Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-18
From the Savannah Republican.
The Northern EIeetions.--A Lesson
for the south and Conservatives


A"in nao iouS oeeu considered 0y the South
ern people as beyond the reach of redemp-
ton, even by a fusion of all parties opposed
to the Republicans; but Pennsylvania, the
old Keystone of the Arch, :" which never had
cast truly sectional vote, was looked TO
with hope as the great barrier between the
constitution and the assaults of its enemies.
The triumph of the destructives in the late
election in that State, and by large major
ity, has created profound sensation in ev-
cry portion of the South to which the tele-
graph and mails have borne the u2welcome
news. The enemies of the Union are inspir-
ed with new courage, and the arms of its
friends are stricken down and fall palsied by
their sides. Dependency has taken posses
sion of the public mind almost universally
at the South, and our people feel as if the ell
ovation of a hostile government to rule over
US, is now but question of time. But few
days will have elapsed, when that dreaded
cOnsummation with all its attendant evils,
will probably be upon us. 1t is, indeed, a
sad and a serious day for the country.
For ourselves, though cast down and much
discouraged by these results, we are yet IN
willing to give up the case as lost and abandon
the country to its fate without struggle.
Until the die shall have been finally cast, we
shall live on in hopes of propitious finale to
all our troubles, trusting, as We do, in the
good sense and patriotism of the American
people. We know Fanaticism is blind, that
it sees not and hears not, that il is insensible
to all appeals that do not seek the attain
ment of its own desperate ends. yet all who
feed the fame are not fanatics. MANY know
not what they do, and other are controlled
by motives in purely local election which
have no place in the selection of ruler for
all the people. Be this as it may, the times
are threatening, and demand the exercise of
all the GOODNESS, wisdom and patriotism of
which the friends of the country are posses
sed.
The question for conservative and Union
loving men throughout the country now to
determine is: the best ne2t step. The Union is
In danger. The means heretofore employ
for saving it, and bringing peace to these
States, have signally failed. What shall he
done? Shall we persist in the use OF we'll
tried and inert expedients or shall we resort
to something new and untried to accomplish
the end in view. Sensible men would feel no
hesitation in answering this question in the
affairs of every day life. What would be
thought Of Il physician who had administered
a particular remedy TO his patient year after
year, until the latter, sinking 10y degrees. had
reached the very jaws of death, and yet in
sst upon the application of the same old
remedy, declaring that nothing new should
be tried in the case? He would be called
madman and fool, and summary elected
from the family whose confidence he had
abused by his obstinacy and quackery.
And yet this Is the exact condition of the
American body polite at The present day. Il
has been sick aud growing worse for years
and yet our political physicians would hear
OF but one remedy; even now, when the pa
iient Is IN eItrenits, they insist upon the appli-
cariun- Democracy is that remedy, and the
recent elections al the North, the result OF
It's administration.
Ia the BEGINNING of the agitation of the
r esdeHtIal question. and before the meeting
of the nominating conventions OF the respec-
tive parties, there was but one issue and on
Opini on at the South. All questions that had
agitated the country, aud e,pr cially the Ter
rit0rial question, had been fiaitely settled
by law and to the entire satisfaction of the
South. We required no change, believing
that past legislation and the constitution az
interpreted by the Supreme Court, were am
pie for our protection. An honest admins
tratiOn of the law as it stood, was all that
we required or had d right to ask. The ex-
iStence OF an antI-slavery. sectional party at
the North, powerful organization which
had declared hostility to Us and our institu-
lions. was our only trouble, the sole barrier
between our Union, and the unmingled
peace and prosperity of all its parts. To de-
feat this organization and remove the last
of every conservative citiZ-n of the country.
The Democratic party seemed to be the only
political organization that had the power to
effect this great end, and when its nominal
Tag convention met at Charleston, ii was the
firm deter mination of all parties at the South,
should they act in harmony and select can
didates whom we could support consistently
with self respect and duty to the country, to
unite with them, and forgetting all Past diff
ferences, cooperate in Kidding the country of
party that was preying upon its peace.
This journal boldly took that high and indie
pendent ground for weeks before the assemb-
ling of that convention. But what was the
RESULT A division at Charleston, and final
separation between the Northern and South
ern wings of the party at their adjourned
meeting in Baltimore, destroyed its power
for good, and defeated the good intentions of
those who were ready to unite with it and
put down the foes of the Union. The Organi-
cation was shorn of its strength, and was
obliged to go to the wall, defeated and dis
graced, in every conflict with the enemy.
The experiment has been tried in the late
elections; and we have the result before Us.
Persist in Its trial, and in the Presidential
election the country will be wrecked by the
folly.
1t is thus clear that fatal mistake has
been made in trying to put down compact,
well organized and thoroughly drilled party
at the North, with the diScOrdant elements of
disrupted party, the two wings Of which
are mutually hateful 10 each other. What
else could have been expected, and what else
but disaster can we expect from all such at
tempts in the future?
The truth is Democracy has broken down
and proved failure while in the northern
section of the Union it has also broken down
every man of character and worth who has
any connection with il. It's agil ations, its
ultraisms. and its mountain load of sins have
weighed il down and sunk it to the bottom.
1t were the heighth Of madness at this day to
expect anything that is valuable to the coun-
try from the efforts of such party. Having
failed, and utterly failed as all will agree,
the question recurs What is the best neIt step?
We propose to answer the Inquiry.
1t is palpable, and to our mind it has been
all along, that the people of this country
who were not at heart desirous of trouble,
were wasting their energies in an attempt to
elect either Douglas or Breckenridge to the
Presidency. No such event Is within the
range OF possibilities. The agencies that bring
The country into trouble are not to be relied
on to exJricate it. The North is Black Re-
publican and can only he carried for the con-
by winning back the many patriot
ic citizens who committed the fatal mistake
OF gong lHio mat obstructive organization.
Many act with it without sympathy for its an
ti-lavery views, but simply b cause they
hate Democracy and have nov here else to 60;
while thousands, unable to associate with
any existing party cOnscientiOusly, have re-
tired to their homes and kept aloof from The
polls. How is it possible to change this
state OF things by running Democratic can
didate? 1t were most unreasonable to eX-
pect il, and it will never be done. Some
new alternative must be presented to them
or all will be lost.
The only hope of the country then is, for
both Breckenridge and Douglas to retire and
leave the battle to Bel alone He is the
only candidate who can measure arms with
tue B Jack republican Saladn, and in free,
open fight We feel confident of his triumph.
Il men love party less than country, they
will yet so will 1t.