Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-07-22
From the mAthens Post"

more ire than we thought that amiable and in
teresting young gentleman was susceptible Of
and we are right glad that we have been the
means Of arousing his paper from that state Of
istlessness and inactivity into which it had
unhappily fallen. Petulence and impotence
are evidence of the merest weakness; and the
ebullitionS Of wrath on the part OF the editors
serve only to show his want Of confidence IN the
cause he advocates and that the defeat ofhiS
candidate is staring him in the face. Now if
he suppose he can force US to the use towards
him of such langua &c as "foul SANDER, gross
misrepresentation, "wilful falshoods." and all
that sort of things, simply because he himself
chooses to indulge in beautiful and exceedingly
chaste epithets, he is good deal more amiable
and selfcomplaisant than we really thought he
was.
But the truth is we cannot help plying the
Advertiser, and we now reply to him with feel
ings more of sorrow than Of anger from the
fact that it is the position of Mr.. Smith, and
not his own, that has brought his difficulties
always even-tempereG when their candidates
are on the popular side Of the question, or their
positions are, such as can be defended before
She people, But when fair discussion fails,
why Of course the natural and inevitable resort
is slang; and therefore the AdrertiSer is not to
blame for a thing he could not prevent, but the
candidate viii Of course be answerable to the
people for the unpleasant predicament of the
editor.
We have attempted heretofore in plain
manner to show the difference between. Mess
rs Van DYKE and Smith upon the subject of Ia
ternal improvements, that being the most i'm
portaut practical subject of discussion between
them. We have not attempted to give the lam
guage Of either but their positions, and the
results directly and indirectly resulting from
those positions. We have never said that Mr.
Smith was hostile in his feelings to the rail
roads traversing the country, or that he was
unwilling to see them all constructed; but that
his position upon the subject Of government
aid both to them and to the Tennessee river, in
It's practical! reeults is opposition to them aad
must end in inevitable defeat. Before Mr. Van
Dyke was candidate, we heard two speeches
from Mr. Smith-one at Decatur and the other
at Cleveland-and we are sure that his plan
then was to donate public lands to the Rabun
Gap road, solely, and to appropriate money
alone to the Tennessee river-that he was OPP
posed upon constitutional grounds to any gene
raj system of mprovementS--but would 90 for
those two cases as isolated questions. This
impression he distinctly made not only upon US,
but upon a Il we have heard speak upon the
subject. Now if he has changed these positions
since Hr. Yam Dyke became candidate, the
public will easily divine the reason for so sud
den and radical revolution in his mind. He
knows that the people of this district are inteli
gent, well posted up, and deeply interested upon
this very subject, and so soon as their atten-
ton was directed to the weakness and utter
futility Of such plan, and when he began to
have the clamor of his own party,it was then that
he changed, if changed at all. The question
is very naturally put to him by democrats as
well as whigs-hOw many votes, Mr.. Smita,
can you procure for your isolated works if you
refuse on constitutional or any other grounds
to vote for system embracing the whole
country? Every sensible man who has paid
any attention to the working of legislatures will
say not fifty voters. Then, Mr.. Smith, how do
you expect to carry your projects through Con-
gress? Then does not your isolated position
amount to opposition to the Rabun Gap road
and the Tennessee river? Most certainly. Not
that you are opposed in feeling or interest to
these enterprises Jut that yOur plan must de-
feat Mem The plan of Mr.. Van Dyke is the
reverse of this. We heard his speech at Ben
ton, and he is not only for the Rabun Gap
road and the Tennessee river, but for broad
and liberal system of improvements-such an
one IS viii command the favor of all sections
of the Union, and thus bring about united ac-
ton and success. This liberal plan he has not
changed but on the contrary impressed the sub
iect in his usual forcible and manly style in
every speech he makes, and shows to the COM
munity, who are SO vitality interested in the sub
iect this great distinctive difference between
himself and Mr. Smith. The people see it, and
in view of their personal interests are going to
act upon it, by eecting Mr.. Van Dyke, whose
plan they feel must redouned to their advan-
tage and bring triumph and success to their
favorite works of improvement. And this, too,
is the secret of the tloundering Of the Advert
ser-this ''pilng up Of wrath aginst the day of
wrath'-for which He is not accountable, as it
is all brought upon him by the pueril course
of his candidate, Mr.. Smith.
Notwithstanding the length of this article,
our readers must bear with us one moment lon
ger The Advertiser says that if it had not
been for Smith mot a pound OF iron would
have been bought or n "wheel cast for the
East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, and
! that he has done more than any t,co men for
| the benefit of that road &C., Bel! When we
! read this we felt like calling on our friends to
hold our heads while we laughed, And we on
! ly allude to it now, TO show the people along
the line of this road what is claimed for Mr..
Smith The idea is supremey Ridiculous, and
we have no doubt Mr.. Smith himself laughed
out right when he read it. Sem Smith tie fath-
/ es' Of the Fact Tennessee and Georgia Rail
Road! Why, the fact is while he was in his
"swaddling cloths" Mr.. Van Dyke was paying
his money, expanding his time talents, ener-
gies, and when the confidence Of the commui
! ty was lost-when the Company was dissolved
when the road was in ruins, liieless thing
he it was stepped forward and restored that
confidence and that life, and placed the body
upon its feet again, revived with new energy
! and new spirit-he it was who put on foot a
! train of legislation which has purchased the
/ iron, equipped the road, and will ultimately
complete it to Knoxville. He indeed was e7eI
considered the acknowledged spirit of that en-
I terprise and has done more than any man III
East Tennessee towards its constructlon-has
suffered in purse and time, and employed toT
years the uninterrupted energies of body and
mind for its completion. Of this Mr.. Smith
cannot nor will not boast In common with all
East Tennesseans he has done what he could
but to claim for him the entire credit is simply