Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-14
RooMs NATIONAL. EXECUTIVE CoA4lfIEEi
Washington. Angus l, lobO


the reasons which, in cur Judgment. make 1t
tLe imnorative duty of the rejecting and
patriotic voters of the United States to cast
their SURFACES at the coming Presidential
election for JOHN BELL aud EDWARD
EVERETT. the candidates Of the COnstl-
tutional Unica Party. All men, whatever
be their political conviction, and in whatev-
er parts Of the country they may live. must
admit that our political conditions at TINS
time is at once unnatural and alarming. In
all free countries, governed by representative
bodies, there are. and ever rust be. political
parties. The natural division of these par
ties is in conformity with certain orlginai
principles in humanity itself. One party
represents peTmanancy, and one progression;
one the propelling and one the guiding prln-
ciple. The prosperity and healthy growth
of free countries depend upon the adjustment
and proportion of the forces represented by
these two parties. moving within the sphere
of the Constitution. and alike inspired by
patriotic impulse. The parties which, under
Various names. have until few years past,
divided the country have represented,
or profezsed to represent, these principles,
though it has often happened that the par
ticu!ar issues on which they were opposed
were accidental, and not essential.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
But recently a change has come over the
spirit of our politics. and the natural antag-
onisn Of parties has been disturbed. In ff-
teen of the thirty-thTee States which now
comprise OEr cOnfedeTacy the institution OF
African slavery exists: and all admit that.
within these States. it is entirely beyond the
sphere and jurisdiction Of the National Gov
ernmenf At the time of the formation OF
the Constitution it had a legal existence at
least IN nearly all the States From that
time to this il has been subject powerfully
moving the sympathieS and passions of a
portion of the community. and it cannot be
denied that it has considerably enhanced the
difficulty Of governing and administering the
country. But the grave questions when
grew out OF the existence of slavery were al
WAYS met with that wisdom and patriotism
which were requisite for their adjustment and
solution. The Constitution Itself was the
birth of n spirit of generous CONCESSION ana
magnanimcus compromise: and IN Ike
spirit the country was long governed one
crisis Of more than common magnitude and
DeriI occurred in 1920, upon the admission
of Missouri: and another in 1850. upon the
admission of California: bat both were hap
DfIy passed and in 10th cases. after some
moments Of anxious suspense. the Goals OF
strife were quenched. and harmony was res
stored.
At the Adjournment of Congress in 1880
tie country was at peace. There was no
portion Of the territory OF the United States
which had not its condition fixed by positive,
and. as was supposed. irrCpealble law. The
anti-slaveTy agitation had been mainly con-
fined 10 u few Over-zealOus persons IN GER
tain localities 1t had excited disturbing
force in the politics of some of the States: II
had sent some ardent paTtisans to the Nation
al Legislature. but it had no marked infiu-
ence upon the politics of the nation. No bet
ter proof can be adduced in support OF the
pnsition than the fact that at the Presidential
election in the autumn of 1852, Mr.. Hale,
the candidate of the FTee-sOil party, re-
ceived but l5S.I23 votes to Mr.. Pierce's
l. $50. 3aj. and G-n. SCOTS l. 393,0S9.
REPEAL. or THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
Rut this auspicious calm was disturbed,
and all the winds OF sectional strife were let
loose by events occurring between the Prcsi-
Dental election Of 1852 and that of 1886.
Prominent among these were the UntOward
of the Missouri compromise IN
1854. the acts of violence which occurred in
Kansas. and the persistent efforts OF the Fed
eral Administration TO force that Territory in
the Union. So great was the effect produced
by these causes that instead of Mr.. Hale's
meagre vote OF I5S. 1913, Col. Fremont, the
Republican candidate, had ,34l, 5l4 to Mr..
Buchanan;s ], S3S, 232, and Mr.. FillmOre's
747O7. Since that time the Republican
party has maintained its imposing character,
and now presents as formidable a front be
fore the country as ever it did.
REPEAL OF THE COMPROMISE \ DEMOCRATIC
MEASURE.
Great pains have been taken in the North
err States by Republican speakers to repre-
sent the disturbance Of the Missouri com
promise as a Southern m"asnrr. and one OF
the acts OF what they are wont to call the
slave power; but such speakers show more
party zeal than love of truth. The feeling
in regard to that compromise was subStau-
italy the same in both sections of the cOun-
try. Each conceived that it had yielded
something Of constitutional right, but both
acquieSeCd in the result as a measure of heal
ing and peace. It's repeal took the North aud
South alike by surprise: not petition to
that effect was presented from any Southern
S sate. and the han that set this disastrous
bull in motion was tue hand of Northern
5 snatOr. Thirty-seVen Senators voted with
him. and thirteen against him, and OF these
fourteen We're from the Northern States; had
these fourte n o cd the other way, the COM
promise would not have been disturbed. The
measure was a d .mOcratic measure. and the
leaders of the Democratic party are alone re-
'pOnSible for it and for its consequences.
They having sOwn The wind, are now reaping
he whiTlwind. The reiTibItOn which has
allen upon their once powerful organization
IAN awaken no sympathy for it Is no more
han the righteous penalty eXacttd from
hose who break the law of right. Their
party is now cleft in twain, and the two d
Tidcd portions turn towards each other a
OF '.irreprassible conflict and
IneXtiDguishable amin 0sity. There are no
Iuarrels Ike family quarrels, and there is no
hatred Ike the hatred that once was love.
MR.. DOUGLAS AND Mr. ERECKINRIDGE.
Mr.. Douglas. representing the principle or
rather the policy (lOr we deny it the name of
of popular sovereignty, is strong
1t the North. Mr.. Breckenridge represent
ng the doctrine of national intervention in
behalf of slavery, and identified with the
present Administration. is strong at the
south. Mr. Douglas will probably command
1 larger popular vote than Mr.. Breckenridge,
Jut be certainly cannot carry single Sou
hern State, and, unaidcd by other parties
lis success IN any Northern State is question
sble. II is doubtful whether Mr.. Breckin-
'idge can obtain the vote of more than one
Southern State. and he cannot hope to carry
single one in the North.
The election of either Mr.. Breckenridge or
dr. Douglas we should regard as a serious
Misfortune 10 the country. Except upon the
point on which they are at issue,
We may presume that the course of their
Administ Tations would be substantially the
anne. The election of either would continue
hose abuses and cOrruptions which have
one so much to demoraliZe our people, |
rhich have brought our Institutions into such
ndeserved distrust abroad, and against
7hich the unperverted conscience of the |
'hole country so energetically protests.
NO CHANCE FOR DOUGLAS OR BRECKENRIDGE.
But we deem it unnecessary to speculate |
pom the consequences of an event which can
ever take place The election of either Mr.. |
Douglas or Mr.. Breckenridge is simply an |
npossibility. and the Democratic party |
,orth and South may as well look this fact |
eadily in the face to-day as hereafter, for to |
lis conclusion they must come at last. A |
official house divided against itself cannot |
and Every man in the country of sound /
ind, whose wish is not father TO his thought, |
H.. fiat bap e b.a