Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-08-22


These gentlemen spoke at Athens on the
4th Of August. We copy the following
account of the days work from the cores
pondence of the Chattanooga Gazette:
On yesterday, Polk aud Maynard addressed
large and attentive audience in the Court yard,
Polk led off, and consumed pretty much all of his
time 10 thevain and foolish effort to prove that
the democratic party is the only national party 10
the Union, and that Fillmore il an ab0ltionist. He
charged that "Fimore is as bad an aboltIonist as
those who would steal our negroes" but on ais
fed the expression by saying 'judging from bis
record" if that be considered qualification
Polk and Maynard are both strangers to most per-
sons in this section, and when Maynard arose to
ply, the Americans sadly disappointed, for he
is far from being handsome or progressing In his
personal appearance, and looks ike be had been
soaked in a vat for the last six MONTHS. But
his array of undensble facts eound argument, log
ical reasoning, and thrilling eloquenee speedily
convinced the audience that he giant iI in
teilect. Maynard is "a gentleman, scholar,
orator and able debator, aud no wonder that he
vanquished and utterly defeated Polk, and gave
him such severe castigstion-such an awful
skiHning that Polk tried to get up personal diff
Guilty with him. Maynard spoke of the many Sian.
ders that had been promulgated over the land
against Fillmore, and said they go basely false
that their authors were like Cassander Of old-no
one would believe them. When Polk arose to re
ply, he was very much excited, and with cenched
fist and violent gesticulations, demanded to know
whether Maynard intended those remarks per-
sons to himself Maynard made no reply. He
said 81 demand an answer nowl" Maynard then
replied, "If you will give the stand | will ex>
plain, otherwise will notice it when l cone TO re-
ply" Polk again demanded an answer, when May
nard replied as before. Polk, finding that he could
not intimiddte Maynard, aud force him to answer
where be was sitting, then yielded the stand, when
Maynard arose and said his remarks were general,
not personal and he astonshed that Mr.. Polk
had construed them into personal insult, and he
was confident that no other man in that crowd,
cept Mr.. Polk, mad ever thought of such thing.
He then patted Mr.. Polk on the shoulder and said,
~ would scarce make a charge indirectly, that
would not boldly make to your face" Polk evil
IDENTIFY intended to bully Maynard, and make him
afraid of him. but utterly failed, as l shall show.
Polk said it bad been charged that Gen. Jackson
had no confidence in Buchanan, but said it was
false charge, and that in private interview with
him, Gen Jackson had expressed mis- confidence 10
Buchanan; and Polk said II hold myself personal.
ly responsible for this assertion" When Maynard
come to reply to this he said that about two months
before Gen. jackson died he wrote a letter to a
friend in which he stated that Buchanan
lacking IN moral courage, and that Buchanan had
made proposition to him that he regarded as
gross corruption, and that he repealed it with the
indignation that it deserved. Now, said Mr.. May
nard, this letter is in existence in Gen. Jackson's
own hand writing, and Gen. Jackson never was the
man to publish thing and then in private in
tervew deny t. Now, thinks l, we'll have war
and no mistake for here is fat contradiction OF
what Mr.. Polk has said, and he has proclaimed that
he is personally responsible for its truth But not
a word-not word from Nr. Polk! OF conrse, all
sensible men at once concluded that Mr.. Polk was
not half as anxious for personal difficulty as he
had pretended.