The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-19
A Political Enigma.

A Political Enigma.
The indianapolis Qnd.) Sentinel, PROM
inent vA1IASDtGfAM organ, seems rot only
surprised, but Disconnected and fretful
over Che result Of the electionsin Missouri,
which are in favor Of the Emancipation
ticket, both Legislative and Congressional
That journal which pleaded the cause
of the rebels openly, as long as i dared
do SO, and even yet persists in casting
all the blame Of the rebellion upon the
anti.slavery party, begins its comments
mon The Missouri elections as follows
70 sbn.TerforIsni I'm Missouri.
Those who are not acquainted with he
yetgn Of terrmism are unable 10 comprehend
why it was that Republicans were elected
TO Congress from Missouri. The recent
elections in that State ia mast instances
uere farce The results do not indicate
the political sentiments Of majority OF
its citizens. The Federal military au-
thority being supreme in the State, the
terrorism Of the Administration surpassed,
&c.
The SentneJ evidently means to say :;
"What business has Missouri TO attempt
10 free herself from the constitutional
system Of slavery? We do not respect
her anti-slavery vote. And if we had
the power we would set il aside" This
is the obvious meaning of the Sentinel
Living in free State, and protesting to
be in favor of the white laborer, it 'swells
with rage at the prospect which Missouri,
the young giant Of the west, has of rid
ding herself of system, which is mere
incubus on her bosom, and stumbling
block in her pathway Why should
the Sentinel be offended, if Missouri
chooses TO employ free instead of slave
labor? Why should it prefer to see
ignorant, degraded negroes possessing her
glorious soil, instead of millions of free,
intelligent and prosperous white labor
eCs? Will it not benefit Missouri if her
large plantations are subdivided into
farms of one hundred and two hundred
acres, and fifty white families take the
place of hundred barbarous negroes?
Missouri never was designed for slave
State. She possesses all the elements for
an empire within herself. 1t was gross
perversion, aud violence TO the laws of
nature to force African slave labor upon
her, and her people show their shrewd-
ness, sense and foresightedness in pre-
pairing to get rid of a very Improbable
system. Missouri is not nearly so well
adapted 20 slave labor as Virginia; and
yet the census of 1860 reveals the aston
ishing fact that rocky, sterile and cold
New England, with all area OF G3,678
square miles is worth one LRion,
eight hundred and si1ty-uyee millions,
eight hundred and Jorty-e'gh ho,tsa0d
dollars; while Virginia, with her
fertile soil, delightful climate and UNI
equallcd facilities. for agriculture, man
alaCluIcs anu uAuct u cV|s C'"y Soott
hundred and NINETY. three n'itiOas and a guar
ter, making difference in favor of New
England Of nearly three to one The
Sentinel is at heart, we presume, an ad-
mirer Of slave aristocrary and still more
an admirer of slavry as the rallying
platform of political party, on which
its friends have fought so many success
full Presidential battles. 1t looks fondly
back TO these days, when united South,
all rallying around the everlasting ne
gro, with the help of few Northern
dough-faces, elected such Presidents as
JAMES BUCHANAN, and thinking of these
times, it hates 10 see Missouri preventing
the likelihood Of their return.