Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-02
SYNOPSIS OF GOV. JONES SPEECH


screen High" temporary stand withs having
been prepared under the shade Of the large oaks
near the tenements occupied by boarders. Assem-
bled under this shade, and in the galleries there
were between four and five hundred ladies and gen.
temen. The Governor mounted the stand at II o.
clock, and spoke substantially as follOws;]
FELLoy Citizens: am no stranger to you, and
need no introduction as TO who and what am. I
am here to-day. by invitation, to address you,
the political issues Of the day. Shall do So not as
azeaIot partisan for the days OF my idostry in poll
tics have passed lam here as an American free
man to speak to American freemen, on topics which
concern our common welfare.
r. has been said that il outrage upon my past
character and course that a whig, should be here
to-day, speaking, shall speak. But hon an oalt.
rage? ! am as | have been, an Old Line Wing and
have right to be heard by wings. l have been
denounced as a traitor and as a deserter, and the
biterest vtuperation has been heaped upon me but
l shall not return it in kind l denounce error
and condemn it, call it by what name you will.
But wherein have proven traitor? In what con-
sists my desertion2 | challenge the exhibition of
single principle, one solitary measure of the old
whig party that have abandoned The desertion,
the abandonment, have been the part of those
who usurp the right to prescribe how and others
shall think and act in the political relations
which they themselves have created. GGov. Jones
here took up copy of handful which had been ex-
tensively posted up about LaGrange, on which were
set forth in uxta position extracts from speech of
his in 1874 in which he said very hard and bitter
things against the democratic party with others of
more recent date favorable to the election Of Mr.
Buchanan Here, he said, lisa specimen of the war
these new born politicians wage. They doubtless
thought it would be terrible exposure of nconsis
tency. What does it amount to: Why, that have
warred heartily against the democratic party. In
4
against it. What then? Why, at the worst, that
thought badly at that time of democracy. If the lit
tie fellows who got up this device had applied to me-
| could have furnished them with stronger eviden-
ces than this that, under the then circumstan
ces | thought and felt that the democratic party
against which 1 and the gallant party l was then
identified with, and which have never betrayed or
abandoned to go into a new organization, was bad
thing. So thinking and feeling, l spoke what 1
thought and felt, and have nothing to take back
So thinking and feeling, should speak again, under
the same circumstances, the frank and honest sem
timents of my mind.
But whatever may have thought or may now
think of democracy, am driven to choose between
1t, and Know Nothing Americanisn; and, bad as
democracy may be, Know Nothingism is a thousand
fold worse Powerless for aught but mischief can
not hesitate, and have not hesitated a whig,
patriot honest, frank man, to choose opera
lion with the democratic party and the Administration
Constitution against the assaults Of the hordes of
Abolitionism, a thousand times in preference to
amalgamation with the thing which assumes to be,
par excellence, Know Nothing Americanism.
Gov Jones said he had been invited to address
his the great political issues of the
day. He felt some embarrassment in responding
to the invitation for his judgment and that Of those
who had given shape and color to the canvass now
going on in the State differed very widely to what
are these great issues. In his judgment, there
great questions which the people of the United
States will be called upon to decide. Among them
the difficulties that environ the adjustment Of the
relation with Central America, our foreign diploma
cy in regard to it, and other issues which have sprung
up or may spring up in the course of progress,
with other nations-the means of uniting our pos
sessions the Atlantic and Pacific coast by Rail
road and thus fulfilling the duties of the Federal
Government-and others which he might mention
were questions of practical Importance.
But these, he said, not the questions in this
canvass. The great issues" offered in this can
yass by the know nothing Americans nearly as
he could understand them, were Distribution of
Public Lands and Alien Suffrage. These-overlyiRg
the deeper and more real issues upon which they
rested viz to get the democrats out and themselves
into ofice-consttuted the questions in controversy;
and, having accepted their invitation, he should
speak to them. In doing So he should speak plain
w. frankly and sincerely. He did not design to i'm
pugn persons, but should denounce error, leaving
the people, ana especially MS wing anu American
friends, to judge what he might say by its accor-
dance with truth. He should pander to mans
or set of mems prejudices let the consequences be
what they might. Retirement from public station
had no terror for him, and would bring with it no
unhappiness.
Gov Jones said he had never questioned the con-
stitutional power of Congress to distribute the pro-
ceeds of the sales of the public lands among the
States; but on the contrary, had constantly, every
suitable occasion, given his voice and his vote in
favor of the policy. If the power rested alone
with him, he would have established that
policy. But, said he, every man of intelli-
gence knows, that even before the disruption
of the old whig party by know nothingism, and
while it existed in strength to lend responsibility
to whatever it favored, that the country at large
had decided against the policy. The patriotic men
who led that noble party, had acquiesced for the
time in the decision which the voice of the people
had pronounced, as they had acquesced in another
question once earnestly advocated by them.
How is it, then, that it is now exhumed and made
one of the ''great issues" of the day, by a party
which, VIGOROUSLY, has infinitely less power to en-
graft it upon the policy of the Government, than
had the old whig party? l will tell you fellow
citizens, said Gov. Jones, Know Nothingism, or as
they now call ii, Americansm, having failed by its
hobby of antipopery, and its catch words of Amsri
cans rule America to install itself in the pop
uar regsrd-but finding itself going down continu-
ally, sought out for this a new issue. Mr.. Bell
got II up Ior Jnen, Dy MS Dill introduced IN the
Senate just three days before headjournment, when
it would have been impossible for it to have been
passed into law, even if a majority of both houses
had been in its favor But every man, woman and
child in the land knous that there is no earthly
chance of its receiving the sanction of Congress.
A large and overwhelming majority Of the United
States Senate opposed to it, while in the House
of Representatives there now representatives
of the party which puts forward this great ISSUE
which you and l. my old wing friends, are now
commanded by know -nothingism to espOuse, or be
denounced traitors and deserters-just tloo mem
6ers! Suppose you give to them the entire delega-
ton from Tennessee, and the delegation of every
State yet to elect members of Congress, and they
would still have ''cOrpOrals guard, with which
to accomplish the measure. Under these circum-
stances, | appeal to the common sense and candor
of every man who hears me, if the effort now ma
king to make choice of our Congressman and State
officers depend upon the advocacy Of the policy of
Distribution, is not unmitigated humbug. They
knoU that they can do nothing toward promo
ting it, and the question has been dug up and thrown
into the for the sole and exclusive purpose
of escaping from the responsibilities of the former
monstrosties of the party, and of getting into Of
fee upon one of the old wing issues which they said
heretofore was dead. 1t is bald, transparent
piece of humbug
Their other 'great ISSUE" said Gov. Jones, is not
bit better. What is meant by opposition to Alien
Suffragef 1t is that man shall not vote until he