Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-02
Letter of Hon. II. 2. Hallett 90 the Conn
mittee of Invitation of the late Flor
ence (ExY.J Basket Meeting.


ence (Ky.J Basket Meeting.
BOsroN, Oct. %, 1860
Gentlemen: was inevitably deprived Of the honor
of accepting the invitation to address the meeting at
Florence, in support of the National nominees.
Nothing would have given me more pleasure than
opportunity to yindicate, on the soil Of Kentucky
and before her noble Democracy, the equal rights
of the Sates and the claims Of her gallant son to
the united support Of the South as well as Of his
own State. look TO that conservative State with
deep interest for her decision in this irrepressibe
conflict" of the battle of the Statesp which the
reckless sectionasm of the North is precipitating
upon the country in the worst form of revolution,
to subYert the Constitution-and not only to her
but to the whole South, which this Northern "arti-
sldue pOlser' this myth of negro equality and
versal black freedom, now exultingly hopes to
quer and humiliate, and devastate by servile nsur
rections, through her own divisions and internal
dssensiOns in this Presidential election. They ex-
pect by these means, to achieve the aim of this sec
tional combination, to seize the Government, and
subdue the South by the fundamentally of -
united North on negroes" and "a divided South on
negroes"
Such is the miserable craftsmanship of the day,
that now guides and governs parties. Hence the
Importance of this election above all Others for it
will decide not merely whois to be President, but
whether the South is to be divided and then broken
up by fragments; or whether by presenting uni
ted front in support of the only national candidates
who recognize her equal rights, she viii prove that
though in numerical minority, she is able TO pro-
tect her own rights and honor in the Union AMI is
worthy of her ancient renOwn the defender of
State sovereignty and constitutional government.
But if she falters and sewers in this crisis, and
any considerable number of her States are diverted
to another candidate by the action of the friends of
Mr.. Douglas who can do nothing at the South for
him. that will not give aid and comfort to the COM
mon enemy, the condition Of the South will be pain
fully Inundated below the noble standard she has
hitherto borne aloft for the Democracy in every
Presidential election, two from Jefferson in SO
to Buchanan in 80 Never has the South failed to
give majority for the Democratic candidate for
President, almost amounting to unanimity, save in
1910 and 1913. In 1910 she gave IS votes to Har-
rson and 48 to Van Buren,. In lS4S, &c to Taylor
and 81 to Gass. In thirteen Of fifteen Preaiden
tial elections the South has gone for the Democratic
candidate and can she now in the struggle most vi
tai to her of them ALL when the dagger Of section
asm is aimed at her heart shall she now falter and
fail by being divided against herself
On the other hand, be the issue as it may, if the
Democratic South (where alone her strength and
power in the Union has always been found,) main
tains with rmness and dignity, by her concentrated
votes unity of strength and purpose then present de-
feat will be only the assurance Of that victory which
has always followed defeat by the re union of the
Northern and Southern Democracy.
Tho Democratic party of the South Is grand his
torc party and by union in herself and union with
the Democracy of the North, twelve Democratic Adj
ministratiOns out of fifteen contested Presidential
elections have been secured to the country.
That has been achieved never by the South alone,
never by the North alone, but always by union Of
the Northern and Southern Democracy. That has
made National Democracy invincible, and in { Is
sign only can it again conquer In all the contested
elections, the North, headed 6y Mr.. Stewards Nus
Sdckusshs school, of Federalism and AbOtiOnism,
has eight times given electoral majority against
| the Democratic candidate for President. New Eng
land herself, always at the head of opposition, new
| er gave majority for Democratic candidate ex-
cept in 1904, when there were but fourteen votes
| IN the Union against Jefferson; and in 1852, when
| General Pierce, with wondrous unsnimity, carried
all but four States. Even then the Massachusetts
| SCHOOL, led off in opposition, and with Vernon
gave eighteen votes to Scott while Pierce had twe1
| " three from the other four States.
On the other side, the South, with Virginia at hel
head, 1.-THE tTuest State in the UniOn and the only
one of the older States that never fatered, never
failed to give her electoral to the Democratic
candidate,) the South, all the Presidential cleo
| tons, never bu: twice (fOF Harrison and Taylor
gave a majority against the Democratic candidate
] And thus history gives the plain problem of Dem
| OcFatc success, which has governed and expanded
this country Cor sixty years. and maze her the only
| great popular power of the earth, and second &c
/ none the earth, whatever its form. And that
problem is an united Democratic South IN unison tci
| The Democracy Of The North without which the South
is utterly and will be forever, in hopeless minority
in the Union for without that unity at the South
i and that union with the North there can be
| no UlumpnanL democracy. Let statesmen oil
| to-day study the lesson Of experience little
more which Democratic fathers have left 10 this
generation, and we shall see no this dalhance with
| AbolitiOnism North and Know Nothingism South,
/ has shorn the locks of the Democratic Samson, and
1 so blinded him that he is now the sport of his
enemies and using his divided strength only to pull
| down the Democratic temple upon his own head.
Oh why have the statesmen of the South, as well
4 as the North, so forgotten and disregarded
this vital element of Democratic success
| But it is too late to make it effective yet
| in the present. even. but surely in the
| future of the Democratic party. The fppant jour
nast and stump orators who talk Of the death of the
| National Democratic party know not how to COM
prehend the life of great principles. The Democratic
party can die while the Constitution lives, and
it can never live in sectional party North or sec
tonal party South. 1t has met with but two popular
defeats in sixtyfour years. and those defeats were
| changed to triumphs within two years after the
blow. Soft will be now, if, without the fatering
and weakening of the South Mr. Lincoln shall be elect
ed as he only can be, by sectional, dsuniOn North
Then the Democracy, with an united South, will
unite and rally at the North and together form an
| iniexible opposition to the Administration as II
1896 to John Adams in 1924, to his in lS4O,t
Harrison and Taylor in l84S !; to be followed now
as in each of those memorable defeats, by the ole
fashioned triumphs in the very next election.
And this ia based not upon party speculation, upoI
| the elements of our Democratic and State insntu
tons and these make the life of National Democra
cy mmotal For there is history with her teachings
and the reason is that the Democratic party of Thu
country will always be in power with Democratic
| Administration or if out of power, will be tn
controlling constitutional opposition to Federal, 8
| Wing, or Black Republican administration. Tha
has been the past of the great Democratic party o.
the Union and thatwi be its future. Let Of the
South see to that she is not found wanting in th
crisis. With the greatest respect.
. Yours most truly,
! B. +. HAILETr.
! vitation. s-