Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-21
THE AUGUST ELECTION.
The Mastery Inactivity Policy
Defended.

inc mhSteEBy HuHcltNby hOAaty
Defended.
To the Editors of the Union and American.
1t is highly gratifying to discover that
the practical good sense of our people in
every part of the State is responding,
through the newspapers and otherwise,
most favorably to the suggestion of
mastery inactivity policy Us being our
true one in the coming canvass for Gov
ernor. The eloquent and manly letter
of Col. Turney in your last number, and
the editorial articles from influential
newspapers, supporting the recOmmenS
dations of Paciticus," might we'll con-
sole him, if his sensibilities had ever been
seriously disturbed, as they have not
been, by a communication subscribed
Wilson, published also in your last
number, in which he says that he ex~
perienced mingled feelings of regret and
SURPRISE that should have advised
the Democratic and Conservative people
ofthis State not to manifest or take an
active part in the August election for
Governor and members of the State Leg
lslature," charging me also with being a
"superannuated politician" Now, to
this personal allusion, have no response
to make except that the question dis
cussed by me is not one Of seniority or
jWnioTfty, as l understand it, or one
which is at all likely to be solved by the
uncourtly interchange Of disrespectful
epithets. If" Wilson" will do himself
the justice to read my letter again, he
will discover that young and vigorous a.
are his faculties, he has grossly miscen-
ceived the.plain language of the document
which he criticises with even more ths-
Junius~like ferOcity. | did not Tecoms
mend that the Democrats and Conserva-
tiyes of our State should take no part in
the election OF members of the General
Assembly. On the contrary, | desired
that such q course should be pursued by
the friends to e>enfranchisement among
US, as would most certainly secure the
election of SO large number of the men,
bers of the State Legislature as effectu-
ally to guarantee the great object for the
attainment of which, at this moment, it is
our policy to struggle. l pointed out the
danger which so many now plainly see,
but to which the eyes Of Wilson
seemed to be blind, that, if we becams
too much mixed up with and unduly ex-
cited in the election of Governor, (the
result of which is really not very inn
portant to us, since he has no veto
power, it might be that we should, from
the operation of various causes, (all of
which | did not choose to specify fail
in the more important election of
| legislative members, and in cOnse-
quence find ourselves after the August
election, in the same deplorable condition
in which we now are. l urged that our
true policy was, at the present moment,
to put all the aspirants to public office
upon their good behavior, and to have it
distinctly understood, everywhere, that
the friends of e>enfranchisement would
refuse to pay dollar OF cast vote in
favor of any candidate whatever, who
did not declare himself in favor of the
immediate relief of our citizens from
their present disabilities. Wilson
thinks this advice smacks of extreme
age, and, as he more than intimates, of a
sort of political second childhood
and urges most holly that it is high time