Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-10

ment pc malntalneQ that the American Party IN
Withholding from them their support In elections,
is guilty Of violation of the constellation in letter.
or spirit; unless the practice and maxims Of both
the great parties, which have long commended for
the possession of powor in this country in electens
and appointments to and removals from Office, be
admitted TO be in violation Of the constitution, or ats
spirit"
One of the hoped for results which, in the opinion
of Mr.. BELL, was to justify this modern crusade
against adopted and Catholic citizens, was ''the
cutting off the perennial supply of fresh recruits to
the Democratic standard" as will be seen by the
following additional extract from his speech;
aThe very name of the new party-American,
struck terror into the leaders of the Democracy.
The PRESTIGE of the name of the Democratic party,
which had been tower of strenth to it, they fore
saw was likely to be SO no longer AMI they made
haste to seize whatever advantage, by way OF in
demnIty for the loss, they might expect to derive
from the new issues presented by the new party,
and if they could not destroy it in its birth, they
calculated that by the violence of their assaults upon
its poIicy and their Jealous advocacy of the cause
of foreigners and Romanists at least to secure their
undivided support in future elections and thus es-
tabsh the relation Of patron and client in cur coun-
try, between the Democratic party and the foreign
population founded on the basis Of projection on the
one side, and support on the other;-a formidable
alliance truly bat If the american pd7fU shall succeed
q cutting Of The pereni,idl supply Of fresh recruits to the
Democratic standard deriued from ae annual iatGr Of
the half million of foreigners or more the Democratic
leaders may stu find that they aoA hare TO fight their M
tre battles ,cih diminished chances of success But
whatever alliances the Democrats may form with
foreigners and Roman Catholics however the lead
ers may fret and rage,-with whatever obstinrcy OF
purpose they may seek to resist or crush the Amer
lean party they will fail to defeat the great end and
fundamental policy of that party"
There were many well-intentioned but unrefect-
tl,,-
litical organization Who while sanctoning its prin
cipes Of hostility to a supposed dangerous increase
of the foreign element in our country, loathed and
condemned the bloody prosecutions which reigled
in some Of our larger cities But not so with Mr.
BELL His maturer years and longer experience in
the public service enabled him to view this subject
i'll more philosophic light. He had no regrets for
this reign of ''riot and bloodshed,"-ne thought il
well that "a little blood should sprinkle the pave
ments and sidewalks of cities now ;" rather than
encounter greater evils which would otherwise re-
suit from this foreign element in our midst If we
should make this assertion unaccompanied with the
proof, there are but few in the State, we imagine
who would credit our report, but we will let Mr.
BELL speak for himself. He says:
'The fears of the timid have been appealed to, by
the assailants of the American party, and the Co
operation invoked In putting it down, the alleged
ground that its policy in regard to foreigners, tends
provoke riot and boodshed. 1t said that this
party has been stained with blood in its very birth
and that from this, we may aUgur bloody future.
Yes! blood has been she'd and Il may foreShGdOlo a
bloody future. will otstop to inquire who provo
ked the shedding of blood, in Louisville and other
places; but this will say, that 1ohdteUer party mag
hare gtcen The proUocatiOn, IL IS better that little blood
should sprinkle the pdUementS and sidelrdLcS of our cities
rI he eJads
hereafter; or that the highways and open field of
country should drink uD the blood of its citizens slain IN
deadly conflict, beoeen armed bdIdsdndy be betloeel
disciplined egioRS-lGtiUe AsicGaS on The one side and
foreigners supported by natiUe tactionStS on the other
And this will be future, unless now, and before
it too late weerect sufficient barriers to arrest the
torrent of aliens and strangers which threatens in
a few years more, to flood the whole land
1t viii thus be seen that in 1855 no gave
greater Importance to the successful organization of
the Know Nothing order than Mr.. BEII-and that
"unless n01 and before it is too late erect suf
cient barriers to arrest the torrent of aliens and
strangers which threatens in few years to food the
whole land" the inevitable consequence will be that
4" the highways and open field of our country" will
drink up TIE blood of Its citizens slain in deadly
conflict between armed bands it may be disciplined
Representative Americans (Know Nothings) on one
side, and foreigners supported by native factonists
(DemOcrats) the other" This was truly an
alarming picture, well calculated to infame the
wicked and alright the tmid. They were put forth
as Mr. BELLS matured opinions from his long expe-
rience ' connected with the public service" They
could have been his opinions, however, in 1850.
