Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-16
KNoxr1I1F. Tenn.. sert. 10. $50.


Dear Sir Your letter of inquiry and many appIi-
cations to me from old friends and supporters de-
mand courteous answer, and l avail myself OF
your letter to publish my reply to it, as reponse
to all. ~ Isl
It is useless for me to say more of the Black Re
publican party than it will be incidentally neces
sary to speak of it in connection with others having
tickets for popular suffrage in this State, and in
addition to say, that war, pestence and famine are
preferable TO it.
At an early stage of the csnvass-before the as
semblage of aoy Conventions for the nomination Of
Presidential candidates had my attention anxious
y directed to the aspect of the political horizon and
at an early period determined that would support
ticket nominated BY, seeking 70 be elected b OF when
elected. necessarily relying for support upon BLACK Re-
There are no issues separately or aggregately
considered. entitled to moments consideration IN
comparison with the slavery question. 1t engulfs
all, oVerrides all and Black Repubieanism inquiries
for no other test but coincidence of sentiment as to
it, and that sentiment is aggressive treason.
We have no Jacksons now, to make. unmake or
control parties--I expect to see no other in this
generation. Until another does arise it is more i'm
portant to know who present and sustain a man,
than it is to know the man HIMSELF Who present
the three tickets in this State ?-whO are the men
presented? and why have they received this distnc
ton?
John Bell and Edward Everett are first nominat-
ed at Baltimore by men styling themselves-and
here is their first Introduction to the public" the
Constitutional Union party" This party gives US no
platform. Its generalltles mean nothing. The
Constitution the Union, and the enforcement of the
Laws every Abolitionist will swear by, in the
same breath that he shouts the "HIGHER LAVE" and
the vilest of them, not only means to abide the
Union. but he voeiferates that eighteen millions Of
the North will by arms force obedience TO the I'm
ion. A large majority of the Convention were from
the North and it is haZardng nothing to assert that
there was not single member of it from the North
who does not assert the power of Congress to pro-
hibt slavery in the Territories the power OfCongress
to abolish Slavery in the District OF Columbian the
Dock yards Navy yards and Arsenals though within
the States-and concurring in the opinion thatSave
~ is moral and social evil and a sin before GOd
most of them believe that whenever and wherever
the power exists Congress should extermlnate It.
And in this view many of them doubtless supported
the action of the Black Republican Committee of
the present Congress at the last session. to create
i've new NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to be made free
States-just the number necessary when added to
the present free States, to give majority of two
thirds, thereby to amend the Constitution, and thus
the supporters of the tmain line of argument" in
Summers speech, will support the Constitution the
Union, and the enforcement Of the Laws when they
abolish the institution in the States Whatever of
Southern conservatism existed in the Convention
was simply sunk in this majority from the North.
These are the men who nominated Bell and Ever
EFT. They cannot elect them. 1t is believed that no
candid man thinks, or says they can be elected by
those who put them in nomination. They cannot
get majority, l think, in single State. They are
seeking fusons everywhere with Squatter SoYer-
eigns and all men, avowng the object 10 be to defeat
an election by the people and get into the House of
Representatives where they hope the ticket may be
successful by the votes of Black Republicans and
by the very men, too, against whom all Southern
Americans fought with the applause of the whole
South when they presented and sustained re-
markedly, Helpers book in the person Of Sherman,
at the last session of Congress.
The men are Bell anu everett Who of us is so
old as TO remember when John Bell was not beev-
ed by many and charged with being unsound on
this vital issue; and if not believed unsound then
thought to be willing to get Northern aduIatIon and
by differing in his acts and speeches from his
Southern contemporaries. Whether these things be
true or not DID THEY NOT INDUCE HIS NOMINATION!
The latest political exposition of Mr.. Everett was con-
currence in the main line Of argument" in Sum |
ner's speech-subscribing his money to buy testi-
monial to perpetuate Summers fame for making !
the speech. And when Sumner declined the test-
monial and the other subscribers appropriated the
money in aid of Emigrant Aid Societies IN Kansas,
TO assist in Abolition raids there by John Brown and
others, he heartily eoncurred in the appropriation
made About the same time, too Mr.. Everett de- I
nounced the use of the army in Kansas as a ruth
less waging Of civil war
Why were these men selected? Il cannot be said |
that it was because Of agreement 6y them on tbs
vital issue as shown bg their recorded acts Inc
platform-if platforms were worth anything, only l
asserts a generality that all men, whatever tnelr
acts have been, insist they conform 70. InSs Con-
YentlOn knew the men and Wnetner tneJ SOu!u OoH
troll them or not IF they did receive this distinction
because that Convention knew them ana We're VIII
ling to trust them, !, for one, cannot follow.
have long believed that entire unity Of action at
the South On all questions affecting slavery, was
the true policy. Discord and division among our
selves give encouragement and countenance to the
aggressions of the North. The only way to have
unitv among ourselves is for the minority yield
their opinions and act with the majority. We AL
agree thai we are as honorable and christian the
North. We all agree that slavery IS protected By
the Constitution and that the Union is only formed
nv the Constitution. How can we forget that these
brothers in interest, in morals, in religion, in the