Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-06-21
Gil A r K S WILLIE.
Friday, June 21st, 1851.


{ "
81, psAA The Montgomery Mail commences
very sensible article in these words: "It
. should be remembered that old things arc
done away with, and that no man now has
any clains.to Office by reason of past party
hdelity. From this remark we may sal
% " infer that, in Alabama, as well as in
effennessee, the intolerant and graspinp
spirit of democracy is not yet dead Every
man OF sense and true patriotic impulses
!, Knows that in organizing new govern
ment, IN the midst of revolution, merit
alone should indicate every mans place
and the public good be the great end aimed
at; but obvious as this truth is, and impc-
ratlve as are the duties it inculcates the
Tell spirit of party, which overturned the
old Union, is most disastrously felt in the
construction of the new. Past party e
deity" is the passport to preferment, and
we are sometimes forced to apprehend that
the revolution in which circumstances have
constrained us to take part, has for its OBJ
party rather than the establishment of
Southern Confedcracy. Suspicion is no
part OF our nature, but facts are as sinh
born as figures; and when we witness un
mlstakabe signs of democratic corruption
IN the movements of the day, and remem
Der that, under its accumulated weight the
Government of the United States was
crushed, we have sad misgivings of the fu-
ture OF the Confederate States.
1t is true, we are often, and with annar-
ent candor, assured that old parties are
dead, and old party lines obliterated. but
actions speak louder than words, and we
are beginning to learn that Ordinances of
Secession, however effectually they may
separate State from State, are powerless to
separate man from his vices--democracv
IRON Its inherent corruption. 1t gives us
no pleasure to touch upon this subject, even
indirectly, but when we see such papers as
the Dtspdtch, of Richmond, and the Mail
OF Montgomery, and other papers of form
rer democratic sffinities demonstrating
against the injustice and evil tendency of
making 'past party fidelity" the test Of
civil and military preferment, we should
be false to our honest convictions, no less
than to the best interest of the South. did
we hesitate to admonish the people that de-
mocracy is at its old tricks. We shall
probably, be reminded that this is no time
Tor the discussion of such topics, but we
meet the objection with the declaration that
this is no time for such practices when
the wrong is done, is the time to denounce
1T. But the theme is an unpleasant one
and we turn from it with the hope that il
may never again be forced upon us by un-
worthy manifestations of party spirit that
always degrades the Government and de
moralizes the people. Let the experience
OF the last twenty years teach us how i'm
polite it is to prefer men to measures
party to country. Here is the article from
the Mail; he is too modest to call the
thing by its name, but there is no mistak
ing the meaning:
1t should be remembered that Gold tbiposu ana
done away with, and that no man now has any,
claims to Office by reason of past party fidelity As
new order of things has arisen and ms new Gov
eminent has been organized, and must now be sns
alhea, 'he iact that men have been or have not
been IN Office, or who may have or NAV NOT have
been prominent before the public has little or Moth
ing TO DO with claims and qualifications for office
now. The best thing the people can do. and vc
tell them that their future safety and happiness ro
qulre them to do the very best they can win be IN
tiect Tor all oihces men honest and capable, and
VINO are known TO be imbued wit the shirt of tbo
new independence we have asserted and tho orIa
OF tDlpgs we are now establishing We want no
Ola loglss whose natures are so interviewer with
the old Union and old ideas as TO render il imnoss
oie Tor them to be pure, unbiased whole-souled {
suvoeates OF the new dispensation. II we could
nnu u IN our nature in times like these TO prescribe
any class, who profess devotion to our cause which
however, we cannot we should say to the people
eVeryWhere to prefer new men, who have never
Deen Contaminated by holding Office in the old Fed
"al government to those who have served tho |
lmpiie ana themselves in times past We think il {
might be no disadvantage to the Confederate Gov .
ernment, aud TO the States which compose n In I'M
WI Tue Offices with new men fresh from the pcople $
Do' MS we have already said, we are not dsposed 10
'Vsniu oN thmgs as having anything TO do with our
P"oilr ai'lrs now. But much will depend upon h
ue ''"e government for the next two years and =
we insist that the people owe it to themselves IN
send mp their best meu to meet the rcsnonshiIitos
Whatever they may he, which will dcvolvc an tho Il
state Goyer1mcnt We desire In grp H.. ,,,.,st i ~
table men everywhere in our State rn into Tho IN p
ces, irrespective Of former things As 'o fine nryt =,
Governor 81 Alabama he ought TO he qualified 10 ?
meet great responsibilities, We have man. s,,,L II
IN our State, and the trouble will be not Ia iuI =, -.
man To vote for but Whu 10 pass by