Gazette and sentinel., 1860-09-01

IL Alll llOl W bph A"o ~ bAAA@ hf"S N
meeting of the Charleston Convention i was
for Mr.. Douglas; was even for him after he had
received the nomination of his particular
friends at Baltimore, and to-day would be for
him were | satisfied that he was the choice Of
one-half of the Democracy of Tennessee. |
was for him because | believed him to be more
entitled to the nomination than any other con-
~testant, and that the objections to him In the
South were upon abstract questions. l signed
a call for q Douglas meeting to be held in
Nashville on Saturday, July II, for the pur-
pose of hearing "Col. Carroll and other dis
~tinguished speakers" The meeting came of,
but To-. and behold, % what u change was here,
nv countrymen.'' The principal regarders
and friends the men that did /" the hoitering')
of Mr.. Douglas in that meeting were gentle
men who supported Fillmore in 1856, Hatton
in 1857, and Netherland in lS5o-men who
had denounced Mr.. Douglas as a Black Re
publican king squatter and traitor to the South.
What could it mean? Were they all desert
ing Bell and going for Douglas? Were they
sincere, or vas there something behind the
curtain not to beseen? determined to wait
and watch. A Douglas club of some forty or
fifty members was formed, of which l was a
member: that club made me a delegate to n
convention that was TO meet in Nashville on
Saturday, the 2Sth of July, for the purpose of
consulting, as l understood it, as to the best
means of securing the success of the party in
the coming contest. 1t was TO be a State con-
v~ention, and if deemed expedient a State cleo
toral ticket was to be appointed. The conven-
ton met at the State Capitol on the morning
appointed, but owing 10 the slim attendance
the convention adjourned until three o'clock.
But again this State convention of the Ma
tional Democracy Of Tennessee could not drum
together twenty-four delegates from all the
counties in the State, outside of Davidson.
Where are the delegates to this great national
party's convention! Why are the friends of
Mr.. Bell here in such numbers? Why are
they so anxious for Mr.. Douglas to have a
ticket in this State, Why do they have such
long and animated consultations with the dele
gates of this Democratic Convention? Why do
they suggest the names of men in their par
ticular localities that will make good Douglas
electors, and why do the delegates to this Ma
tional Democratic Convention lend a listening
ear to suggestions Of their old political enc
mics! l could find but one answer or one sug-
g~estion. / was satisfied 'that something was
rotten in Denmark l felt that it was a Bell
movement in disguise, and for the purpose of
testing the truth Of my suspicious l drew up
the following resolution
Resolved, That the National Democracy of Ten
nessee, believing it yrongto throw their influence
in favor of any sectional candidate for the Presi-
dency or Vice Presidency, are, first, in favor of
the election of Stephen Douglas and II. V. John
son and If they cannot effect their object in their
election, they are next in favor of the National
Union candidates, Bal and Everett.
Not wishing to present the resolution in person,
l went among the members and told them my
suspicious, and that l wanted to test the fact
rrhathar N - pnf tho dIa00fac 70 tho Ilanoorat;o
Convention did not prefer giving the State of Ten
nessee TO Mr.. Bell ova Mr.. Breckenridge. Their
answer was yes; we doi'twant Mr.. Breckenridge TO
carry a single State butSOuth Carolina. They would
not introduce the resolution. because they said it
would split the party; that there were Bell nen
enough in the Convention to carry the resolution,
and its adoption woald ruin everything. This
was the first intimatDn that | had that there were
Bell men in the contention. and l so expressed
myself at the time tothe gentlemen with whom |
was conversing, and they all said il would be
impossible to Keep them from voting on the reso-
luton.
Was | in a joint stock concern in which Bell
men and Douglas men were equally interested,
and were we working for one ard the same end?
Had the love for one man so far carried us from
the true landmarks Of Democracy that we were
prepared to sell out body and baggage to the
Opposition? | weht into the Convention in good
Idltn L was WOTkng IOT Tue tieNdllOu OI MT.
Douglas, not Mr.. Bell, and when | found that the
leaders of the movement were working for the
sole purpose of destroying the Democratic party,
in aiding Mr.. Belland his friends, / could not
longer remain when il was evident that the Car
roll, Watterson, Accompany party were working,
not for the love a Mr.. Douglas, but of revenge :
that their efforts yere to destroy, not to build up
the Democratic party. could not sec how any
Democrat could bnger remain with such faction,
for it is a factionworking against the Democratic
party, with no purpose in view but its destruction,
And l do not hesitate to say, and that too without
the fear of successful contradiction, that the
leaders of this Douglas movement are working
for the sole and only purpose Of giving the State
of Tennessee to Mr.. Bell, and that they have no
other earthly oGect in view save and expect their
own political advancement IN 1861, by and with
the aid of the Fell men to whom they are now
trying to transfer a portion of the Democracy of
Tennessee. There is one other consideration why,
in my opinion Douglas Democrats should not
support him il this State. 1t is evident that the
race now being made by the friends of Mr.. Bell
and Mr.. Douglas is to split up the electoral vote
so as to get tleir particular friends in the House
of Representatives. Now take il for granted that
If the election goes into the House who will be
| the prominent candidates. All admit that Lincoln
will be one, and it is equally certain that Mr..
Breckenridge will be another, leaving the race
for the third place between Mr.. Bell and Mr.. Doug
las. Now, i the friends of Mr.. Douglas persist in
dividing theState and giving it to Bell, don't
they see tba they aid Mr.. Bell twelve electoral
votes, taking the corresponding number from Mr..
Douglas chances, whereas, if given to Mr.. Brock
inridge it would not effect Mr.. Douglas in the
least. The ame argument is good for the balance
of the Southern States; give them to Mr.. Brock
inridge, apl you weaken Mr.. Bells chances. at
| the same tine you strengthen Mr.. Douglas. But,
for the sale OF argument, let us suppose that Mr..
Bell beats Mr.. Breckenridge in the South, and
thereby Reps him from the House Of Representa-