Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-04
xno shnII be our me- Gorernor

From the Patriot OF yeStrlay.
1t IS time the people of the State should be con-
sdering this question. The extraordinary condition
of public affairs has prevented the usual canvass.
0Ely four weeks are TO elapse before we will be
called upon to decide It ar he baliot-box For many
wears past we have had party nominations, which
were sufficient Of themselves to indicate the policy
to be pursued By the respective candidates in the
event of their election. That is all at end
Our State has entered upon new career; new
conditions surround u.s. new questions are before
u.s. and new themes are to be discussed The par
ties of the past buried, and the inscription No
Resurrection" written upon their tomb. For the
present, at least, we have one purpose, one hope
and destiny, and 10 achieve common result we
must think with one mind, and strike with one arm.
To this an overwhelming majority of the people
are agreed. -....s.. .as
Wehave made no nomination for Governor, and no
oneOf distinguished citizens is regularly in the
field according TO past usage Yet the popular mind
publicly expressed in the press and pi mary public
meeting, is, to large degree directed towards
teDtion of our present Governor. Atthe same time
there is portion of the people Tin what numbers
we cannot undertake to decide) who think, and
doubt honestly, that his election would be impoltic
and nimical tO the best interests of the State They
contend that Gov Harris is personally odous to the
people of the Eastern division Of the State that he
has disregarded the interests and feeling of ma
jorty Of the people of the State in the military ap
pontments which the laws have required him to
make, and that custom has made the Governor prac-
tically ineligible to third term. And hence they
have sought another parsonage and found him in the
Hon. w. II. Polk. of Maury county.
This brings US to consider directly Of what duty,
as we understand It, requires Of Us, For ourselves
we announce at the outset, that we cannot support
Mr. Polk. We were for the separation Of the State
from the Lincoln Government and for its union with
those of the South by the prompt adoption of the
Provisional Government they had formed. More
than two to of our fellOw-citizen agreed with
us and so ordained at the balot~box on the Sth Of
June. We do not know whether Mr.. Polk agreed
with US and them upon this point. We are now for
completing and perfecting union with the Con-
federate States by like prOmptadOpton of their per-
manent Constitution. We do not know whether Mr..
Polk cOncurs with us IN this opinion and desire.
We want our separation from the perverted gov
eminent of the North TO be perpetual. We do
not know whether Mr.. Polk agrees with Us in this.
We want Tennessee to bear her full share in all the
consequences, be they successful or disastrous,
whether they illumine our pathway with glOries Of
triumph, enshroud US in the gloom of defeat
with her sister States Of the South We do not
know that Mr. Polk agrees with in this. So long
as the to be prosecuted by the despotic North
upon the inaenable rights of freemen desire
the enemies of our liberties to be met and repused
at all points, and that preparations be made accord
ingy We do not know whether Mr.. Polk concurs
with US. On Blended knees we petitiOned and beg
ged for our rights in the Union, and instead Of OBJ
tanning them we have been met with abuse and
seorn, and to silence petitions and remonstran-
ces an army is sent among US. This army is de-
signed either to sublugate, or eXtermln2te us. We
are for fighting that army to the bitter end We
know not if Mr.. Polk concurs with US. We want
no peace which is not just and honorable to US, and
which does not secure to US the principles Of self
government for which our fathers bled and died
We do not know if Mr.. Polk comedies in this. FL
nally, we do rot know if Mr.. Polk has the qualities
Judging from his past career, if he agreed with u.s.
to execute the Gubernatorial chair, these views
and objects
On the other hand these>are what we regard as
paramount considerations. On all of them do
know, from his public acts, that Gov. Harris does
agree with is. And however bitterly we have Op-
posed him in the past upon the issues of the past
we will sustain him with all our heart upon these
His democracy, as currently understood heretofore
is inst as much at an end as our whiggery or our
opposition. If he were in favor of Southern indie
pendence before we were, it only shows that he
in the picket guard, while We were in the camp,
waiting for perhaps, disastrous surprise. If he
has made appointments to military office that we
would not have made had we been in his place there
is no complaint of the incompetency of his appoint
ments. If his appointments obnoxious to the
charge of being political in their character it was
mpru1eut, perhaps but if they competent, Is
it the part OF patriots to suffer that to come between
them and their country and the liberties Of them
selves and their children? What has party men and
party measures of the past to do with the funda
mental rights and liberties of the people? No ghost
of dead issue shall brighten us from our present
duty So far in this struggle Gov. Harris has acted
the part of brave and courageous and wise and
has shown himself equal to the occasion. Since the
18th April he has pursued straight course looking
to the emancipation of the South and of Tennessee
from the despotism of the North. We will not
swap him for any man, whose position upon these
subjects we do not know, and we shall prefer acts
to professions. We shall permit no personal con-
sideratons to interpose between us and what we
look upon as right and our duty to country and
its cause. When we are through with the present,
we may oppose Gov. Harris heretofore, If we
esteem it the part Of patriotism and duty to do so
But we cannot hazard a noble and glorious cause
by setting up individual and personal objections at
this hour.
The friends Of slr, Polk deprecate anything like