Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-08
Of n. Courisr.Journal.

Correspondence of the Courier-Journal.
NASHVILLE, August 3,-The bolt
ing papers are publishing, with a
great flourish, Colonel Nathan Bran
don's letter to Judge Charles G.
Smith, beginning; II had hoped the
Democratic parties, if may so call
them, would have harmonized, and
given us a platform that all could
have stood upon and supported with.
out a sacrifice Of principle, etc. Is
it not passing strange that men are so
innately selfish that they are incapable
Of impartially judging circumstances,
either social or political, by which
they are surrounded? As in the
physical, so in the moral world-every
individual is the center Of all his en-
yironments; whatever skies may bend
above him, let him shift his position
never so often, the great Ego is always
exactly beneath the zenith and stands
on the exact center OF the earth As
Colonel ]. NJ. Fleming handsomly
expressed it a few weeks ago. in
40 field OF human life do new
conditions occur more suddenly
than in that Of politics. 1t is an
arena tnll of surprises. The June
convention jumped to a result that
certainly disconnected the calculations
OF the best political prognosticators in
the State" Very true; and it is the
province of sensible men to shape and
control as best they may these conclu
sions; it is a patriotic duty to fit them
selves to results, aud not with stiff
necked, unbending and silly pride
seek to bend all minds to their own,
or bolt the msjority composed Of 9TH
ers as sensible, as patriotic, as devoted
to principle and as self-sacrifcing as
they. Parties may take shape suddenly
or through a long process. For years
Southern Democrats, and especially
Kentucky Democrats, timidly con
tended for the resolutions of '98, and
saw millions of dollars voted to North.
ern harbors and other improvements,
while themselves refusing to touch
penny OF it. 1t was against "the prin-
ciples of the party" this question of
internal improvements by the general
government. But now the most pig
headed is willing to coucede that
times change and men change with
them.
Colonel Brandon wanted to "har-
Iuonize," Of course, but the rank and
file must cast their eyes to the center;
and he was that center; must dress
the alignment by the middle button
on his jacket. He mustn't move an
inch backward or forward, for | am
right aud this is mel What his views
Of compromise" may be it would be
difficult to ascertain by any known
rule in political ethics. In that con
vention were Colonel Savage and Hon.
D. l.. Snodgrass, firmly holding that
not dollar of the railroad debt ought
to be paid; "and yet" said Colonel
Savage, while | believe it uncensti-
tutiODsl and unjust, | am willing to
vote the bondhOlders 33B of the prin-
cipal. In most commendable spirit
Of compromise, however, he surren-
dered still further, and came to 50-3 in
order to save and serve the party.
Suppose, like Colonel Brandon, these
men had said; mo, we will not
bulge an inch; we are willing
to compromise by having everybody
else to move to our position" They
would then have bolted, and would
to-day occupy the same position with
respect to the Democratic party that
Colonel Brandon does. They had as
much right to bolt as he; for they are
equally brave, equally as respectable,
equally as honorable, and as patriotic
as Colonel Brandon is, every bit Of it.
TIE spirit manifested by the men who
deserted their party at the moment
when, for the very first time since the
war, that large party of low tax and
no tax Democrats had consented to
payment Of all the State debt proper,
and fifty per cent of the remainder ct
time when nine Democrats out of
ten agreed to disagree no longer, and
to stand on the same platform for
harmony's sake-the exhibition of
such a spirit at such a time when a
glorious victory was in their grasp
almost without Q struggle, can not be
discussed with PATIENCE by one who
believes that the welfare Of all this
great country was depending on the
action of those mea at that supreme
hour, that golden opportunity.