Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-31
Union FOR THE COMMON coon.

the United States are theoretically SOW
ereign, and as able to assert that SOW
ereignty as a tame lion to overcome his
keeper, when they VIII do so, we have
practical bad government and mal-ad-
ministration against their consent, and
at frightful expense to them of humid
reds Of millions annually. They do
not want the viii Of the people over
thrown in time Of peace by the bayo-
net in Louisiana, or Texas, or Missis-
sippi, or South Carolina, Massachusetts,
or New York. They are unwilling that
what would cost the king his crow
should be permitted and rewarded with
increase Of glory and salary to the
President. They do not desire the
wasteful or criminal expenditure of
millions and hundreds of millions,
and that thieves, like plunderers
and vultures, should prey on States
and the nation as a carcass to be freely
despoiled and destroyed for their ben
eft. The protective policy may do for
New England manufacturers, but not
for New England people, who pay the
/ penalty of high prices for all the neces-
saries they consume, while the taxes on
Injuries are proportionately light, only
to make paupers Of the many, that
they may make m~illionaires and lords
| of the few. We doubt whether, on a
fair discussion of this policy, it couldbe
maintained by the people even in the
New England States. If coarse
b~roadcloth, which poor men wear and
New England makes, pays a higher
tariff than fine cloths, which New
England does not make, and which
rich men wear, and if poor men will
bear this discrimination there, IN view
Of compensating advantages, how is it
in the West and South, where there is
nothing to compensate but the glory of
being hewers of wood and drawers Of
water to our neighbors? We have,
moreover, a faint impression that at
an early period in the inception Of the
late civil war, the West was slow to
take up arms, and her sturdy woods
men were first reused to it by the
closing of the Mississippi river. This
was the national highway which they
determined to open. But how Is it
! now: What the South made an inef-
fectual effort to close, is HOW practi-
caIly closed to sea-going ships; and
while the government, besides pro-
tecting the East with tariffs, Is ex-
pending hundreds of millions annu-
| ally for its rivers and harbOrs, it gives
not a cent to open the great national
highway for the incoming OF cargoes
aud the outgoing Of the staple cereals
used for fuel in the West. The great
interests of the West and South II of
secondary import at Washington. This,
though they have a majority Of votes in
| Congress-. We feel certain the people of
| the Western and Southern States do
not approve. Shall q great people only
| talk and write and rave about their
wrongs? The time for argument and
f-orbearance has passed, and the
time to surrender or to act has come.
If these things have not become IRENE
diabIe, why are they not rene
died? The answer is Plain-the hon.
est masses Of the people are divided.
They have been misled by willy and
cunning and self-seeking men, through
appeals to prejudice, and through false
presentations OF their interests. Such
has been the continued policy Of the
Radical party, aided by more or less
departing and detection among Demo
Gratis. But, now that they have come
to see the deception, the aid ven Of
those who have wrought the mischief
MAJ be looked to to avert the evil. ON
prayer IS for ug;5a. Let those opposed
to the present ubiquitous administra-
ton and corruption coalesce. They
who viii not 90 with the country's for
eign enemies VIII not go with It's do
nestle ones. eThe Register concludes:
We prefer the Democratic standard
because 1t is already erected and its
hosts marshalled north and south.
| Wings and Democrats have the same
platform Of reform-they have come
together. not for a name, but some of
them against the name, for common
patriotic purposes. Such Wings as say
that they viii not support the Demo-
| cratic party Of 1874 because of its name,
know that the name symbolises no
principle to which, as Wings, they
mere not formerly bound; and they say
so only because they are ripe for tuIn-
ing to what they may deceive them
| selves N suppOsing IS much longer to
be the strongest side. II the party
was now called the Wing party they
would be as ready to find some other
excuse. And we viii add that
a Democrat who adheres to
the standard, not for principles
presently maintained, but for the name
alone, viii be equally ready to de
part over to that Republicanism,
which is liberal only in the sense
that it grasps everything and gives
nothing. True Democrats and Wings
now stand on the same common plat
form for which Of yore they always
professed to contend-the common good
Of the country. Why, when we agree,
| can we no: effect our purposes IN the
establishment and execution of our
| principles: Is it because we are SO
| weak we must wrangle and disagree
like a carpet-bag Legislature or a debat-
ing club: The reason OF failure is not
to be found IN any want Of integrity or
| purpose, but IN our practical machine
| ~ and carrying out the purpose. Shall
We differ about men, when We can Sc
lect any one Of twenty named for pres
ident or governor, andsupport himwith
equal integrity and certainty! The
| charge of B~ourbJnism on the one hand
and Copperheadism on the other are
the fruits Of RadIcal instigatiOn. Shall