Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-09-24
lzr. Watts, of Alabama.

To satisfy our contemporary, the Nashville
Union and american, we give the following
synopsis of the speech of Judge WATTS at
Tuskegee, Ala, upon which is predicated the
idea, so industTiOusly enforced by the BRECK-
INRIDGE organs, that the friends of Mr.. BELL.
in that State are disunionists. 1t shows that
Mr. WATTS is friend of the Union and is
pursuing the only path which leads to its
preservation. The account suhjoined is ta-
ken from the Greenville (Ala) Southern Hes
senqer, OF the 18th inst
1--WE had the pleasure of listening to the
speech of Mr. Watts delivered in Tuskegee
on Thursday the 18th inst. 1t was the first
speech made by him during the canvass, and
much anxiety was felt to hear it, the Court
House was therefore filed at an early hour,
and when MIR. W. entered it, at about l23
O'Clock, three cheers for Tom Watts were
called for and given. When the applause
had ceased, he proceeded TO explain why it
was that he was then before his audience in
advocacy of the election OF Bell and Everett.
Ii had been said that he could not, consis-
tently support these gentlemen atteI having
stood upon the American platform of 1856.
He differed With those who thought so, and
was confident he cOuld reconcile his position
now with that of 1856; he therefore entered
into discussion of the platforms OF the DEM
ocratic aad American parties, of that year
and the present, and not only showed his
consistency in his present position, put the
inconsistency of those who had been with
him in 1856 and are now with the seceders.
| His yindication of Bell and Everett, by their
records, and exposition of the squatter SOW
| ereignty and doubtful protection principles
| of John C. BreckinriCge, 10y his, was, in the
| highest degree, successful
Mr. Watts said he was DESTROYS of preserv-
| ing the Union aud the Constitution and he
| was confident that The best yav 10 do that
was to vote for Bell and Everett. He said it
was shame. and he was sorry to hear any
one denounce those gentlemen as abolition
| lists and Black Republicans. Mr.. Bell was a
] Southern man, born, reared, educated, and
! had always lived in Southern State; had
| defended the institution of slavery in the most
/ mastery and powerful speeches that had ever
| been delivered by any man Oh the i.oors OF
| Congress. He therefore called upon all who
| loved the Constitution and the Union to GO
with him in his effort to save them from de-
| structiOp by the election of Black Republi-
can. Mr.. Bell was the only man who had a
| shadow of a chance to defeat Lincoln, and
therefore all those who were not DESTROYS Of
| dissolVing the Union ought 10 vote tor hIm
| At this point gentleman sitting IN front Of
| the stand remarked that be would rather see
Lincoln elected than John Bell, and Watts
exclaimed, Yes, proclaim it from the house.
tops and the hills, that these Breckinridgt
! men would prefer The election of Lincoln tC
John Bell but Immediately said that he wal
! sorry that he had made the remark; he de
sired to talk kindly and persuasiVely to hi
| fcllOw-ciIizens.
Mr.. Watts said he had recently returned
from Texas, and that In going and returning
he had passed through several States, ant
that in all of them be witnessed the warmes
| enthusiasm for Bell and Everett, and re
ceiFed the most hopeful accounts of theil
prospects of their success. There vas NJ
more chance for the election of Breckinridg,
than there was for him. The speech was arg
inventive and eloquent, and frequently utter
rupted by loud and long applause. At it
close some gentleman asked Mr.. Watts wha
he would do in case Lincoln is elected, Il
which he replied that he thought the question
rather unfair considering that the gentleman
candidate for the Presidency, Mr.. Breckin
ridge, had refused to answer it; bqt that a
he regarded his interrogation as honest in hi
desire to know, he would say that he though
the election of Lincoln would be cause o
dissolution, but he hoped his friend woult
vote with him for Bell and Everett and aver
the necessity"