Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-02-08


In our leading editorial Of Sunday morning last, I
we endeavored to group together the various
''straws which are floating upon the current Of
events indicating the tendency and policy Of
the two leading factions in hostility to Democracy
and their willingness to coalesee. One Of the
circumstances to which we referred was, that
the New York Tribune, elated with the prospect
Of success, had already commenced the work
of preparing documents for the canvass, stating
that an the Tribune now wanted was a candi-
date-that it had announced itself exclusively
for tina. adherent Of Republican principles who can
be elecsed7 and we added with this view, whether
the choice should fan on Senator SEWARD, Governor
CHASE Mr. FEssENnEN, Judge BATES, Gov BANKS
Mr. WADE, Mr. CAMERON, NJ. DAYTON, Judge READ
Mr. TRUsmtzI- Mr.. FooT, Mr.. LANE Of Indiana
ABRAM LINCOLN or JOHN BELL. it takes occasion to
say che shan not fail Of being elected through any
lack of zeal or industry on our part" We then
followed with paragraph from that paper, eulo-
CYSTIC Of Mr.. BELL. noticing the fact that he had
been put forward for the Presidency by his friends in
Tennessee in which it was said 80 far as we are
personally concerned, we have not one word to say
in opposition to AR BELL and if he could be elected
President in 1860, we should be entirely content
The Nashville Banner in a very dignified and tenn
perate artcle--such as we shall always be pleased
to reciprocate in our discussions with that paper
assumes that we have done injustice to Mr. BELLy
and calls our attention to the fact The Banner
bases its conclusion upon the suppositon that our
classification Of Mr. BELL among the list Of gentle
men to whose support the Tribune was committed
in the event Of a nomination, was entirely predeca-
ted upon an article that appeared in the Tribune
of January 3lst In this the Bonner is somewhat
mistaken. We did have the article Of the 3lst be-
fore us and had it in mind and quoted from in the
workof preparing our editorial; but it in the use we
made of the name Of Mr.. BELL we had in mind
also various other articles which have appeared in
the Tribune at different times, Macy Of which have
been copied into our paper. The Bansr win OBJ
serve that our enumeration Of names to which
the support Of the Tribune is committed in the event
Of nomination are rot quoted, for the very reason
that they had not been gwen in the Tribune as we
gave them.
Our paragraph, it seems is susceptible Of the con-
struetion that it was founded exclusively on the
Tribune article Of the 3lst and in so far as it con-
veys the idea that Mr.. BELL was named in the Fri
bge as an adherent Of the Republican principles, -
or that he was named as one that the Tribune, in
that article declared should mot fail of being elected
through any lack of zeal or industry cur Gts)
part was incorrect Mr. BELLS name was not
mentioned in the Tribune article Of the Slst while
all the other names given by US were and it is not
cur intention to fasten on him Odious identfca-
ton any farther than we fully warranted by the
facts.
For better understanding Of this subject, let us
see what it is that we have done Objectionable to
Mr.. BELLS friends first, we have put him down
among those recognized by the Tribune as "adhe-
rents Of the Republican, principles. and secondly as
having the pledge Of the Tribune, that if nominated
by the Republican COeFention, his election shall
fail through any lack of zeal on its part
Now we well know that the Tribune does not re-
gard Mr.. BELL as technically Republican, and yet
the Tribune has been constantly avowing its deter
mination to support no one who Is not an adherent
to the leading Republican principle of hostility to
the extension Of slavery beyond its present limits.
And yet it has avowed its willingness to support Mr..
BELL For instance it was in the beginning of last
year,we believe that the Tribune, referring to the
question of the Black Republican candidacy in 1860,
said
"Who that man is, will be made manifest to those
who, without Partially, prejudice, or alloy Of per
sOnal aspirations, ObserYantly await the proper
time of choosing a speech, vote proposition of
the right stamp and made at the right moment,
may indicate him, so that the clear-eyed can no
longer doubt. And that man, whoever he may be
whether, SEWARD, or CHASE, or McLEAN. or BAN5s
or FREMONT, or BTssEII- OF CoILANAR, Bates, or
FEssENDEN- nay, should he have not been hitherto
regarded as technically Republican-such Gen.