when he was opposing Mr.. Clay, and seeking the
speedy organization of New Mexico and her admis-
sion into the UriOn a cOequal State, with pOpu-
lation, according to Mr. CLAY of eighty or ninety
Thousand Indians civilized, unciyilized halfcvil-
lied and barbarous people" and only ten thousand
of better Glass; composed of Spaniards, MeYicans
and Americans. The new light had only broken in
upon his mental vision after the thorough disruption
OF the cid Wing party and when he had found it
necessary to aid in the organization of a new one
based upon the prejudice of and religion and
when this new party by mob violence had sought to
further their purposes by fire and blood. Can any
one believe that Mr.. BELL acted the part of states
manship on either of these occasions? Can any one
believe that he acted the part of an honest or of a
good citizen on either of these occasions? Can any
one believe that he had any other purpose than to
play the consistent part of political trckster and
demagogue? Can such inconsistency and reckless
ness in sentiment lead legitimatey any other con-
clusiOn? And yet this is part of that "past his
tory connected with the public service to which
" he has nothing to add, and from which " he has
nothing to take away and to which he refers the
public for better understanding of his present posi-
tion and what may be expected of him in the event
of his elevation to the Presidency.
If Mr.. BELL is of the same opinion now that he
was in 1855, and honestly of that opinion, he must
consider it matter of first Importance, in the event
of his elevation to the Presidency to bring the en-
tire influence of his administration to bear IN erect
ing sufficient barriers to arrest the torrent Of aliens
and strangers which threaten in few years more
to flood the whole land:" otherwise his hypocrisy
will stand in bold relief before the world.
That he will do this we think highly probable; |
md yet in two or three brief years. Know Nothing
SIN having sunk beneath the wave of popular con- |
lemnation we find him ssee.king ne10 alliances and |
contributing to the formation of another new par
y" based upon entirely different ideas, and which
vas 20 put down the Democracy and save the
ountry.
Mr.. BELL having in 1854 cO-operated with the
northern anti-savery clement in Congress;in oppo-
ition to the Kansas-Nebraska bill, embodying the
reat principle of "Non-intervention' asserted in
be Compromise of 1860, he became an object of
pecial admiration with that party; and when, in
$50, meeting with the general disapprobation of
is outraged constituency, it was rumored that he
ltended to resign and come home the leading Black
epublican organ at the North, the New York Tn
one, contradicting the report. said
He is as robust and hale to-day as when be
earded and conquered the old lion, ANDREW JACK ,
~ IN his den, and reSOlde and ready 10 do serrice
,oheR HANDED he brdUely eacOuntelHe WHOLE
HOLE SOUTH upon the NebrdSLoa Bill and CARRIED TER
DR. INTO THEIR RAMS The wisdom and experience of
man so eminent and pure ofno ordinary value
this time when the country is conYulsed with r
e of faction and the spirit of SUgugqtioa is
broad, threatening to Overshadow a new land of :
'omise (Kansas) Let us hope they will be long )
.ercsed in the Senate or in some higher capacity !
here the country may equally enjoy their advan- !
ge." !
From this time forward Mr.. BELL became the sub !
ct of increased admiration with the Black Repub {
an elements at the North. Just in proportion as his
pularity waned at the South, evidences of his /,
owing popularity were given QUO at the North. I
r. SEWARD, encouraged and sustained by the course
pr.,, otl,o, Sou4barn mon J