Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-01
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1860.
A Word to PraeticaI men.

Word to Practical Men,
No one doubts the Importance of the crisis that
is now upon us. No one will deny that the results
dependent on this election are of more than ordLa-
ry magnitude to the country and every citizen in it.
Notwithstanding the cry of dsunion which has been
constantly uttered against Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE and
those who support him, there is no Southern man
who Is not blinded by passion prejudice that
would not give one long, loud shout if they could
see LINCOLN defeated by BREcKHRIDGE and LANE.
The disunion charge has been used to injure Mr..
BRECKENRIDGE in the South butt has been also so used
as to injure the entire South 1t has heen SO used as
to give encouragement to the Black Republican
party. Hon. B. II. HILL, of Georgia, in his letter
of the 18th, to the New York Express, says:
The Northern people are mistaken Many of our
Union speakers and papers are misleading the pub
lie mind Of the North They have taught that Mr.
Lincoln's election will not endanger this Union.
THEY WILL NOT BE SUSTAINED BY RESULTS.
know the North is under the impression there
Is danger They been taught to believe so.
We doubt not there are some few in the South
who, suffering keeny under sense of past injuries
inflicted upon section per Sc disunionists It
cannot be denied there is large number of all
parties in the Southern States who will go for
secession if LINCOLN should be elected The eager
with which the BELL and DOUGLAS papers and
speakers in the South have taken advantage Of
these facts and poured their imprecations alone
upon the supporters of Mr. BRECKNRIDGE has had
a tendency to beckon on the Black RepubIi-
can host under the impression that those who
dared resist would be whipped into su5mis-
sion by Southern army composed of Bell
and Douglas men and led on by such men as JOHS
MINOR BORIS EMERSON ETHERDGE and HENRY S.
FooTE, The North is becoming undeceved and
there Is now some hope that there is reaction GO
ing on which viii enable us to crrry New York.
that viii secure the defeat of Lincoln before the
people But if the election goes into the House the
government will be subjected to trial strain from
which we do not believe it could recover. If an
election should be made there we regard Lincoln's
chances better than those of any other candidate
We believe his success in the House would be more
certain thar we now consider his prospects before
the people. Under these circumstances it becomes
the duty of every true man to vote in such manner
to make an election by the people. No one be-
eves that there is the remotet possible chance for
DOUGLAS. If Mr.. BELL were TO get New York and
every Southern state except South Carolina it would
not elect him, He cannot get South Carolina. or
Georgia, where a majority is required to elect or
Florida Alabama or Mississippi or Arkansas in
deed there are not more than four Southern states
at the outride in which he even stands Chance of
success In the doubtful states he is daily losing
ground. The palpable fact is staring every man
in the face that the only hope of defeating
Lincoln is by the united vote of the South,
and the only hope of uniting the South
I'll.
small proportion of the vote, in each of the two or
three doubtful States, from BELL to BRECKNKIDGE
would ensure the unity Of the South If our friends
in New FORK and throughout the North could be as
sured that the South would speak with one voice,
their hopes would be excited their energies aroused
their opponents discouraged, and triumphant vic
tory would be the result in New York, if not in
some of the other Northern States Suppose that
fifty Of the leading merchants, bankers business
men of this city, supporters of Mr.. BELL, were to
meet and resolve that, regarding the defeat of LIN
CoLv as a necessity for the preservation of I'm
ion and believing that the only mode of effecting
that object is by giving the vote of the whole South
to BRECKINRIDGE and LANE they would give their
whole support to that ticket. Suppose a message of
that sort should he borne with electric speed through
out the North Who deny that it would add ten
thousand votes to our strength there in less than
twenty-four hours Who can hesitate TO believe
that it would at once relieve the Union of the perils
that Row environ it? Notwithstanding such might
be the happy effects of such action, conf
dent that blinded partisans would fume and
fret and cry out, Let the Union perish rather
than elect BREcKNRDGE.n But what would
be the rawlings Of such InfuTiated part
compared with the blessings of the whole
Of patriotic people. What would such raving be
compared with the conscientious satisfaction that
LINCOLN had been defeated and the Union saved!
When Rome was about to be swallowed up by a
yawning gulf CuRTus fully armed mounted his faith
full steed and leaped into the awful chasm. CURTUs
sank 70 rise nc more but Rome saved. The bright
est page in Roman history is that which tells of
patriotic sacrifice of MARCUS CURTIUs. No sacrifice
Of life, liberty of property is demanded in this
emergency. Nothing is demanded but the peaceful
performance Of duty in order to render more Sc
cure life, liberty and property. 1t is to the prac
teal, business men We have now to appeal not to
those who hope TO be benefited by the spois OF of
fee. Are they unwilling, are they ashamed or
afraid TO act becomes men whose all is bound up
in the destiny of the South. As practical business
men, we ask them 10 think. As practical business
men we ask them to act. As practical business men
let them think and act before it is too late.