Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-30
| RADICAL VIEW on rHE Spill

The Athens Republican, an in.
tense Radical paper, takes this
view of the split in its party; 4
THE disruption in the Nashville Con-
vention was a thing Of infamy and dis
grace, without a parallel in the history
of the Republican party of Tennessee.
This was not surprising to us, for party
that has an unlimited control over the
political destiny Of State, rapidly grows
corrupt under the favor of political mons
opoly. Thus our party has been filled
with aspiring men, ready to do any thing
for Office, of all things, that which they
are most unfit for. With such an ele>
ment Of discord and corruption in our
midst we could hope for nothing but
such result as has been offered to an
outraged community. Will the "split"
work detriment to the final success Of
our party No, but on the contrary, it
will be means of purging the party of
its corrupt and unprincipled Office SEEK
ers and thus give our principles fair
chance to triumph in contest with ignos
rance, superstition and party intolerance"
This is a confession we little ex-
pected to find in a Tennessee Rad
ical journal. 1t is an acknowledge
ment of what has been charged by
the Democrats against that party.
The control that the Radicals have
been enabled to exercise over the
State has been the result of usur-
patton and outrage, and it is per-
fectly legitimate that such party
should fall to pieces of its own in
herent corruption. The Republican
coniesses that its party "has been
filed with aspiring men, ready TO
do any thing for Office" This eel
ement Of discord and corruption"
has been a terrible gangrene upon
the body polite, and its evil effects
are to be seen in the demoraGsed
condition of our politics and in q
depleted treasury and a ruined
credit. The Republican is indeed
hopeful when it expects its party to
be purified by this split. Which is
to be the purified wing? 1t claims
that it will be the Stokes wing,
while the Senter organs assert that
it will be their wing. The Demo
Gratis must have some better evil
dence than has yet been given be-
fore they can believe that either
wing will do any thing for the sub
stantial benefit of the great mass Of
the people. Both still profess oppo-
sition to a relaxation Of the stringent
laws passed expressly to give the
Radicals the control Of the State.
The men who pay thetaxes necessary
TO sustain the government and the
credit of the State, are still to be
deprived Of the voice in the selec-
ton of their law makers, and both
wings of the Radical party are
afraid to take a step in a liberal
direction. If one should do so, the
other would seize upon it and en-
deavor to turn it to advantage.
Thus, if Stokes were to declare for
the enfranchisement of the white
tax payers of the State, the Senter
wing would charge that he had
gone over to the " Rebels" and the
same course would be pursued to-
ward Senter if he were to favor
white enfranchisement. This is
simply a contest between the fac
tions Of the Radical party as TO who
shall monopolise the offices, and the
question Of principle is lost sight of
entirely. 1t is a contest of faction
with ignorance, superstition, and
party intolerance" but it is a contest
of these clements for supremacy. SO
far there has not been a step taken
in the direction Of craftsmanship.