Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-27
A REPRESENTATIVE MAN OF THE
RADICAL PARTY.


| of the American Union"
A REPRESENTATIVE MAN OF THE
RADICAL PARTY.
The editor Of the Press and Times
about the time he established the Nash
vile Union, was as unsparing in hi
denuneiatiOn Of the Abolitionists as of the
Secessionists. Witness the following
from the Nashville Union of April 10
1862
"Gov. Adams, of South Carolina, the
Secessionist, thanks God for what the Adolf
tionists have done, because they have given
| the South preteXt to break up the Union
and Wendell Phillips the Abolitionist
thanks God that Beauregard fred on For
Sumter, and thus effected dissolution Of
the Union. The secession devil takes snuff
and the abolition devil sneezes. They are
as much alike as two rattle-snakes or pail
Of scorpions. We hope and pray that the
armies Of the Union may drive the twin
monsters from the East and from the Dor
der States to the cotton States; from the
cotton States TO the Gulf of Mexico, and
from the Gulf of Mexico to the devil, and
then the land will be at peace"
He then thought that if 'the twin
monsters, Abolition and Secession, could
be driven '.to the devil, the land would
be at peace and slavery be perpetuated
But as time rolled on he saw that slavery
was giving way, under "the friction of
war, and when he became satisfied in
his own mind that the institution would
be destroyed, he appealed to the slave
holders TO adopt "some judicious plan of
emancipation" and he would urge the
North to pay them for their slaves. Here
is his appeal, as published in the Nash
Vile Union of April II, 1853:
"The Conservative, pro.slayery politi-
clans, when we urge loyal shareholders 30
declare as quickly as possible, in favor of
compensated gradual emancipation, stu
pidly retort by calling us Abolitionists, an
epithet TO which a peculiar reproach is
attached, inasmuch as in its conventional
Specification itsignifes one who is in favor
of the political and social ueqality of the
black and white races, and also their ANAL
gamation. II is an easy matter to show
that the real Abolitionists are these very
opponents OF compensated emancipation.
The war would cease in oyery slave State
where this scheme might be adopted, for
the reason that the cause of war would be
in process of extinction by State legislation.
There would be nothing for the slayeoc.
racy to fight for. But if we blindly cling
TO the old hereditary institution, the des-
truction of slave property is sealed, and its
owners will obtain no Compensation.
~ The difference between the
pro-slayery politicians and ourselves on
this point may be stated as follows: We
believing honestly, that slave property is
doomed 20 speedy destruction, ask the
shareholders 10 save as much as possible OF
its value, by adopting some judicious plan
of emancipation. The pro-slavery politl-
clans say that slavery must be left TO the
chances of war, and If it shall perish, 1t
shall perish without any compensation. We
propose that the North shall compensate
shareholders, If they will adopt plan of
emancipation the pro-slavery politicians
say that the whole loss shall fall upon the
shoulders Of the shareholders. Now who
are the real friends of the slave interest,
and who desire to benefit them, the pro
slavery politicians or ourselves 2"
The reader will notice with what
warmth the editor OF the Press and Times
then denied that he favored ''the political
and social equality OF the black and white
races Tie then regarded this doctrine Of
the Abolitionists as monstrous he favored
the emancipation of the negroes, not thur
they but their masters were to be bene-
fitted by such action, for he had months
previously pointed out the manner in
which we could, and ought for our own
safety, be rid of free negroes as they
were released from slavery, and that was
bybeiag colonized in Liberia and appren-
tieed, old as well as young, to the inbabi-
tants Of that country for a limited period
This man who thus plead with the slave
holders 'to save as much as possible of
the value OF their slaves, because he
believed this species of property doomed
10 speedy destruction who vehemently
denied that he was an Abolitionist who
favored ''the political and social equality
Of the black and white races, now claims
TO be a consistent anti-slavery man He
has a record to suit every phase Of our
politics, and through all these changes |
he was the representative man of that
faction who now constitute the Radical
party His history is the history of that
party, for his aspirations aud hopes were
but the reflex Of those Of the men who
sought to turn the tide Of loyalty into
the channel that would inure 70 their
personal benefit and political preferment.
Behold tn. man and the party he repre-
sents