
word Tariff to the men who will vote for Smor
Snyder for Governor, and Gen. jackson for Presi
| dent.
With the Senate opposed to him. Mr.. Lincoln car
do no harm; ard with small and steadily decreas
ing majority IN the House, he is pOweress for evil
besides his party is built of the most incompatible
notwithstanding cOngruOus, nothing harmonious
in their composition: the very groundwork Is com
bustible in its nature and will explode soon a
any addition of the simplest element of natlona
policy Is made
We have been patient heretofore under the sin
gular workings OF majorities We must be patIen
under the rule of an executive elected by a minor
ity if we can that in his election errors OF the
most dangerous nature will sink forever and carry
their authors with them into the proi"unGer
[ depths OF political oblivion.