Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-31
LETTER FROM JOHN METH
src 1oe ERLAND. =
His View of the Political Situa
ton. 49,. 100. 7.
The Duty of the Hour.

The Duty of the Hour.
| cas- .GL -sHt--. r.. &
i RoeERsvILLE, Aug. a, 1870. -Messrs
A. II. Douglass and others: Gentlemen
feur letter of the 1st inst. is received, il
which you inform me that Ffefforts are
being made to persuade those who have
heretofore affiliated with the old-line
Wing party, that it is their duty to with
draw from active corporation with the
Democrats, and re. organize separate
party. " And you do me the honor to ask
my advice as to the course which the old
line Wings should pursue in the present
and approaching crisis.
| see no reason for the movement,
Why should the men who framed ihs
Wing party withdraw from active CO.
operation with the Democrats If we
have any cooperation, let it be more
at,tiUe. No halfway work will avail in a
contest with Radicals. I care little for
names. The men who formed what was
called the Democratic party in Tennessee,
in our contest from 1886 to 1859, are now
acting, and for some time have acted with
the old Wings in opposing the Radical
party, which, in my Judgment, is the
mcst dangerous and INSCRIPTIONS party
that has existed since the formation of
this government Their first motto was,
1.-THE Constitution as it is, and the Union
as it was" or rather this was the motto
of the ''Union party"
When this was ended, and the Confed-
eracy failed, the Radicals refused to let
the country have any Union, saying by
their action to many of the States when
they asked representation, the right of
every free people, "You are out of the
Union" But when taxes and revenue
were needed, then these same men and
party said to those States, "You are now
in the Union" So much for the FUniOn"
part of the motto. The Radicals, through
Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens, their leader, who
had more talent, courage and candor than
any member of the Radical party, said
that we were acting outside of the con-
stitution. And proceedingon that doctrine,
there is no right of person or property,
left to the nation, so far as to- be secure,
whenever the Radicals are in power. By
their partisan legislation, the executive
department has been virtually abolished;
the President having little more to do than
to dispense the patrOnages and offices of
the Governments task great enough for
the capacity of the present incumbent.
But the policy is destructive of the checks
intended by the trainers of the constitution
of one department on the other. The
judicial department-the last hope of the
nation to check violence, misrule and par
tisan and unconstitutional legislation-is
in danger of destruction from the aggres-
sive spirit of Radical Congress. To oppose
a party of this kind, the friends of our
institutions have put themselves in battle
array; they are composed of Wings and
Democrats. The name of Democrat was
retained. No principle is surrendered
And although all my sympathies, for more
than thirty years, were with the principles
and name of the Wing party, as they now
are, and though fought at its head in the
last political conquest for its existence in
Tennessee, yet, am not SO devoted to its
name as TO be carried into the Radical
party, because their opponents are called
Democrats.
This withdrawal from our friends is
what our opponents desire. They taunt the
old Wings with change of name. How
is it with them? First, they called them
selves "UniOI" men but when they re-
fused to let the Southern States come into
the Union, they abandoned the name as
they had the principle second, they
adopted the name of Radical, and for a
time seemed proud of it; but the people
began to leave them, and are continuing
to do so; and third, they assume the name
of Republican, which, in the hands of
good men, is respectable, but which they
will ruin. For the honor of the name,
and good of the nation, would that the
conduct of the party were better. The
Radicals selected for US the name OF
"Copperhead;" now they wish to alter it
to Wing, and it seems that our friends are
willing to please the Radicals by changing
our name and leaving our friends. l am
not. The Radicals may name their own
progeny, let Us exercise the same right
with ours
The old-line Wings have no cause to
complain of the men in our party who
once fought Us on different issues, under
the name of Democrats. The contests
for the Governor of Tennessee, since the
war, have been made by leaders selected
from the Union and Wing party, on the
last of which the Radicals were made, as
no party ever was before in the State, and
would have been in the first but for the
franchise law, which was repudiated as
unconstitutional by every legal mind in
America. The Democrats supported the
leaders on our side in both elections, and
have continued to do so in other subse-
quent elections.
We have now but two parties, the Rad
iCals and their opponents-some say let
the Wings WITHDRAW. l ask where
will they go9 There is but one other
room, and that is occupied by the Radi
Gals. If Wings go In that room they will
sleep cold. The Radicals have no more
blankets than they need. Many are al
ready leaving the room.
Why should the old Wings ''Teorganize
a separate party2" By ourselves we can
do nothing, and will be destroyed in de-
tail, unless the friends that we are called
on to abandon come to our relief. ..
In conclusion, gentlemen, let us stand
to our friends, and they will continue to
do as they have heretofore done-stand
by us; and in that way our great State
can be redeemed from the misrule under
which it has suffered. With sentiments
of high regard, am
Your fellow-citizen,
]. NETHERLAND.