The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-26
Life-T icture of the Politicians of the
Modern Southern" School,


Hon. HORACE MAYNARD graphical
ly and truly portrayed the true charac-
ter and the pitiful khallowness Of the
JEFF. DAVIS, school of Southern polilic-
ians, in recent speech in Congress:
Never was there set of men, who ar
rogated 70 the title Of Statesmen, and
who had so long held the position of
Statesmen, that knew so little Of the
people, or of the resources of the coun-
try they had been concerned in govern
ing, when they told us that a suspension
of Southern trade and patronage with
the North would be attended with star
walton and bread riots in Northern cities,
they little thought that in less than
twelve months they themselves would DO
resorting to every dirty shift and con-
temptible device TO resume as much of
the old trade as would keep them from
nakedness and starvation; when they
proclaimed that these same Yankees are
great on cheap devices for manufactu-
ring ON building and working steam-
engines, and all sorts of mechanical con-
trivances; on organizing magnificent ho-
tells on thievish principles; making
wooden clocks and wooden nutmegs, and
motions generally; but when you come
TO craftsmanship and generalship--the
capacity for empire-thats beyond their
bend;" it is not clear that a blind self
esteem and an equally blind contempt
for their neighbors did not combine 10
give credit in their minds to the asser-
ton when they cried Cotton was king,
and would force recognition and obedi-
ence, not only from their servile fellow
countrymen, who depended for liyeli-
hood upon their talent for base mechan-
les" but from the rulers of the civilized
world, they conceived themselves but
utlering one OF the first principles Of our
political economy. Indeed, the ignor-
ance of this lordly and insoleHt oligar-
chy is equalled only by its ineiTable
baseness
say this oligarchy, for il is known
that the men who concocted and now
control the thing they call the Southern
COnfederacy are not aslnumerous Fin point
Of fact, as the figures on chess- board,
1t is eninently close corporation, and
was 80 intended TO be. The men who
compose il are for the most part the same
clique well known for years in this city
as claiming exclusive jurisdiction over
the Democratic party, and as assuming
such absolute authority over "the South,
that even now a great many people sup
pose there are no other persons of conse-
| quence in that part Of the country. The
| l.to NJ nnuoIas tba s,roat Ia.dn- ,,f A..
Northern democracy, understood them
| thoroughly, and ceased notuntil the close
of his life TO make war upon them
| There are those within reach of my voice
who also knew them, and can testify to
| their utter perfidy, who have been the
victims Of their want OF principle, and
whose self respect has suffered FROM
| their 'insolent aud oyerbearing domea
nor. They like a certain school Of an
cient philosophers, had two sets Of prin-
/ ciples or doctrines, an exoteric and an
ssoterio-one for outsiders, the other for
themselves; the ore was Democratic
principles" for the Democratic party, the
other was their own aud without name
No Northern man was ever admitted Il
their confidence, and no Southern man
unless IL became necessary 10 keen vi
their numbers, and then not until ho was
thoroughly known by them, aud known
TO be thoroughly corrupt Some North.
ern men and many Southern meE were
after fashion, petted and paironized by
them, as a gentleman throws from his Ia
bic a bone or a choice bit TO a favorit,
dog, and they imagined they were con-
ferring a great favor thereby, which
could only be requited only by the ab,
ject seryility Of the dog. To hesitate, nj
doubt, TO hold back, 10 stop, was to cal
down a storm Of wrath that few men haC
the nerve 20 encounter and still fewer tn,
strength 10 Withstand Not only in IN,
political circles, bu. in social life, thei
rule was inexorable, their tyranny abso
lutte