Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-13
:. o. GRIFFITH a co,
FRIDAY, APRIL 3. IseO.


Where Does Mr.. Bell stand!
We showed yesterday that there was difference
of opinion among the friends Of Mr.. BELL, North
and South as to his position in relation to the ex
tension Of slavery We will not stop to comment
upon the humiliatng fact that the position Of Ten
nessee statesman upon question which is vitality
important to the interest and honor Of every citizen
Of the South, is a matter of dispute between the
Black Republicans and the Tennessee Opposition.
This ambiguity existing, the inquiry: Where does
Mr.. BELL staDi is pertinent and should be answer
ed Mr. BELL is a prominent aspirant for the Presi-
dency He il the idol of his party in his State. His
friends are warmly attached to HIM and are eagerly
pressing his claims for the Baltimore nomination.
The immediate issue before the country IS the
power and policy Of Congress in prohibiting slavery
in the territories A great party, great in number
and great in intellect, have declared that =" Ii
is both tie right and duty Of Congress to
do so. Upon that as the most moderate of
their issues, they are summoning their hosts for
the approaching struggle Mr.. BATES who now
ranks among the foremost men Of that party, and
who is regarded as TIE most kindly Of them to the
South declares that Congress has the power to pro-
hbit slavery in the territories, and il his opinion
'the spirit and policy Of the government ought to
be against its extension" Under these circum-
stances is it not of the highest Importance to the
South that Mr. BELLS views should be explicitly
declared before the meeting of that Convention,
from which he desires a Presidential nomination.
1t viii not do to say that will ignore
the question that we VIII not agitate. The
war is upon US. The Black Republican press
and Black Republican leaders have most clearly
a.. ILL., :
is forced to meet it quietly submit to a tame
surrender of the fortunes and the honor, if not
indeed the lives of her citizens. Which viii she
DO?
It viii not do to answer our first interrogatory
by saying thas Mr.. BEH is a Southron born,
and a Southron bred. Not more than
Mr.. BATES. 1t will not do to argue that Mr..
BELL is a citizen of, and has his interest linden
titled with a slave holding State Not more 80
than Mr.. Bates Before Mr. Bates recent letter
there was quite as much controversy about his SEN
timents as there is about the sentiments Of Mr..
BELL The Opposition members of the Missouri
legislature declared their preference for him
candidate for the Presidency. Then the Opposition
Convention of that State nominated him, and then
the Black Republicans did the same. 1t is true that
this controversy as to Mr.. Bates political views
was carried on principally by the Northern Opposi
ton papers. They manifested much more eager
ness to ascertain his exact position about slavery
than the Opposition Of the South. The Black Re
pubhcans would not receive as conclusive evidence
of his Republicanism the avowals of his friends.
Even the statements of his organ which it declared
received the sanction of Mr.. BATES not satisfac
tory to them. So earnest and determined were
they in their opposition to slavery that they would
not consent that any aspirant for honors at their
hands should occupy an equivocal position They
forced Mr. Bates to explicitly proclaim himself in
favor Of the prohibition Of slavery in the terrific
ries by the government. Mr.. Bates was not only
proposed as a candidate for the nomination at Chi
cago but also for the nomination at Baltimore.
Then was there not as much necessity for his
opinion being known and clearly understood by the
Baltimore Conventionists by those to meet at
Chicago? Is not the question Of slavery as impor-
tant in any and every aspect to the Southern OppO
sition as to the Black Republicans. and yet while
Black Republicans were unwilling to tolerate Mr..
Bates as a candidate for their nomination, we are
gravely told by Southern Oppositionsts that the
question which Mr.. BATES has discussed and which
has made him so offensive at the South, Is up
on which conservatives, Uaton@0uiHg men must and
will differ" Black Republicans made Mr.. BATES
show his hand upon the slavery question. The Gin
cinnati Gazette declares: " We cannot believe there
is single sentiment in the letter Of Mr. BATES which
the great Tennessee statesman does not IN his heart,
endorse" Is there anything in the slavery question
that should render the views of those desiring high
official position less important at TIE South than at
the North? Is there anything in the character,
standing or history Of Mr.. BELL to exempt him from
inquiry that would not apply with equal force to
Mr. BATES? Each of them is a citizen Of the South
born and reared IN a slaveholding State. Each Of
them hitherto belonged to the same political organ
ization. supported the same men and the same
measures Each of them is presented by their friends
in their respective States as proper candidate for
the Presidency A controversy existed as to the
views of each, in relation to the prohibition of
slavery in the territories Mr. Bates has taken posi-
ton: where does Mr. BELL stand? Let him answer.
Let him answer before the nominations are made at
Baltimore aud ,hclgo. Let hun anwer so that the
l... qt-s 20 IN, Bltim1re Convention. being fully
"a. of his views nay act understandingly. We
AK. a. la4t th people Of the South will Join the
Black Republicans Of Ohio in the exclamation; If
We are mistaken in his sentiments would like to
be distinctly informed wherein the confidence we
have expressed is i'll bestowed"