Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-15
THE STATE CONTENTION THE
e PLATFORM

e PLATFORM
A housem aid, boasting of her indus
trious habits, said quite iunocently, that
on certain occasion she rose at four,
made a fire, put on the kettle, prepared /
breakfast, and made all the beds, before
single soul was up in the house.
o r State Convention was so harmo-
NOUS and unanimous that we had hoped |
that nothing subsequent might occur or |
be said which would recall public atten-
ton to anything of failure or success in
that Convention that might bring sigh
of sorrow or sound of joy to the wound
ing of the feelings of any member of that
Convention or of any other Tennesseean,
whose hopes of political redemption de-
pend upon the complete success of the
proceedings of that body. @
To our astonishment, however, the Re-
publican Banner seems to point some
of the sentences of its leader of yester-
day as if especially to wound
those who have been Democrats
without fear and without re-
proach since the conclusion of the war.
1t seems particularly anxious to call the at
tention of the public to the fact that GER
tain resolutions were not even considered
in the Convention. We quote the follow
ing: -...- --...--... ...---..
The so-called Greeneville resolutions of
ex1President johnson, as amended, and
proposed to the Convention by our city
contemporary, the Nashville UNION AND
AMERICAN were not even considered in
| the Convention, though there was not
little apprehension that they threatened
| the harmony and peace of the assemblage
at one time. " ~ t
Why mention the Greeneville resolutions
more than any other series of resolutions
that was presented to the Convention
Why speak of them as ''the so-called
resolutions of ex-President johnson 2"
Why allude to them Gas amended by our
city contemporary, the Nashville UNION
AND AMERICAN2" 1t is true that neither
the Greeneyille resolutions, pure and
simple, nor the Greeneville resolutions as
amended by the UNION AND AMERICAN,
were considered in the Convention. Nor
were any other resolutions that were pro-
posed. All went to the committee, under
the rule adopted, withoutdebate, and were
/ there considered. Both the Greeneville
resolutions, and the Greeneville reso-
lutions as amended by the UNION
AND AMERICAN, were submitted
to the convention and referred to the COM
mittee. They contained an express dis
aVowsl of the South Carolina doctrine of
the right of State to peaceably withdraw
from the Union The committee prefer
mitted the expression of an opinion upon
this point, because it was regarded as a
''dead issue" With the people of Ten
nesSee, it was never live issue. The
old Wings and the Jackson Democracy
ever regarded the doctrine of secession as
political heresy. Previous to the war no
public man of either party ever proclaimed
himself in favor of secession. Every
person seeking Office, who was suspected
of favoring this doctrine, was made to
disavow it. The especial principle upon
which the Jackson. Democracy of Ten
nessee phmed themselves was opposition
70 the South Carolina doctrine OF seces
sion,. The bones of the hero of the
Hermitage would have started forth if
any Democrat of his school had avowed
himself in favor of secession. .-..
Nor is this dishonoTing The people of
Tennessee, who sympsthized with the
South in the late war. Tennessee never
asserted the right to secede. In
her Declaration of Independence in
1861, she expressly waived the
expression of an opinion upon that sub
ject, and declared for separation upon
totally different grounds. She asserted
and maintained the right to fight, when
in her opinion her rights were invaded.
She never maintained the right to peace
ably secede. The Banner never believed
in the right of secession. 1t does not
now. The GreeneVille resolutions thought
it advisable, because of the per
sistent, malignant warfare which
was being made by. Radicalism
on the Democracy for their failure TO disa-
VOW secession, to put this question beyond
peradventure.. The Convention thought
it proper to ignore. this. question as "a
dead issue. y. After the adoption of the
platform by the Convention, we neither
raised nor suggested any issue between it
and any other series of resolutions that
was presented TO the Convention. But
when our position is assailed directly or
indirectly, by innuendo or otherwise, we
shall to the best of our ability attempt to
defend it. 80 -.'i'' deb
The Republican Banner, in its leader,
further says: -r.'
"The question of this or that platform
was never material to the success of our
chosen standard bearer" -......, ...,......
We undertake TO say that the question
Of this or that platform was e0er material
to the success of the chosen standard
bearer. The standard bearer who would,
with the Banner, take decided grounds
against the Conservatives of Tennessee,
Emerging themselves By name or IN fact
into any national party" who would |
exhort conservatives Ito stand 5y |
their name, a0hjoh be bOrRe equal
J by Wings, Democrats and Repu6G-
cans, and under it TO rally and organize |
in every Congressional district for the COM
ing fall campaign" would find his success
imPeFille1 beyond hope. The standard
bearer who would nuke speech, in |