Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-10
From The Republican Banner.
THE DISCUSSION AT SOMMERVILLE.

BONNEVILLE, Ienn, June D.
Mr. H. K WALKER-Deor Sir:-Yesterday the
candidates for Governor addressed very large as
semblage of the citizens of Fayette county Gen.
Harris opened as usual with that ten year old ste
reotyped speech" the nationality of the democratic
party and weakness of the American party, consum-
ing about half an hour in eulogy of the the former
and the abuse of the latter. He then stated the
questions that he and his competitor had heretofore
discussed first the distribution of the public lands.
His position was averse to the principle. His
argument being that the lands are held by the gen.
eral government as source of revenue, and cannot
be disposed of otherwise than by sale. That there
is no power under that clause of the constitution
"to dispose of the territory and other property &c
to distribute the public domain or the proceeds
thereof In this portion of his argument he pitch
ed and foundered like ship in a storm, convincing
none, and was finally stranded. He repudated the
johnson homestead tone IDEAS also the Doug
las and Stewart alternate section 'up grading"
theory as also all grants when 9uid pro qtto was
not given the general government. Then his
memory failed him upon a certain "swamp land"
donation TO Arkansas, a vote which he gave while
a member of Congress, was a deviation from the
"principe." Our "Bob" had evidently touched
him up here, for he tried to explain it away by
homely illustrations to show that it did not come
within the principle-the levee was the consider
ation"-but forgot that that consideration went to
Arkansas, and not to "Uncle Sam" When Hatton
came to reyly to him, he was crushing-read the
act, showed the gft and not the sale, and turning
his whole battery upon him, told him, facetiously
twas constitutional to give away wet lands. Where
rose the deadly miasma, where croaking frogs kept
timely music TO their kissing combatants, and where
mosquitoes sung the last sad requiem over the great
principle, the public lands shall only be used as
source Of revenue to the general government.
Twas the first time We have ever heard that the
constitutional question turned upon wet and dry
wet constitutional--dry unconstitutional Wonder
If Gen Harris old constituents in the river counties
Dyer, 0bou, and Lauderdale, would not nOW like to
have the principle applied to their once magnificent
lands, now submerged by his Arkansas leTeeg The
Tennessee Legislature OF 534 gave them the privi-
lege of corporations to drive back the Genls food
from Arkansas. Gen. II. was in favor, ''himself,"
of the graduating principle" applied to the public
lands. He read the opinions Of Clay and Webster
to prove the unconsti,utionality of distributing the
lands themselves forgetting that HattOn was for the
principle of equality in the matter, and not for any
particular measure Of execution--that the NEGRO
or one thousand dollars" would answer the purpose
so they have an equal share. The Gent might have
refreshed bis memory by reference to old act Of
1855, where lands we're distributed themselves,
passed very soon after some Of the deeds Of the ses
sion and which remained in force until the adoption
Of the constitution.
The second question Gen. Harris stated, that, had
been discussed, was alien suffrage Here be made
an artful dodge, stating that he was very similar in
sentiment TO John Bell las quoted in the UniOa and
zmsrieaa) that is was not very material about
their voting as the Legislature would, when formed
and organized, tx the qualifications Of voters He
next charged HaitOn upon his legislative course
upon the omnibus ihteruA improvement ball, stating
thar he (HArris) was opposed to the system being
carried any FURTHERMORE vas the time 70 stop-oaF
bonds had deprecated, and similar reasons He
closed his hour and half BY sgAin euiogizing his
great national democracy. and an effort to lug in
the Unions vifai issue. she slavery question lie
sat down without producing any marked effect The
sag NIGHTS tried TO trump up some applause OF
course, but the effort was feeble. They stood their
ground ioleraby weil-some with eomplAeent coan-
tenanees while others exhibited 20 iade uneasiness
The leaders were fitting through The croHd urgiHs
them 20 applaud, feeling eon6dens shas Harris had
him, for, a. the Usiea had aid shAs u seei twas
psssumpdOa ID the ssehool. boy % undsFsaks the