Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-27


prove ourselves unworthy of the cause,
to quarrel about matter so immaterial.
The Wing party is numbered among the
things of the past. 1t was noble, patri-
otto and Conservative party, in its day,
but it has long since fought its last fight
and only lives in the bright page OF
history. No one now proposes to resusci-
tate it. Though it was defeated in Its
measures and policy by its great rival, its
fundamental principles still survive, and
are incorporated in the creed of its former
antagonists. They cannot perish while
the republic lives. There is but one great
national party now in existence, and that
is the Democratic. 1t is not the Democ-
racy of old, not that against which the
old Wings contended, though it retains
many of its original principles, as well as
those of the Wing party. Those issues
| upon which we differed have now passed
off. and others have been made up with
the new sectional, tyrannical, selfish, and
wicked political organization, called the
Radical party. A portion of both the old
parties have gone into that, and consti-
| tute a fearful conspiracy against our pure
system of government, and aim alone at
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the few by the op-
preston of the many. For the overthrow
of this monster, should not all good men
| and patriots unite, without regard to name
or former plejudices3 Upon the same
issues, and under the same circumstances,
l would stand to my old party, and feel
proud of its name, as then did in con-
test with Democracy. But now, as new
party has sprung up against the principles
of both, and against the Constitution, and
q republican system of government, l
hesitate not to array myself under the name
of the only party which is fighting for
its overthrow and the salvation OF the
country. There is not the least incon-
sistency IN this. If once hated Demo
cracy and tried to defeat it, because /
thought it was wrong, and its measures
were injurious to the country, now love
it, because it is right, and is putting forth
all its strength to gave the country from
ruin. Is there any inconsistency or sacri-
fee of principle in this - Surely not.
Two men, or parties, may come in earn
est and even angry collision upon the
questions of to-day, but upon those of
tomorrow they may be in harmonious
accord. Old prejudices and political ami
mosities should be forgotten in this great
and perhaps final struggle for free and
constitutional government.
Under what party name have these bold
usurpers been confronted, in their too sue
cessful efforts to marthe symmetry of the
general government in the destruction of
its checks and balances, in the concen-
tration of all power in the Congress,
by subjugating to its arbitrary will and
pleasure the Executive and Judicial
departments of the Government Under
what party name has that noble band
of patriots contested inch by inch the en-
croachments of the Radical party upon
the rights of the Southern States, which
threaten to destroy within them the last
vestige of civil government, by placing
them under military satraps of their own
selection, and depriving them of the
right of suffrage and even the right of |
trial by jury9 Ought we not to adopt the |
name under which this holy war has been
waged without hesitation9 Should we
desire to change it if we could9 We
should desire no new names or new par
ties now. This is no time for hesitation
or chickering's. No time or strength |
should be spent upon old disputes and |
prejudices, or simple questions of taste as |
to the name. The trumpet is sounding |
us to the battle. The enemy is flushed |
with victory. They have possession of |
the purse and the sword, backed by /
the monied power of the nation, with |
their existence at stake, and the most fear |
full punishment awaiting them at the
hands of an outraged and incensed peo-
pie in the even of defeat. They well |
know that if they die it will be without |
the hope of resurrection. They will fight |
with desperation proportional to their
stake, like Richard the Third for his ILL |
gotten crown, The elections of this year
will decide our fate and theirs for time, |
if not forever. The chains which have |
so long been around our limbs will be |
either stricken off or riveted more closely.
To US as people, and to the world, and |
the cause of human rights now and here
after, there is more at stake in this civil |
contest than in the war which is now |
between France and Prussia,
as momentous as that certainly is to the |
nations engaged, and perhaps to all that |
continent. The only issue there is, wheth- |
er one despot or another shall rule over
and Cypress the people. Here, it is |
whether free government shall survive or |
perish. Now, are not these considerations |
sufficient to cause every man who loves |
his country to lay aside all his former |
prejudices, and every weight that may en-
cumber him, and put forth all his strength |
in the common cause2
In conclusion l would say that there |
should now be no reference made to the |
former party status or name of aspirants. |
That should be ignored and forgotten.
This is new party, sprung up out of the |
necessities of the time, though it adopts |
the name of one of the old parties, be- |
cause there is power in that name in the |
North, from which our deliverance must |
come, if we are delivered at all There |
fore I say to all who may regard my ex- |
perience and advice worth considering, |
falter not in this great crisis, but rush to |
the side of your friends, who have borne
the heat and burthen of the day, and do |
not dispute with them as to the name of |
the united hosts. This would not only |
be indicate but ungrateful. The Radi- |
calls, with satanic cunning and malice, |
have and will continue to appeal to the |
pride and suspicion of old Wings by in |
sinuating that they are going over to their |
ancient enemy, and will be swallowed up |
and made subservient to them. Listen |
not to the voice of the tempter. There |
is no going over or surrender in the case.
1t is an honorable union of honest men of |
both parties for the sake of the Union,
the Constitution and liberty. Ics
did not intend at first at all, nor was /
it my purpose, now, to do more than to
state my position and what l thought |
should be the position of all the men of |
the party to which I belonged while it |
existed. But what l have written sets |
forth my honest opinion of the situation,
with the prospects and dangers which it |
presents. If have SAID anything calcu-
lated to give strength and confidence to
the champions of freedom, l shall rejoice |
that l have overcome my reluctance to |
give my views to the public.
l thank you, gentlemen, for the COM
pliment implied in calling for an express
sion of my opinion, and for the compi-
mentsry terms in which you have ex-