Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-09


FELLOW CouSrRYMEN: When the whg conven-
tion was called, had determined to await the re-
suit Of their action And if men of standing, integ
rity, and ability, had received the nomination, /
should not have been before you on this occasion
as candidate to represent you in the lower branch
of our next Legislature. The convention met, and
from some cause unknown to myself. unknown
probably 10 You, no nomination was made. / then
determined to become a candidate, independent of
all conventions willing to submit alone to the voice
of that PEOPLE, whom / ask to represent, and &C.
cordingly l published the following card Here
Mr. Haywood read his card announcing himself as
a candidate for the Legislature
But before / proceed. fellow-countrymen, TO ex-
plain this card and define my position, must be
permitted to ask to whom do / speak? DO ad-
dress men who like Esau, have sold their birth
right? Do | address men who have battered or
willing to barter the right of suffrage for hum
bug? Do | address men whose votes are already
cast and who stand enrolled upon the dark records
OF some secret council2 Or do address freemen,
siltrunpneled by pledges, oatas and preudices ?
Where is the true American who does not hold the
free right of voting sacred and who does not con-
slider every effort to trammel him in that free
else o. an insult to his Judgment and pat iotism
presume there are none therefore am prepared to
speak to you as freemen. I am not here tonight
fellow-countrymen TO denounce or declaim against
any party or sect, but l come ID reason with you,
and when we have reasoned together, when you
have heard me, then come ike men, true to the in
teTest Of your country and vote, not as prejadice
may prompt, not as pledges may bind, or oaths
compel but as your honest judgments may direct
and yohr consciences approve. When you shall
have done this you will have discharged your duty
to your God your country, yourselves, and to US
who are candidates. This is all coud ask this /
do ask, and Insist upon as duty which we owe to
each other
VIII now, fellow countrymen, define my posi-
ton. There never were but four leading men in
the Union, and they were Alexander Hamilton,
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jack
son. OF the first two / shall not sneak but let
them rest on in the qniet repose of their siumber-
ing greatness Mr. Cay Was the acknowledged
leader Of the wing party, and upon his great name
and deeds love TO dwell loved and admired
him for that bold and noble msnness, which, with
out counting fortune, popularity, or favor, COM
batted every measure he believed to be wrong
That most noble and msgnanimous statesman, who,
when his country was in danger, knew no North,
no South, no East, no West who shrank from no
difficulty, recoed from no danger but dared do his
duty regardless alike of both censure or applause.
Il was npon him, when danger threatened the
Union. that every patriots eye was turned. Look
back, fellow countrymen, to the days of 80, when
gloom, and filed the souls of men with dread aud
fear; when fanatical mobs violated and DISTRACTED
the laws of the Federal Government when bigots
preached from every pulpit the "higher law'-doc=
trine; when seceders were declaiming in bitter
terms against the North and Northern aggressions,
calling upon you as Southerners, as descendants of
the proud Anglo Saxons, to rise and revenge the
wrong; thatwe had submitted to them long enough,
and that the only remedy was dsunion, at the
same time painting to you in graphic and pictu-
rescue manner, the grandeur and sublimity of a
great Southern confederacy; when the flag Of dis
union waved over your own capitol, and upon
which every true patriot gazed with a, much horror
and Disgust as would fair and timid lady at sea
gaze upon the bold and daring buccaneer, as he
neared, displaying from bis masthead the black
nag with skulls and cutlasses inscribed upon it in
leglbe characters, and about which there could be
no mistake. When all the crowned-heads of Ed
rope were about to realize their hellish motto "d-
vide and conquer" when the Union trembled,
when the line of demarkstiou was about to be
drawn, when its friends were fast giving away; it
was then that the noble Clay appeared like Desssix
upon the field of Marengo, determined to foil the
enemy, and secure victory to the Union or fall in
the attempt. 1t was them felow-countrymen
that the mighty Statesman stood, and with all that
energy, orstory, and eloquence peculiar to himself
he warred against treason. He damned the aboli-
ZIONIST, denounced the secessionist and upheld the
Union Day after day, and night after night, was
his clarion voice heard ringing through the halls of
Congress Every word and every sentence breath
ing devotion TO the Union, until he senced upon
the one hand the religious bigot made converts of
dsunionists and peace, union and harmony pre-.
vailed throughout the Republic.
And should such another crisis come, where is
Gay, before whose mighty logic every argument
crumbIed and fell, like the walls OF ancient cities
before the battering rams of Csesar2 IT'S true,
like Webster. he "stil lives" but to US his services
are gone. Yes, fellow countrymeu, that bright
luInlnary which shone with such impartial lustre
upon every portion of our country, hath sunk be-
meath the horizon yet its rejecting rays like COM
cts shall light the world for ages to come
When Mr.. Cay had filled his great destiny, and
completed the mighty task assigned him of saving
the Union it was him whom it pleased the AL
mighty God to make the welcome messenger TO
bear TO high Heaven the glorious news; and ia
imagination | can behold him. "as he passed
through the fields oflght where liquid ether flows"
bearing IN his hand the olive branch, as he en-
terS the vaults of Heaven, and is welcomed to the
presence of the great authors of civil and religious
liberty, who sit in concIave around the throne of
God.
As to General Jackson. fellow countrymen. in
ustice to that great man l must say, that there
never was man who presided over the destinies
,f a nation with more dignity and superiority than
re- ] admired him for his boldness, determine
ion, and decision Of character for the fearless en-
.rgy with which he executed for the implicit ODE
Hence he demanded TO the laws of the federal gov
rnment and for the dignity with which he upheld
he government and caused it to be respected abroad
Md while, fellow countrymen, we all remember
i'm, too, with gratitude, for the many important
ervices he rendered his country, yet many differed
With him as TO the true policy in governing it.
Mr.. Clay and General Jackson were the two
ckOowledged leaders of the great wing and dem
cratic parties To the doctrines of Mr.. Clay, after
nature elaboration and reflection, I subscribed, 1
ecame whie, and am wing tonight, not hav- |
ng been convinced that the policy advocated by |
nat party was wrong. These two parties strug- |
lea against each other, in harmless excitement, |
of many years They opposed each other upon
bot 'i PIE; OF national and State policy and not
70 e.her believed the other to be unworthy to
D.. OF unit to hold Offices.
ans al ore Told tonight, by disappointed parti-
Que Slu leaders of factions that these ola ne,to.
= NJ Io,n corrupt, and consequently sbonld az
y ~. no Ionser' would ask these gentlemen yvbere
tue man who, at any time, has bean aar.aJ re
faction outside of the two great nart;es ~ ~
vas not violent demsgogue, sectional in b;s tH
ngs, and void of all nationality? They cannot
oInt to him, and history cannot name him. On