The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-25

We had, on Friday last, the qualification
of listening to the discussion of the issues
involved in the present canvass in Tennes-
see, by Gov. Harris and the Hon. Mr.. Meth :.
erland, the rival candidates for Governor
The encounter between the champions of
the two parties forcibly reminded one of the
descriptions of combat between the 1.-the
and agile Arabian knight and the athletic
and sturdy Crusader Gov Harris, the pres
ent incumbent and Administration candidate
for Governor, is an acute, adroit party lead
nervous, animated, and brilliant speak
er. He is skillful debater, with tact to
avail himself of all the prejudices of parti-
zans, and shrewdness enough to avoid the
tight places in the controversy by the most
artful lodges.
His competitor, Mr.. Netherland, is from
the mountains of East Tennessee, where he
was born and reared among q primitive,
simple, and hardy population, who-their
fayorite candidate says-do everything in
plain, straightforward way, and speak in
plain, Tennessee, mountain dialect which
has no other beauty but its power to con-
vey homely truths and express mans hon.
est sentiments. Never having been per-
verted to the service of falsehood, or used as
blind for mems thoughts, it has no adapt
alton fer any such purposes. Col. Neither
Iand, who is good representative in per-
son, manners, and mind, of the region TO
which he belongs, used this plain Tennessee
English-as he called it-as q weapon of de-
bate, in a kind of sledge hammer style, that
smashed up every point of his opponent
that he hit But he did not seem to feel it
necessary,to exhaust his armory of itsammu-
milton, or he had not stored it with the body
of facts which the field of discussion en-
braced and which he could have hurled by
his overpowering strength at his opponent
and crushed him. He left him-though wor-
ried and discomftted-not seriously wound
ed, and with sufficient strength to renew the
combat with vigor.
The merit of such efforts is not to be
Judged by their real worth and ability, but
this respect the champions are well matched /;
though as different as possible in character
and style, each of their speeches sways a
class of auditors, about equal in numbers in
every community. The principal State is
sue is the question ofre-chartering the banks.
Gov. Harris, the Democratic candidate,
maintains the hard money doctrines of his
party, though, when speaking in commercial
places, he mobiles his views by protesting
to be willing to tolerate banks under sys-
TEN of restrictions, which, if applied practi-
cally, would destroy them. His opponent
takes the more popular and rational position
that banks are a commercial necessity; thai
if we do not organize legitimate ones, we
shall, inevitably, have spurious ones and
the wisest course is to organize them under
such restrictions as to make them as safe to
the community as the nature of the bushes:
will permit.
In Federal politics, he only subject o.
discussion is the extravaganza and corrup-
ton of the Administration. Gov. Harris
chief efforts are to "ring in the " niggei
question upon his opponent. But the lat
ter says that matter has been humbu.
from the beginning to Brighten the Soutl
into the arms of Democracy; that it is
settled question: dead issue and to prov
if, he quotes the resolutions of differen
Democratic State Conventions in Tennessee
in which the Democratic party of the Stat
have declared the question finally settled {
its entire satisfaction, snce by the compro
mise measures of 1851, and then again
was put to rest, in a manner never TO be re
vived, in the opinion of Tennessee DemoC
racy, by the bred Scott decision
Col. Netherland declares there is no dan
ger to the slave interests. That species {
property was never more secure or so valua
Die as at present. The constitutional right
of the slave holder are fully recognized, an
the laws for his protection are faithfully c,
ecuted, as far as it is practicable, in ever
part of the Union. He therefore refuses
aid the unprincipled designs of the Admir-
istratiOn party in keeping up the pestifero'
slavery agitation by debating the subject
The Opposition party of Tennessee, he say
have as much adherence of abclitionist
and as little sympathy with ultra Republi
canism in the North, as the adherents
James Buchanan i'm Tennessee. The formi
proclaim a system of sound constitution:
doctrines and conservative views, in whic
the patriotic and moderate men OF all pa
ties, in all sections, can heartily unite f
the preservation Of the constitution and ii
.--------., -.s...N.@, 49,