The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1860-09-21
Polk County.


dressed the people at Benton last Mon
day. Maj Key opened the debate, Mr..
Bridges followed, and Mr. Caldwell |
closed. There was an unusually large |
crowd present. We heard Mr.. Caldwell's !
speech highly spoken of, not only by his
political friends. but by members Of the
other parties. For ourse.f, we have heard
him on several occasions, and we are con-
fident no one could have been selected
who would have conducted the work
better, or rendered the cause more eff
cient service. There Is straightforward
ness and force about his speeches which
carry conviction with them, even to
minds most bitterly opposed to the
principles advocated. We know the
kard-pan character of the material of
which the dominant party in Polk is
composed, but we are sincere in the opn-
ion that the Union ticket will be voted
for by no small number of democrats in
editor of the Banner, and few of his
kidney, who think every one ought TO
follow them in their gyrations and somer-
saultng, will ridicule the idea of Polk
or Meigs county democrat voting any
other way than for the democratic nomi.
nee. But it must oe borne in mind that
there is no democratic nominee for the
Presidency. None at all, and we have
the highest authority for saying So
President Buchanan announced the fact.
with becoming solennity, from the steps
of the Capitol at Washington some weeks
ago, and Col. Sam. a. Smith reiterated it
from the hastings at Benton last Tues
day. Mr.. Buchanan said all democrats
were, under such state of things, free
to vote for whomsoever they please. Col.
Smith intended to say so, but we presume
forgot it, as he unfortunately said good
many things he ought not to have said,
and left unsaid q great many that might
have very appropriately been mentioned.
Then, there being no regularly nominated
democratic candidate in the field, and
seeing the lamentable and dangerous
condition into which partyism, and sec
! tionalism, and fanatcism have brought the
government and the country, it is fair to
conclude that there are hundreds of DEM
ocrats everywhere who will rally to the
support of the Union ticket, and uphold
| the laws and the Constitution. We GER
| tainly don't over estimate either their in
telligence or patriotism in the expression
of such belief.
About the time Court adjourned for
diner on Tuesday, Col. Sam. A. Smith
appeared and had it announced that he
would make a speech, which he proceed
ed to do in his way. But ii wasn't much
of speech, at least what we heard of it.
sam is rusty in polit.cs-badly posted on
the facts, and is laboring under the de-
| fusion that he is still member to Con-
gress from the Third District of Tcnnes-
see. We understood him to say that Mr..
Bell had always affiliated with the Black
Republicans, and that he had voted to
abolish slavery in the District of Column
hia--chargcs which need no contradiction
His attempted history of the difficulties
at Charleston and Baltimore were q batch
of misapprchcnsions and inaccuracies
Sans apostropho over the grave of the
democratic party was quite affecting
He said it was not dead bur elept-that
the angel would come and roll away III"
stone from the scpulclmc. and the body
would rise again in brighter and more
untading brilliancv. The Breckinrilgcrs
are quite fond Of those sort Of illu~tra-
tons. When fcller is badly sick, if lie
has ever read any scripture some of it's
passages or illusions are mighty apt to
come up in his mind. The democratic
party may be raised again from the grave
into which Yancey and his people con-
signed it, but we are afraid there is no
such hope for our friend Samucl-the
Witch of Endor herself could not set
him on his pegs again. Col. Blizzard, Of
this place, II friend and supporter Of
Judge Douglas, replied to Mr.. Smith
and was tightening the ex-member's era
vat with a good deal of vigor and energy
when we left.
gsS" The Breckenridge speakers and
Oaporc II, tI,. Stnta lanai, Il 4; l. /