Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-03
WHAT "PAssTyIS,E,, MEANS.

" LAA 1AkosoA NASaA uAA<EAUNcs
The st. Louis Republican is the most
correct exponent Of the views of the leaders
of the Liberal Republican movement. As
such we publish in full its leading editorial
of Feb. l, under the caption "WHAT PAS
sivism' MEANS" 1t will be seen that those
of our Tennessee confreres, who have
so zealously urged the disarmament
of the Democratic party, the aban-
donment Of the Democratic faith, a
surrender to Liberal Republicans, have out
heroded Herod, have gone faster and far
theT, in denunciation of the most trusted
leaders in the Democratic ranks as ''parti-
san hacks" and told Hunkers," than the
Liberal Republicans themselves. The edi-
torial of the Republican is:
The proposition to which the name spas
sivep has been given, and which is urged in
the Missouri Democratic address, means
nothing more than that the Democratic
party shall not nominate candidates for
President and Vice-President. This is the
naked proposition. 1t does not mean all the
things absurdly attributed to 1.-THE dis
bandment of the party, the abandonment of
the Democratic faith, a surrender to
Liberal Republicans, and the election of a
imply single one of these objects; so far
from it, it means the very reverse of them
all. 1t does not even mean Of itself bar
gain or compact with the Liberal Republi-
cans against President Grant. Such COM
pact would have no force, and could not
even be effectually made we know of no
authority in the National Executive Com
mittee of the party, nor in any other body,
TO make such bargain, and pledge two and
half or three million Democratic votes to
the execution of l.. The Democrats of the
United States usually consider them
selves fairly bound by party obligations, to
vote for the Democratic candidates regu-
larry presented TO them by their conventions
and committees; but their conventions
and committees have no authority TO go
outside the party to find a candidate for
Democratic votes, and if they should do
this, they have no power to promise the
votes to such a candidate. The fancied
scheme to displace the powerful Democratic
party in our national politics with a COM
paratively small insurgent Republican party,
DA4OAOAOAOr OOGS AAOb anu GALLUP CAlSJs u It.
fusal by the Democratic party to nominate
a Presidential ticket in 1872 does not imply
that it will repeat the refusal in 1875,
nor does it imply that the refusal
is to be extended to any other contest for
smaller places, in 1872; in fact, it
means not an atom more than is expressed
on its face. The great election of next No
Vember involves local contests all over the
country; it involves besides the Presidency,
members eff Congress, Governors, Legisla-
lures, State officers, and inferior officials in
every State. In each of these the local
Democratic organization should and would
have, as now, full discretion of action and
The absence of a Demo-
cratic ticket in the Presidential field would
not discourage the presentation of Demo
cratic tickets, and the vigorous support of
them in the subordinate State, district and
county fields; so far from this, it would
stimulate the nomination of such tickets by
leaving the party free to support and elect
them with the force which it would spare
from the Presidential struggle.
1t is assumed that the refusal of the De-
to nominate Presidential ticket
would be followed by a league with the Re-
publican revolt which such a refusal would |
and necessarily precipitate; and |
we, ourselves, have spoken of such spOn- |
janeous coalition as one of the effects of |
he proposed policy. But this is less mat /
,er Of Encouragement and stipulation than |
Ot inference. The InsUrgent Liberals |
would go into the campaign to win it, be-
cause defeat would be humiliation. The
votes needed to elect their ticket would be /
Democratic votes, and they would address
themselves to that source of power from
he commencement. They would solicit
Democratic support, both by their platform
md their ticket, and would make such
platform and nominate such a ticket as to
iisspate as far as possible from the minds
# Democrats, the regret that the platform
md ticket were not nominally as they
would be substantially Democratic. No
Democrat would be under obligation to
Ote for such a ticket; the absence of candi-
ates presented by his own party wouId
i've him absolute freedom to vote for which
yer ticket he pleased to; he could even
ote for Grant and Colfax and, as a matter
I fact, few stubborn Democrats here and
here, would take that course. But
he masses of the party would obey that
herring instinct which never fails to guide
lem Alright, and press forward in solid
halanx in support of that side which
lould be found fighting the Democratic
lemy under the Democratic banner and
18th Democratic weapons. The Liberal
epublican Presidential candidate would be
me one Of the distinguished men whose
cent proclamation of great constitutions
inciples has attracted attention, and
hichever Of these it should be, as between
m and the policy he represents, and Grant
I'd the policy he represents, Democrats
uld not long hesitate in their choice. :
here would be no compact binding them
vote for the insurgent Liberal; they r
)uld be under no pledge to him; they
ould owe him nothing; they would be alb
lutely free. But in this very freedom
)uld be found their irresistible influence
directing the controversy; they would be
liberty to dictate the decision and declare
m ShOuld he tha Davf proc;da-T IT, | T.