Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-29

gether as one in faith-a unity in the sup
! port OF the Administration.
Inc place selected for the meeting, was
about one mile out on the Woodbury. pike,
IN beautiful grove. From an early hour
: In the morning. till twelve o'clock, one in
eessant stream poured in from Gallatin and
the surrounding country. The roads in
every direction were lined with omnibuses.
? hacks, carriages, buggies, etc, freighted with
enthusiastic supporters of the great cham
piOn Of the Constitution. A procession was
formed In town, headed by national fac
: which marched to the grove where the meet
ing was to take place, and was the signal for
the commencement of the exercises.
Judge BARRY was requested to act as Presi-
! dent Of the meeting. On taking the chair
he said that ne was proud to appear before
the people of Sumner, than whom nobler
citizens were not known. 1t was true that
they had been accused of being rebellious
but the SANDER came from irresponsible
sources,-that he knew that those who stood
before him were loyal to the general govern
ment He said that there were two parties.
one of these parties was disposed to tyran-
ize over the other, and was endeavoring to
deprive 5000, 900 of people in the unrepre-
scented States of their rights President
JOHNSON, the leader of the Conservative
element, espouses their rights and says, that
they must be respected as citizens Of the
United States and treated with every con-
sideration as such. In this he shows him
self the true exponent of the government.
The disunionists of the government are
STEVENS and SUMNER, and their followers.
They are the disorganizers-thosew who for
party gain and preferment will sacrifice every
constitutional principle
Before taking his seat he mGde the follow
ing nominations for Vice Presidents which
were unanimously elected: Capt Robert
A. Bennett, Col. Baxter Smith, Thos Z.
Douglass and DR.. J. s. Dyer. On motion,
Col. Thos. Boyers of the Gallatin Eranj-
aer, NJ. r. Brooks of the Nashville Dis
patch, and B. G. Manard of the UNION AND
AMERICAN were added to the list. The
three latter were appointed Secretaries. On
motion a committee of three were appointed
to draft resolutions appropriate to the occa-
sion. Maj. Glover, Col. A. n. VIM, J.
h. A. TOmpkins were requested to act as
such committee.
u In the absence of the committee. Hon.
JAMES w. HENDERSON, formerly Lieut..
Governor of Texas, was introduced to the
audience. He said that the political princi-
Piles that agitated the country in 1880 had
at last been put to the test and decided upon,
from which decision there was no appeal
As to the people of his State, (TexasJ he
would say that they recognized the fact
and all they now claimed was their consti-
tutlonal rights. The vast gathering of the
people here to-day have for their purpose
the restoration of the Government to its
! former status. The Presidents policy re-
stores them to such status. He holds, and
very consistently, that the Southern States
have never been out of the Union. Had
this policy been adopted there would have
been no dissensions, none of the i'll feeling
that now pervades the country. Should
President JOHNSON finally fail in carrying
out his restoration policy, constitutional
liberty is at end.
He said that the people of Tennessee had
1t in their power to arrest the entertainments
of tyrannical legislatiOn-that such men as
| Hon. BALE PEYTON, Gov. CAMPBELL, and
| other such spirits in the State, should can
vass each county and arouse the people to
/ the proper appreciation of the wrongs that
were being inflicted upon them. 1t was hui
initiating to behold Tennessee-once the
| pride of the nation-the "Volunteer State.D
now controlled by a set of men who never
had any individuality of character-we1e not
known as statesmen or politicians. 1t was
the duty of Tennesseans to use their utmost
| efforts to remove those men-men who are
| seeking to make slaves of them. In order to
| do this, meetings should be held-resolutions
adopted, irrespective of party or sectional
feeling.
He was followed by Col LAUCK, formerly
of the Federal army. He said that he had
concluded, on emigrating from Kentucky
to Gallatin, to never appear before the peO-
pie again in public capacity. But as many
citizens of Sumner county had urged him to
address the people, thinking that some good
might result from his doing sO-as he had
been a Federal officer-he had concluded
to do so.
He said that he was warm supporter of
President JOHNSON, and recognized in his
restoration policy the only method of true
Cancellation, and a resumption of the sold
order Of things" He was only waking the
same path-followiEg the same landmarks,
that JEFFERSON, MADISON, and others of our
| fore-fathers enunciated. In 1920 an effort
was made to trample down these great con-
stitutional pillars, but the voice of CLAY
stayed the strife until 1861. Had the spirits
of that day lived in this, the war would
never had taken place-no such dissensions
| and dlstrust would exist as does. Every
man could lay down in quiet-unity and
| concord would prevail throughout the whole
country. But it seems that we are about to
initiate the example of other republics that
passed away. Is it possible that despots
must rule this government? Must our re-
publican form of government share the fate
| of others that are numbered with the past
God forbid. But where is the remedy =? 1t is
in the hands of the people. A plan was
submitted by President JOHNSON by which
the government could be sustained and per-
petuated.
This plan or principle he enunciated at
the close OF the war, and was his theme be-
fore he was made President. al will re-
member his warm support of the CRTTTEN-
DON resolutions, that the States in rebellion
were out of the Union by the criminal
conduct of their citizens, and that the war
was not waged to conquer, but to restore the !
Union. He said to the States to re-organ-
ize and that they should be restored to their |
former relations. South Carolina took the |
lead and was followed by others. The re-
suit is known. They had complied with the |
spirit of the Constitution, but a party had |
prevented the operation of the legitimate |
principles of the Government Who is to /
blame for the disorganized state of the coun- |
try, occurring from these insurrectionary pro-
ceedings? Not the people of the States /
lately in rebellion, but those who refuse to /
allow them to resume their former legiti- /
mate relations. Congress refuses to let Presi- |
dent JoHsoN exercise the powers that the |
Constitution guarantees to him. They APP /
point committee to set in judgement as to
the privileges of eleven States Of the Union
exercising the functions ofthe Chief Magis-
trate-an assumption without precedent, an
outrage on the American people.
The committee was appointed for no other /
purpose than to keep eleven sovereign States |
from participating in the councils of the |
nation; to say when they should be admit |
ted again into the Union, when they have |
never really been out. l repeat that the /
criminal conduct of the people did not sever
the States from the Federal Union.
l am forced to confess, and l am consci- |
entious in the belief that if the Government |
if ever restored to its former status of peace /
and unity it viii be upon the principles of !
President JOHNsON's restoration policy. If |
this fails, destruction and anarchy will |
triumph.
At the conclusion of his address, the COM
mittee appointed to draft resolutions, sub |
mitted the following which were unanimous
ly adopted: