Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-10
HON. JOHN BELL.
sTPAST HISTORY CONNECTED WITE
THE PUBLIC SERVICE"


THE PUBLIC SERVICE"
NE FINDS A 'sNEw PARITY IN 1855, AND HAS "AusPI
cIoUs ASSURANCES OF ANOTHER IN 1857.
Having abandoned Mr.. CLAY in l84S and allied
himself to the fortunes of chieftain of the wal
which he had so violently opposed during the admin
istrstion of Mr.. PoLK,-haying defended Gen. TAY
LORs plan for the settlement of the territorial ques
tons in $780, in preference to the Compromise mea
sures of Mr.. CLAT,-having proposed a speedy or
ganizatiOn of New Mexico into a State government
and her admission into the Union with population
of eighty or ninety thousand 'civized, hafciviliz
ed, uncivilized and barbarous" Indians, and but
eight or ten thousand Spaniards, Mexicans and
Americans in opposition to the organizationiof terri
tOrial governments upon the principle of mon inter
vention" with slavery and the equal rights of the
States-we next find Mr.. BELL, in 1855, engaged in
performing funeral obsequies the death of the
old Wing party, and in organizing "new" party in
its stead.
If the old Wing party was dead, it is evident
that no one in the South, marching in its lead,
had contributed to the causes which led that
more than Mr.. BELL in his selfish desires to advance
his own political fortunes. The Democratic party
was in power and Mr.. BELL in Office when he chang
ed his party relations in 1886 but with an eye to
the future he saw that a new order OF things would
better subserve his purposes. So in 1855 though
Mr. BELL was again in power, he saw that it was
crumbiEg from under him, and that he must avail
himself of the changing condition of affairs, or
abandon all hope continuing upon the popular tide
The Know Nothing party had made its advent at
the North and, by means of its secret appliances
and peculiar adaptation to the prejudice9 of the
IL,
had succeeded in carrying several elections and bid
fair to overrun the South. Mr.. BELL unwilling
to be Iaggard in the race and in September 1855
went to Knoxville and delivered himself of set
speech, which was afterwards printed in pamphlet
form and circulated throughout the country, with
view of identifying himself more fully with this
movement and contributing to Its preservation for
the ensuing campaign of 1856. That our readers
may better understand this next step in Mr. BELLS
past history connected with the public service"
we make the following extract from the speech to
which we have alluded.
After attributing the decline of the Wing party in
part to the "prurient and impatient ambition - of
many members of that party, whose chances Of
elevation to the highest honors too slender and
precarious-their prospects Of advancement, in the
line of regular promotion, too dim AMI remote to
suit their impetuous aspirations he proceeds to
say:
have said that the Wing banner no longer floats
over the stand in political assemblies in Tennessee
That Is true but it has given place to another en-
sign under which trust, all true and conservative
patriots of both the old parties will rally and make
It equally glorious and more triumphant than the
one which it has suppanted and that it may never
have 10 be lowered resign Its place to any other
less significant on patriotic purposes and stern de-
al1Nn, aaegaw
institutions against all who would change the
undermine the other. 1t is in this trust and with
this hope-the hope that the members of the new |
party but springing into existence, will event
ually succeed in forming and maintaining great
National ard truly conservative party on all Ques-
tons that ! present myself before this assembly,
Rrrayed under new standard acting with new
sOciates, and in the support Of though not in
consistent principles. after doing battle for twenty
years under the old Wing banner.
" l dare say, feow-citizens that some of T9y
young countrymen of the new party may think that
might safely retire and leave to Younger and more
vigorous champions the support of its principles
and can say, in all candor that II would be more
agreeable to my private ncnations to seek the re-
pose of private life have participated quite long
enough in the exciting. and often heated conflicts of
the past and have under the favoring confidence
of NV countrynen enjoyed enough of public honors
TO satiate my ambition but / regard the noliticaI
condition of the country, present and prospective
as so critica-not TO say alarming that / am re-
minded of the simple but patriotic and stirring
xvatchword, which a British Admiral the gallant
Nelson sent TO float at the masthead of his shin ms
the signal TO engage the enemy off Trafalgar-.Eng-
land expects every man to DO his duty / regard
the call of my country at the present juncture as
imperative upon all her true hearted sons. to stand
Inv her fortunes in the present crisis.
After full consideration have come to the con-
clrsion that the best mode IN which can serve my
country at tie present time, Is to stand by the
American party. am not member OF the order.
bud feel that an at heart as true 70 he great and lead
inc riDcires of e party could be lree formally
initiated into one Of as couRcliS.
.The councils of the American Order are denounced
ne secret poitical societies. fraught with and tend
inc 10 all the mschiefs and atrocities Of the Jacobin
clubs of Paris in the French Revolution yet since
the order has become political party all their
ALLEGED secret proceedings are known, almost upon
the instant 10 the public. The oaths administered
on Irritation of members, are denounced as immoral
and amounting to surrender OF all freedom and in
enendence in the exercise OF the elective franchises
vet the oaths administered in various other secret
..oeties or voluntary associations in this country
ass without notice or censure and 1t Is well known
"a these assaants that any member Of the Order
car set aside the obligation OF the oath he takes so
strongly objected 80, at discretion by Withdrawing
f-ov, the Order The exclusion OF Roman Catholics
tom the official pale is denounced as proscriptive,
"a 81 ottemDt TO establish religious test, IN VIC
- &c ,bo constitution. The exclusion OF natural
J FOREIGNERS from all official stations Is denounced
as nroscriptive and likewise Yoiauoh oi 1Ile con
additional rights of that class OF ciLens' 10 pro
81 " o-i'-, .5,ont tn the constitution by which
shall be excluded from office. might justly
1o considered an attempt 10 establish religlous
- and 10 propose 70 exclude naturallzed lor-
sisrers from Office, by an amendmeh' " ele SOs
-uron might with truth be Salu 70 DC an ae'enP'
Ia ,yoscribe them but the organization Oh a poIt
y nnor the principle or policy Of withhold
mo tbe support and sufrages of the members Oh