Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-13
LYNCHBURG.
A Plea fer Pence Issues-The Farmers'
Move

coursing through several paragraphs, COM
plimenting the UNION AND AMERICAN
in the meantime for it's able Journalism,
the writer rlJpa-'s Z, "There can be no
united action if the main fight is 10 be up
on the ancient glory of the Democratic par
ty. One half the men in the State acting
with the Democratic party do not believe
il to be FAN organization to which the cOun-
ty owes more of its glory and its prosperity
than to all otler political organizations
y" Now DO not believe there
is an intelligent man In the State who de-
sires or expects the fight against Radicalism
to be made upon the ''ancient glory of the
Democratic party" Certainly the writer
Of the article from which he quotes neither
desires nor expects it. The idea intended
to be conveyed was simply this-that If we
disband the only organized opposition to
Radiealisn, simply to crafty the prejudices
Of the few who object to the name and past
services of the Democratic party, the new
concern, call it whatever We may, would
be weaker than the present powerful
and growing party. And for the
same reason, founded in human nature,
would it not be apparent to every old
line IIou,,r,-...tt that it was all done out OF
prejudice to the name! lake what new
name YOU may, he could not forget the
prejudice YOU had manifested against the
name he had so long and so foadly cher
ished. Then let US see what we gain by
the operation. We certainly could not
strengthen the opposition by adding any
new psincinle to our creed. For the Demo
cratic party confronts fsadicslisrH in is
every error in principle and enOnnity IN
practice. We undertake to allay the pre-
iudices Of one class against a mere name,
and excite those of much more numerous
class by the operation
The writer belongs TO that generation
lust emerging into manhood ut the begin
inc of the late war, that did rot stop to in
ouire who mae the war, but finding
il raging. went forth without hesitation to
do and to die for their country. So when
after the war we looked around for our
party connections, we found the peIrO-
cratic party with its traditional antipathy
to the exoeSses Of power and centralzing
tendencies, still battling for the right, or
ganized and intact, ready TO receive all who
opposed tyranny in every shape 1t was
the only opposition to RadicalisIp. With
out consulting our former plTtialities OF
prciudices. acting for the present and future
and not for the past, We naturally and Inc
vitality fell into the Democratic fold. We
did not stop to remember that the Wings
had set aside their own name and party or
canization in 1850. Nor could we expect
them TO desire to resuTTect II and reform
their lines i'm the heat Of the battle, when
there already stood hard by, powerful Or
ganizgtiou that had been fighting the
enemy all the while, often Beaten, though
never vanquiShed, upon which all patriots
could rally. That was a species OF Bour-
bonism we could not aScribe to them.
Their known patriotism forbade 1t.
The truth is, all this play upon supposed
preiudices is the work Of disappointed, rest
less, ambitious politicians. We cannot as
cribe any part or parcel Of this work of
prejudice to the body OF intelligent; patri
otto old line Wings. There is not that
much BourbOnism in them. They are too
live, progressive, intelligent and patriotic TO
allow their preiudices to carry them back 10
the obsolete questions of ante bellum times.
The question of name is closed TO all but
the few designing and disappointed pollti-
clans. There il nothing lacking in the po-
sitiOn occupied by the Democratic party on
any Of the great questions Of the day.
It is sufficiently live, progressive
and generous for all the requirements
of the occasion. The old-line Wings sure
" cannot complain Of the division Of the
spOils. There is not enough in that to ne
Guire new organization. All this BOur-
bonistic slur about the Democrats bringing
on the war-beinga perveTSiOn Of the truth,
the Abolitionists having brought on the
war-has cot to cease, if we are ever to
have harmony on the living issues Of the
present. in place of eternal wrangling about
the dead past. That younger generation OF
us. who believe we were moved by the holy
inspirations of constitutional liberty in the
best exertions of our lives TO sustain the
.lOSt cause" demand 1t. We make no Is
sue of the war or any question connected
Herewith. What better proof could be de-
manded from the war element in the party,
of their liberality toward those who dliieI-
ed with them on the question, than their al
most unanimous, enthusiastic and dislnter-
ested support Of Greedy IN the last cleo
ton?
In brief we believe this entire family
quarrel, sO-called, in the Democratic ranks,
is simply a little disappointment rs to the
spoils. If the action Of the Democracy as
sumed the character of ignoring the claims
of those Union gentlemen who so n0bly
stood by us in the hour Of severest trial,
under Radical miSrule and oppression, we
could not blame that element of the party
for becoming a little lUkeTarm or diseon-
tented. But we believe the people will,
i'm the coming canvass, furnish the happy
solution to all these mixed questions.
The farmers are organizing 10 take care OF
themselves. They know their interests are
indissOlubly connected with the politics OF
the country. They cannot fail to see the
importance of 4 more general and lively
interest in political concerns,
They will not, as in the last canvass,
stand still till the few politicians make the
nominstions and then suffer themselves to
be torn into eontending factions by those
who have been disappointed in the nOmi-
nations. But they will see 10 it that the
Ground work of harmony Is laid in the
Foundations. This grand movement
arnon0 the farmers, instead Of meaning a
nov or third party movement signify simply
70 arouse the masses to proper interest IN
the nubIic concerns Of the country. The
only alteration in the present arrangement
Of 1olitical parties they will make will be
70 take matters into their own hands and
6yiry ont representative men Of the great
leading interests OF society.
They do not intend that lawyers and
professional politicians shall longer monOp-
oiize the public Offices. These classes live
too easy and too fast to carry the example
of bard-fi,ted economy into public matters.
Qualification for the discharge Of theirpub-
lie duties should be the first question in Sc
iecting candidates. The test OF fitness
for office does rot consist merely in long
winded speeches. Men who cannot make
quite as lonp-Tipdad speecheS in Congress