Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-01
RECEPTION OF THE HON. EN-
ERSON ETHERIDGE.
Rainy and DiSagreeable Day.
The Procession Abandoned.
Demonstration by the COlOred
Democracy.
Speech Of Mr.. Etheridge at the
Capitol.

The different Democratic Clubs of the
city and country had made preparation
for grand demonstration yesterday, but
the day was so unpropiLious that it was
deemed advisable to abandon the idea of
having a procession. Rain had been fall
ing nearly all the time the night previous,
and continued until 9 O'Clock yesterday
morning, and the streets were consequently
in a very muddy condition. Notwith-
standing the disagreeable weather, howey-
err, the streets were crowded with people
from the country, and had the Marshals
determined to proceed with the demonstra-
ton, there would have been a large turn
out and imposing display.
Some of the colored Democratic Clubs
were not disposed TO give it up 80, Mr..
Brown. Quite large number procured
horses, and under the direction of Ed.
Golf, Marshal, they proceeded to Broad
street, and formed into line, and headed by
brass band in a wagon, they marched
through the principal streets. Several
wagons were procured, and other members
of the colored clubs filled them up and
wheeled into line. The procession halted
at the St. Cloud Hotel, where the commit
tee of escort, in company with Mr.. Esth-
eridge, in carriages, took the head of the
procession, and proceeded to the Capitol,
where large crowd had already assembled,
and very soon after Mr.. Etheridge had en-
tered, the hall of the House of Representa-
tives was crowded to its utmost capacity.
Col. John C. Burcb, before introducing
the speaker, spoke as follows:
My friends: We are here to-day for The
| purpose of hearing the questions which
divide our country, discussed. 1t may be
that they are familiar to you all, but it has
been thought proper by the Democracy of
Davidson county to invite you here, for the
purpose of hearing from him, gentleman
well-known in this city and indeed a ma
tional man, a man who, when the spirit of
secession spread like a storm over this
State, stood almost solitary and alone in
opposition to it; man who when seces-
sion had bowed before the conquering
power, and when that conquering power
had usurped the powers of tyranny, then
stood almost solitary and alone against
that usurping power; when all before Us
was dark and gloomy; when the hosts of
oppression were marshalling on every side
to crush US still deeper in the earth, that
man, who had opposed a majority of the
people Of the State in their efforts to
lead the State into oppression, then
rose with a spirit of freedom in defense of
those people whom he had opposed for more
than four long years. That man was En-
erson Etheridge. Loud cheering.l He
is here to-day to speak for himself, familiar
with the troubles of the wars, familiar with
the difficulties which surrounded the Fed
eral flag during the four years that this
country was delugod in war, familiar with
the new regime, familiar with the politics
of the country either by observation, eIpe-
rience or reading, from the day Of its foun-
dation to the present day; the man who
stands when others shrink; the man who
when others seemed to crouch beneath ty-
ranny and despotism, then rose in his
might and said, these people are my peo-
pie, their rights are my rights, strike them
and you strike me; l am here 20 defend
them because in attacking them, you attack
the rights which are given me under the
Constitution" That man was our distin-
guished friend, Emerson Etheridge.
Applause He and l differed during
the war, but when the government that |
thought was my government, drew down
its flag, trailed its bayonet, | kneeled in
obedience to those whom | had been OPP
Nhav ha fhaf ha re
garded his government, the flag that he
followed, said that there should be peace
throughout the length and breadth of this
broad land, he in his magnanimity and in
obedience TO the dictates of this govern
ment, said there should be no longer war.
That man stands before you to-day, side by
side with me, to tell you the differences Of
the past, the differences Of the present, and
that which will lead to the future good of
the whole country. I ask you in the name
of peace and in the name of Democracy to
listen to him, and hear from him the
words of wisdom.
Mr.. Etheride then mounted the rostrum
and spoke as follows:
oW-CITIzESs: | thank the dis.
tinguished gentleman who has just spoken,
for the manly and patriotic sentiments he
has 30 well expressed. l likewise thank
you for this manifestation of your desire
for the return Of good government to the
people of our State. have met some of
you in other days when you were free
now behold you when most of You are
slaves. The great struggle of the present
hour, said the speaker, involved our dear
eat liberties In other times we pointed
with pride TO our hberties-to-day we have
military despotism. In olden times we
loved our land, we TeVered our rulers-but
now our dearest liberties are taken from us.
The ballot is lost TO you-that instrument
which makes tyrants tremble. All now is
ruin in this great commonwealth. 1t Is
turned into a pandemonium-a hell. We
demand of these tyrants the ballot, the
right of representation, our lost liberties.
1t is glorious to look back to other times
when We discussed great issues, glorious
questions This contest was noble when
compared with the present. Go back forty
or fifty years. You old men remember the
alien and seditiOu laws. 1t shocked pub
lie sensibility then, but now our bloody
laws shock humanity itself A few years
since, pure, religious woman was impli-
Gated by periurers in the assassination of
the President. She was placed in chains,
denied trial by jury, convicted by a mill
tary tribunal. Her daughter prayed for
her pardon at the Executive Mansion.
Preston King spurned her from the thres-
hold, but he now sleeps in a suicides
grave. Jim Lane, who also aided and
abetted in her death, blew out his own
brains. So ended these prosecutors of in
| nocenCe.
These military trials have been decided
to be unconstitutional, and these executions
were military murders, and yet the public
| sensibilities have not been shocked. We
have become used to this. Standing armies
in times gone by swept an administration
out Of existenCe-it was Objectionable to
the free people-but now We have an army
all over the country. Officers in bright.
uniforms parade and strut all over the land
| They are found everywhere. At the pre-.
| sent time robbery is the order of the day
| the official becomes the public Tobber. In
other times a National Bank became 30
obnoxious to the people, and so disgraceful
| 10 its action, that II was destroyed. But to-
day we have great monopolies, specializing
10 public land and robbing the people on
every side. With us, the men who govern
| rs pay no taxes; they, like corporations,
have no souls either to be saved or
damned. The great evil of our time is
the total disregard of fundamental princi-
Piles. But it often happens that these
things which concern us most we often ig-
more Thirty or forty years ago, our peo-
pie had nothing to do but to go forth in the
enjoyment of happiness. The Magma Char
ia is forgotten by all of US; yet this is the
fundamental plank in our Constitution.
| The petition of rights was Wrung from a