Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-03


the correct idea OF their notions OF government.
Gov JoHSsoN said tha; he had no doubt that by /
this time the inquiry had arisen in the minds o! his
audience what this review asd reference TO Mr. !
Webster and Federalism had to do with the pres
emf canvass He would now try and make tie |
application. He would read an extract from a
speech made by his competitor in the United States
House oil Representatives on the l7th day 0! May
1882, which is commonly called his Scott speech.
Mr.. Gentry says:
"Take that resolution something else that the
whole ground completely it does, and then nominate
Millard Fillmore Daniel Webster the wing candidate
for The Presidency. That my idea and am not very
particular which Of those gentlemen shall be npminated
Gov. j. stated that his competitor was even
willing to take Daniel Webster az his candidate
for the Presidency, and Of course all his blue light
federalism with him, in preference TO Gen. Win
| field Scott who was fighting the battles of his
! country at Bridgewater and Lundy's Lane, while
! Webster by his votes, was refusing his men cloth
| ing and food.
| < We low, said Gov. JoHNscN, begin to perceive
z the class of politicians to which my honorable
/ competitor belongs But he would submit one or
two other facts for the purpose Of making the
| identity perfect and complete of his competitor
with the federal policy and class legislation OF the
| country.
| In 1898, during the federal administration OF
the elder Mr.. Adams, the sedi.ion law passed,
| an extract from which is as follows:
"That if any person shall write print utter publish,
or shall procure to be written printed uttered
published shall knowingly and willingly assist aid
in writing printing utterng publishing, any false scan
dalous malicious writings writing against the gov
eminent the United States either house of the Don
gess the United States the President of the United
States with intent to defame The said government either
house of the said Congress- the said President to
binh them into contempt dsrepute to excite against
them either any of them the hatred of the good
people of the United States or to stir sedtion within
ne shall be punished by fine not exceeding two thousand
dollars and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.
At this time the federal party was In power, and
she great object was to silence the press and stop
the ciamor Of the people in reference to the fede-
raj policy of the times. They were then in power,
it will be remembered, and their object was to gag
and silence those who were out of power. In 1910,
| Mr. Bell introduced into the House Of Representa-
tives, what has commonly been denomnated the
| Gag Bill but which was sugar-coated over with the
| pleasing appeation of "A Bill to secure the free.
dom of elections, and to provide more effectually
for the faithful administration of Executive patro-
mage" which the duplicate, substantially of the
celebrated Crittenden Gag Bill which had been re-
, jected N the Senate of the United States by an
Overwhelming majority. Gov. j. then read part
of the first section of Mr.. Bells Gag Bill which is
as follows:
e it enacted de- That from and after the first day Of
July next officer agent contractor other person
holding any office employment of trust profit under
the Constitution and laws Of the United States SHALL by
the contribution of money other valuable thing BY
the of the ranking privilege, the abuse of any
other Official privilege or function, or by reats and me
Sldces in any other manner tntermede srith the ftec
ton of any member or members Of either House of Con
ress or of tie President Vice PresGsatof ts UHiC
IF any mebr members of the legislature q any STATE
aud every such officer other person offending therein
: shall be held to be guilty of high misdemeanor and
upon conviction thereof any court of the United State
having jurisdiction, shall pay fine not exceeding one thou
i sand dollars"
e When this bill was introduced the federal party
d were out of power, and the democratic party il
II power and the great object of the party who wer
out of power, was to gag those that were in, ant
! thereby prevent those that were in from defendn:
# themselves against the many vtuperstive charge
1t and assaults of those who were out. In 1913, i
e was the policy gag the people and the press, witt
1t out of power and camorous against the fede
raj party, who were in possession of the govern
Of ment at the time; and in lS40 it their polio,
d TO gag the agents Or servants of democracy. Al
must perceive that these two measures the Sedto
o Law of l79S and the Gag Bill of 1910, are yer,
e, closely related and belong to the same family 0
$ federal measures His competitor by his votes ant
e speeches sustained the Gag Bill of lS4O which wa
It rejected by an overwhelming majority of the Hous
It | of Representatives.
al - GOV. ]. of the opinion that there could b,
no difficulty with unprecedented mind in assigning
his competitor his true position, and especially so
n when taken in connection with his decided prefer
s. for Mr.. Webster Gen. Scott for the Presi
? dency. His speech and vote for the Gag Bill-fo
n toIing tea, coffee, aud Ibis support of hsl
y protective tsrlff-hs proposition to assume by thu
n federal government ttco hundred millions Of dollars
IA (most Of it foreign debts) owed by the severa
States Gov. J. said it was true that his competi
re tor, as far as he knew, occupied position witt
n any party by profession, at this time, nor has h.
ID been assigned any position by one Of the parties
re the country But that thoughtthat acts speeches
'e and votes pointed with more unerrng certainty t
NJ
he could now make.
II. Gov. JOHNSON said he remembered we'll the day
/ and the hour when his competitor abandoned thu
70 wing party. He remembered the language he haC
l. used in bidding adieu TO that party Mr., GENTB1
Of said, in going:
IS 81 AN SEEKING TO REFORM PURIFY SArIosALTzE TIL
n PARTY, WHEN L
h THAT FALL Durl
WHICH l DEEM INCUMBENT DE-
srRoY THOROUGHLY AS | CAN AND WILL PERYoR,
v IT TO UTMOST TNrENr POWER, DE
% cLARAIIoS WHICH l HAVE MADE TREASON MAKE tn
:. MOST OF IT. WELL WHAT WILL you Do JOIN THE DE
u EoCRAuC PARITY (iaugher) DO |
DO NOT Know WHAT SHALL DO"
a Gov. J. said if his competitor had any location
= except the one he bad assigned him by his vote
e and speeches, he did not know where it was, TO
N since his competitor had failed to purify and nation
er aize the wing party he had retired to enjoy the do
70 nestle sweets ola smiling farm in that requesteret
'r valley, with bubbfng fountains covered with ricl
o, pasturage and fat Aocks and all that is needu fo
II the occupation and enjoyment Of a of uncor
rupted taste" II will go there and pray for Rome
re and abide my time for better day, and realize tn,
J, fact that
&c ''Where vice prevail and impious Lear SWAY,
/ The post of honor is private station.
Gov. ]. asked why was it that his competitor
u had torn himself away from this rural retreat, the
;, 'post of honor?' What was the cause Of his re
70 entrance into the political arena? Had be beer
q taken away from the handles of the plough like
CNCNNATUs Of old to regulate the affairs Of STATED
! Had the people, in their primary meetings. called
g him forth, or their delegates in convention? Had
l. the wing party taken him back into the ranks and
e endorsed him as good and true whig2 Has this
d new order, commonly called Know-Nothings, "
u in their midnight meetings and conclaves called
him FORTH and selected him their standard bear
= er? Or has he been presented as the great champion
of the temperance cause? Or has he come forward
/ with trident in hand, to perform the next highest
e duty which is incumbent him, to destroy as
: thoroughly as he can the wing party? And will
a he row perform it to the utmost extent of his
l. power? The latter is question the wing party is
u deeply interested in, and the public is somewhat
t curious to know how it will be disposedof repeat
i the enquiry said Gov. JOHNSON, in conclusion on
d this portion of my subject. las my competitor nor
come torqraTd to Thoroughly destroy The Wig Party