The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-05-06
The opening Of the Canvass.

The Opening of the Canvass.
We extract the subioined account Of
the opening Of the aubcrnatorial canvass
in Nashville. on the I'd, ffom the Daily
News. journal which is independent
in politics, as being more impartial than
may be found in the party papers
II will be observed that the News only
speaks of the merits ofthe two, candidates,
as debates:
TBK SrEAxISe YEsrrRpAY.-The candi-
dates for Governor yesterday opened a
three months canvass in this city. Gov.
Harris opened the speaking ct IL o'clock
in the Hall Of Representatives in the Capt.
tol, and that large room was crowded from
floor to ceiling. and all present listened to
the opening address, with that attention
which the merits of the speech itself, as
well as the position Of the speaker, de
manded. We believe that Gov. Harris,
during the time he was speaking-nn
hour and half--had the undivided at
tention of all men of both parties. Our
democratic friends profess to be well sat
isfed with his effort on this occasion.-
We had never heard him before, and
were prepared. from what we had heard.
TO expect a more compact and argumenta-
tive effort than the one we listened to
with so much attention. We are perfect
" sincere when we say that he by no
means filled our idea of his power as a
debstor. His political friends though. as
we said. profess 10 regard the speech with
decided favor, and to believe that he sta
ted the issues of the canvass with great
clearness and force lfthey srs satisfied
with him. we are candidly of the belief
that the opposite party have very little to
be dissatisfied with.
At the conclusion Of Gov. Harris's
speech, Col. Netherland. the Opposition
candidate. arose amid the most deafening
and prolonged applause. to reply. High
as were the expectations of his friends
and they were so high that very warm
and sensible friend Of his. from East Ten
nessee, said to Us, on the morning be-
fore the speaking. that he was afraid that
his friends here had raised the expecta-
ton 100 high--he fully met them all, and
more than justified the good opinions of
} those who had nominated him. The at
tention throughout his speech was marked
and decided; and any one accustomed to
reading the face of crowds of people could
see with half an eye that Netherland had
the decided sympathies of that vast audi
tory. His speech, we repeat, was all that
friends expected or desired. We speak
what we know by personal observation
and conversation with multitudes of peo-
pie after the speaking, that Netherlands
friends were all delighted with the result
rof his effort
Gov. Harris, when he came to reioin,
was encouraged and animated by his
friends. with repeated rounds of applause,
and aside from the very evident fact that
he was not in an amiable humor, he made
very good speech of half an hour, which
seemed to revive the dropping spirits of
his friends.
Col Netherlands reply was greeted by
round after round of applause, and was
conceived and uttered in the best taste
and the most imperturbable good humor
i'm which quality he seems to abound
Everything passed off pleasantly, and we
confidently expect to see one of the most
courteous canvasses ever known in Ten
nessee.
We make no effort to state the SUBJ
stance of the speeches, for the simple rea-
son that the limits of this article forbid
such'a thing. We leave the statement of
the positions assumed by the two cham
pions to the party press. We will only
add that there is a manly directness
about Col. Netherland which will win for
him troops Of friends wherever he may 60
The AcQuIrTAL OF Hon. ID. Z. SIcKLEs--
An exchange, announcing the acquittal
of Sickles, remarks: This result was ex-
pected, and must be approved by the
great mass of the people. Key deserved
death, and he received it, as he should
have received it, from the hands of the
man he had betrayed and dishonored.-
Death to the seducer is and should be
the unwritten law, higher and more GER
tain Of execution than written codes
The poisonous reptile, the rabid dog, the
stealthy assassin, do no more merit swift
destruction, than the villain who corrupts
and defiles the purity Of woman, and
blasts the hopes and happiness of the
Inconsistencies.
JAMES GuTnRIE.-Guthries presidential
prospects are going up like an eagle, but
they will come down like a bull-bat. The
higher he ascends the more conspicuous
become his faults. No man, says the
Louisville Journal, can carry the load OF
the Pierce Administration on his shout
ders and make the presidential race with
out being distanced. No man who had
any agency in the removal of Collector
Bronson, of New York, because he would
not appoint Free-soilers and Abolitionists
to Office, can be put on the track without
creating''a manifest spirit of insubordi-
nation" in the ranks. We do not know
a more vulnerable politician than Mr..
Guthrie would be in the house of his own
friends.
POINTED AND FoRcIBLE-The following
remarks. of the Memphis Bulletin are
true, pointed, and forcible, and we COM
mend them to the special attention of
Democratic editors and politicians:
"The Democracy assault the Opposi-
ton with characteristic fury. 1t is inter
I estipg to inquire for what it is that these
yindictive assaults are made. Is it for op-
posing the Administration? If SO, thew
assail the Opposition for opposing what
they dare not themselves endorse. What
would they have US do? If we should
ljoin their own Administration party, that
would not please them. If we should
join them, We would not please their own
Administration. If we should Join the
Davis and Brown wing of the Democracy,
we should displease the Douglas wing, and
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