Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-03
SUBSTANCE OF THE OPENING SPEECH OF GOV.
Johnson AT MURFREESBORO, MAY l.

morrow.
SUBSTANCE Of THE OPENING SPEECH OF GOV. |
Johnson AT MURFREESBoRO, MAY l.
Gov Jouv.oN commenced by stating that il was |
with GREAT embarrassment that he appeared before
the feernen OF Rutherford county, on that occasion
There were many reasons why it should be 80 He
had not attempted to make an address for some
thing like two years before public audience
When he looked before him and saw the labor,
the arduous labor, that to be performed in can
wasting and addressing nearly every county in the
State, it was enough, almost Of ITSELF TO deter him
from the undertaking. and TO add to this which made
It still mo:e embarrassing, in having it to dorm
contest with gentleman so distinguished for -
ability as DICTATOR, orator and statesman, as his
competitor. In the very announcement Of his COM
petitor as a candidate for Governor it is heralded
forth that he is the most distinguished man in mod
ern times In letter addressed to the editor of
the Knoxville Wing" which was the first and is
the leading organ in advocating the claims and pre-
tensions OF his competitor writer says in speak
ing of his competitor: a0ur friends remember with
great pleasure, the ability with which GENTRY slew
McMulln first, Maxwell next, and then HAYNES in
the canvass between Taylor aud Cass" Even from
this extract, the great power of his competitor
displayed in the eastern portion Of the State,
will be perceived by the audience But again, the
"Hest Tennessee Wig" announces his connection as
candidate in the following swelling and imposing
style:
.Boldand undisguised the in the open armament
Of Heaven possessing in great degree the logic of Web
ser and the commanding eloquence of Clay he presents
object Of admiration, Of real greatness scarcely if at all
be met with in all the length and breadth of the State
But to cap the climax, and to make the pyramid
Of his competitors greatness perfect, he would call
the attention of the audience TO an editorial in
"BroarnlolC'S Wing" He SAYS
All will out moreover against the first Thusday in
August that Gov JoHksoS put upon the track against
GESrRY through pure kindness the Governor will pTay
Lord me from my friends, and will take care Of my
enemies all time to come But to complete the punish
ent the Governor let GENTRY follow him before
large audience and pour forth his rich and lofty elo-
quence his sparkling wittcsms and happy repair and
he will wish himself in private life We long to hear those
streams of eoquence ana paho enriched with alternate
veins OF bitterness and denuncaton peculiar GENTRY
Gov. Johnson then remarked that the audience
could not fail to perceive the perous and extremely
embarrassing position he occupied that dav. The
srduous task which lay before him, the fatIA and
excitement attendant thereon, a contest with one
who had slain McMulhn, Maxwell and Haynes !
A competitor who was 'oold and undisguised
As the sun in the open armament of Heaven COM
bining the logic of Webster, the commanding eIo-
quence of Clay, and the sparkling witticsms and
happy repartees peculiar to Gentry These are
all rare qualities, and their combination in the
same person make him extraordinary COMPETE
tor He had alluded to these qualities in no spirit
Of irony, but as being facts, published by MS COM
granted that they were true; and such facts added
greatly 10 his present embarrassment But feeling
~ he did, that the right and the argument YVES on
his side and being engaged IN Just cause,-thoug Oh
ihe odds were fearful, be should advance to the
discussion, leaving consequences TO take care OF
themselves; and he would notify his friends,
If they had come there on that day for the pug-
pose of witnessing orstoricsl display in lsngusge
or il manner they would be disappointed, and they
mad at once better let themselves down until his
honorable competitor took the stand. Without
further prelude he would at once march up to the
discussion in his plain, blunt way.
Gov JouysoE stated that so far as far as State
policy was concerned, he would refer the people of
the State to his annual message, which was sub
mitted to the last Legislature. The State iudebt-
edness-the change Of the penitenliary labor
modification Of the revenue law so far as merchants
license was concerned-common schools-the
propriety of improving our State and county road
observation-disclosures OF the Constitution, &c
From all these questions for the present, he would
pass until he ascertained what were the opinions
Of his competitor in reference to them.
Gov Johnson stated that his competitor and
himself had been in public service for 4 number Of
years and that public acts public property
He expected his competitor to investigate and
even scrutinize lis public acts and direct the atten-
ton Of the public mind to those acts he should dis
approve and condemn. he did not only expect
has competitor to do this, but he,invited him to do
so: and on the other hand he should call in ques-
ton such public acts of his competitor as he be-
loved to be wrong, and present the reasons and
arguments for sucn belief in spirit Of csndor and
lrankness
He said that there had always been two parties
in this government, and that thSre always would
be: One of them was for the people and the other
against them Sometimes they called by
one name and at other times by others. Profess
SONS and names by parties and politicians were
frequently unmeaning and deceptive in their char
acter The true mode Of ascertainng what poll
tcjans were IN principle was TO take up their pub
lie acts and see where those acts located them
whether with the people or against them.
Public acts in which principles were involved
indicated with uuerring certainty the class to which
they belonged, though the acts themselves might
be isolated and far removed from the family or
kindred to which they belonged yet by the dis.
corning and discriminating eye the family likeness
and relationship could always be discovered. There
might be striking Illustrations givea in mnera!ogy
the practsed minerslogist, whenever he puts his
eve upon a rock or mineral far removed from its
original location could at once tell to what family
it belonged aud arrange it in proper class. Gov.
JOHNSON said that in this connection, he would
cRll the attention of the audience to gigantic
scheme which his competitor had originated while
member Of Congress, assuming the debts OF the
several States by the Federal government as an
illustration of his competitors policy. lie said
that his honorable competitor, while member Of
the 26th Congress- gave notice that when in Oh
der, he would introduce BILL assuming the debts
of the svera States
During the second session of the 26th Congress,
his honorable competitor made explanation in
reference to the assumption of the debts of the
several States, which in substance is as follows:
"Mr. Gentry entered into an explanation in which he
distinctly wished understood that for any opinion which
he had expressed that subject he alone responsible
and The wing party; all the members OF that party
with whom he had consulted having expressly dissened
from him and entreated him carry his design into
effect He also stated that Mr. John Bell was Of the
whg members with whom he had consulted and that Mr.
BELL had earnestly importuned him 10 to attempt
carry out his vIews
Gov. johnson said that he had read this expa-
nation OF ms competitor for the purpose of show
ing that the wing party was not responsible for the
introduction Of this measure into the Youse of
Representatives as he presumed they were not will
ling to be held responsible for measure 90 innor.
tant and Involving many interests that were daer
and vital to the country. He had no idea tb.t
there was any party at this day that would be VII
ling 10 defend and advocate the assumption of FRO
badre1 millions of dollars by the Federal Govern
Iuent upon the principle proposed by his honorable
oonpetitor During the second session of the
twenty-seventh Congress his competitor offered an
amendment TO the tariff bill, (which he laid down
his plan Of assumption. In that amendment it
II n