Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-24
CONFEDERkTE CROss AND STARRY
BANNER.


Soldiers Seymour and Blair Club
Meeting East Night-A Noble Talk
from Gen. DausOH'
TIE meeting 50 their new hall in the
fourth story Of the UNION AND DISPATCH
block last night, was largely attended.
President Cahill in the chair.
In che absence Of the Secretary, A.
Robertson, was appointed Secretary pro
tsa.
Consultations and bylaws Of the Club
were read and adopted.
The Secretary having arrived, the min
utes Of previous meeting we're read and
unanimously adopted.
President Cahill made short address,
after which the meeting was addressed BY
Gen. A. r. 2. Dawson, gallant soldier Of
the Federal army, as folIows'
FELLOW SOLDIERS: There are many
things / can do much better than making a
speech. Ii is very seldom have attempted
TO address any Of you in my life. When !
am talking to men who have periled their
lives on many Of the blood-siained battle
plains Of our land, | am talking 10 men
who, when they speak, speak in earnest.
am not party man. True, | had my pre-
ference in politics in years gone by. But
now politics have become something so
corrupt, that men must examine carefully
and see what is right, what is going TO sub
serve the interest Of the people and of the
country, without looking 10 political matters.
Il we iiad our party right and the other
wrong, we should support the right and for
sake the wrong. consider the United States
Of America as my country. was soldie 7
Of the Northern army and served for the
United States government. l believe that
Won Of the South were sincere iB fighting
on the other side, and | believe that you
were mistaken. And | also believe that
there lives no true Federal soldier who
does not believe that YOU fought in good
faith. IApplause. | think there is no
man in whose bosom throbs love for the
Union of our fathers, no man who desires
10 show TO the old world that a great and
glorious republic can and UW eTiSt, to-day,
that cannot with a clear conscience welcome
the men who laid down their arms and de-
clared their allegiance for the United
States government never was a Demo-
crat before never in my life have voted
that ticket. There are two tickets pre-
scented TO me to-day, and l am asked Ia
vote for one Of them One Of them is
headed by Gen. u. S. Grant, the other by
Horatio Seymour, of New York. | chal-
lenge any Federal or Confederate soldier
to show one instance Of mistreating prison
ers al the front towards are always ty-
rants, and the towards mistreated the
prisoners. Brave men never did. [AI-
plause Under the laws Of the State OF
Tennessee the majority of the Confederate
soldiers cannot vote in the election. / trust
however, that you will have the right.
ana willing that they should vote after
submitting as peacefully as you have to
persecution and TO the laws Of the Legis-
lature Of the State. / am willing
to say that such true conduct
was never shown in the world. Great APP
plause We have in our midst a great
many men who are iDjuring the chances OF
the election ofSeymour and Blair. Those
men are not the men that fought for the
Federal or Confederate cause; they are the
men who stayed at home during the war
They are a revolutionary party in every
sense Of the word. In the State Of Tennes
see we cannot expect to look to carry th'
State for Seymour and Blair, unless thu
franchise law is repealed; but we can SCI
an example that will make great MAORI
ties in the Northern States. Every loya
man that is killed (2) in the Press ana
Times il two hundred and fifty by the tim'
il reaches the city of Cincinnati Gentle
men, have not been able 10 speak al
/ wish All | have to say TO you il, that
we must conduct ourselves as soldiers. We
know too we'll the "boys in gray" whom
we met, and know what they are made of
Great applause
The Committee on Constitution and By
Laws was discharged.
Motion TO elect five Vice Pr esidents pre-
vailed, and resulted ia the following Sc
lectionB Gen. A. r z. Dawson, Major
Tompkins, Robl. Mckenzie, Claiborne
Murray aud Terry Canal.
A Sergeant-at.Arms was elected
Col. Jno. Frizzell offered the following
resolution, which was carried without dis
senting voice in the midst Of loud cheering
Resolved, That while we deprecate and
despise the miserable and contemplate
despotism which the party in power in
Tennessee has imposed upon a majority OF
the white people Of the State; that while
we believe the franchise law Of Tennessee
to be not only oppressive and unjust, bnt
also unconstitutional and conseque nifty
void, still we san but feel that our best In
terests as a people demand that every body
in the State shall strictly obey the law I'M
til it shall be legally abrogated, and that
any attempt at forclble resistance, or any
violation Of laws, would be, in our opinion
improper and impolitic, and we pledge our
selves 20 do all IN our power To proven
any such result.
A committee was appointed to seleo
speakers for next meeting.
Adjourned.