Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-21
ATHIRn


Col VIM. II. Stephens in his recent
letter says: .a
Men may talk of third party, new
party, or an old party revived but the
scheme is utterly irnpracticable. Even if
it could be actually organized, it could
not live through single campaign. 1t
would either be ground to powder be-
tween the upper and neither milestone, or
what is worse, it would be engulphed in
the maelstrom of Radicalism. EYeryyote
taken from the Conservative Democratic
ticket would be a vote given to its oppo-
nents. They know this, and hence, in
stead of asking you openly to join their
ranks, they merely encourage you to es-
tablish "the good Old Wing Party"
They know very well that only one step
more will lead you in their embraces, be-
cause when a man has got half way down
a hill, it is easier to go to the bottom than
to turn around and go up again.
Now, inasmuch as the attempt TO set
up a new party would simply be to in
sure the success of the Radicals, l would
like to know what there is in common
between US and them. What measure of
public policy, what feature of diplomacy,
what question of finance, what scheme
of social development, what exhibition
of fraternal love and Christian charity,
challenges your admiration, invites your
approval or wins your love? Your po-
litical opinions were formed from lessons
taught by Winthrop and Webster, by
Fillmore and Hunt, by Sergeant and
Clayton, by Rives and Stuart, by Man
gum and Graham, by Sharkey and Prem
tiss, by Bell and Foster and White, by
Milton Brown and Neil Brown and John
G. Brown, by Gentry and Henry and Ca
ruthers, and last but not least, by Crit
tenden and Clay, and all their illustrious
associates. Can you who quaffed the
crystal fountains OF wisdom that flowed
from such sources as these, stoop and
turn to the muddy streams 80 full of the
impurities and follies and passions of this
unhappy and degenerate age?
''Can you on this fair mountain leave to feed.
And batten on this moor ?"
Wings of West Tennessee Let us
stand together as we did in happier days,
for what we thought were the
true principles of government. Let us
not reject the aid of any who are willing |
10 join us in that work. Under the pres |
snt organization with the Democrats and |
with all who are in favor of equal rights, |
we have accomplished wonders; we have |
brought order out of chaos, victory out of |
lefeat. We are part of the Grand Ma |
ional Conservative party which has for |
is aim the redemption of our beloved |
country, the restoration of liberty, and the
cultivation of fraternal feelings among
he people. 1t processes no intolerant
reed, it exacts no humiliating pledges, it
eeks no unfair advantage, it asks no un-
worthy concession. The question is, are
you for your country against a party!
Are you for equal justice to all menu
A mighty host of Southern Wings are
marching in this line. They have then full
hare in its honors and Just weight in its
councils. In Tennessee, especially, they
AVE been received on footing of the most
perfect equality. Since the success of
his great national party in our State, it
las sent Cooper, Wbig, to the Senate of
he United States; it has nominated three !
Wings for the Supreme bench. In this
DAoIllCtg IL L1C Ia |
nented Leftwich, q Wing, to Congress;
nd in this county it sent two Wings,
1eiskell and Stephens, without opposi-
ion, to the Constitutional Convention;
nd, more recently, has elected the
Wigs, Morgan and Flippin and Heiskell,
Judges. In short, everywhere in Ten .
essee, full justice has been done, as far
8 can learn, to the claims of old line
Wigs. IL
With such evidences of fairness on the
art of our Democratic associates, with
lch generous abnegation of self, such
OsOlute surrender of personal ambition | y
, the good of the country, will you, can i
on, refuse them your hearts and hands | I
this hour of your cOuntry's peril You
Iay rest assured that we need their help |
much as they need ours. Neither of =
5 can stand without the other. We are /
1und to bury the recOllectiOns of past
and join hand in hand for our a
utual salvation. l know that in times
high excitement, we used to say hard
ings about each others party. They
id ugly things, and so did we. Perhaps,
the balance were struck, it would show
at the account is about equal, and that
e debt on both sides is paid. So let it
and. If the statute of limitation does 4
1t bar the debt, let it be washed out by
e fearful memories of that sad but glo-
1us war in which we fought side by side, 2
ID in which our Democratic sons and R
r Wing sons lay down together for their
Dg sleep, interlOcked in deaths cold en-
ace