GCOTT or JOHN BELL Capitals our own) HORACE
T. CLARK. or JOHN N. Boris, or HENRY WINTER DAVIS
provided he be openly and unequivocally Anti
Slavery extending, anti-Cuba Stealing, ant-FlG-
clustering we shall heartily support both his nom
ination and election. We give fair warning that
practical triumph in 1860 over the sham DemOcra-
cy and its masters, tie Slavery Propaganda, Is the
end for which we labor, and to which we hold not
only personal aspirations, but party Names wholly
subordinate
No one VIII deny, we suppose, that the Tribune is
familiar with the sentiments Of Mr. BELL They were
old Wings together in active public life before the
editor of the Banner and ourselves had thought Of
politics or public men. In the letter which the
editor Of that paper and others addressed to Mr..
BELL. inviting him to accept the compliment Of a
public dinner to be given in New York, they said
they had contemplated through years, with pro
found and increasing admiration, his emineniiy pat
riotic. statesmanike and truly national course in
the councils of our common country, signalized by
devotion to the institutions not of section merely,
but Of the whole Union and especially in late cri
cal and dangerous emergency, In which perilous
ugitation has been Gained, and possibility Of
civil war arrested in good part through his wis
DOM Justice and moderation
Furthermore, upon this leading Republican prin-
ciple of opposition to the extension Of slavery be-
youd its present limits, the Tribune has professed to
know something Of the sentiments of the leading
Opposition men at tie South having in one Of its
issues said
I'VE do not believe that there are ten thousand
voters in the Union outside Of the National Demo
cratic organization who desire the extension OF
slavery that the Federal Government shall favor
such extension. In our intercourse with Southern
Whigs-aud it has not been very limited-we never
met one who did so who does not now call himself
a Democrat. % We believe that Mary
land. Delaware. and Missouri. with possibly Ken
lucky. Tennessee and North Carolina may be car
ried in 1860 for a National ticket, which shall be
frankly but inotensiyely hostile 10 the extension Of
slavery.
The same paper in the early part Of last year
according to our present memory, when favoring
fusion of all the elements Of opposition to Democ-
racy in 1860, discussing the question of suitable
candidate for that contest, again said;
Most certainly we should prefer original Re
nublican-Gov. Seward or Gov. Chase for instance
but we shall heartily and zealously support one
ike JOHN BELL or John NJ. Bolts provided we
are well assured his influence. his patronage,
his po,yer if chosen President. VIII be used not to
extend slavery bRt to conine 10 within TIE States
that see fit TO uphold it."
Again. at another ume noticing speech Of Mr.:
BORIS. the Tribune said
Mr. Bolts in his speech the other day before the
VIRGINIA Wing State Convention, said in substance,
tlaf II the Republicans should nominate Crittenden
o Fell or Bates of Missouri for President IN 1860.
ffa Ceuthern Wings or Americans would support
+i,a candidate The sentiments Of VI. fritedea and
H. Ben on the great question Of he day, ARE WE'LL
gNowx 10 THE PUBLIC, but Judge Bates having been
himself for years his judicial duties 1t as proper
IN state that he was formerly Henry Clay Wing
and Ike Henry Clay, an emancipationist
At another time, referring to the same question
that paper has said:
As for Mr. Bell and Mr.. Bolts, Southern men as
tav are we know that both bIrs Hitherto TesiSed the
iust3 OF Sl1Ue5-y iaio free territory; that both op
Dosed the Kansass-Nebraska bill and Lecompton
-i,5le. and that they are men OF ability, of spot
fass honesty and Of manly iirmness
Voc II necessary and had the space, we