Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-26
ETHERIDGE..
A Speech from the Great Ora
tor of West Tennessee.
He Is not In Favor OF Entire
(. Reputation.
He viii Redeem Ills Promises,
but does not Believe In
Universal Suffrage.

Inc clLlZenS Ol DahSt vile, ULLl
burgh in Haywood County, near tn,
dividing line between Fayette and Hay
wood, delighted at the result Of the late
election. gave barbecue on the 10TH
inst, at which a very large crowd at
tended. Hon. Emerson Etheridge was
present by invitation, and addressed the
crowd. We copy the Memphis Appeals
report of his speech, as follows:
sPEECH'oF MR.. ETHERIDGE.
| After returning thanks for the honor
of the invitation, which even after re-.
fusal was persistently forced upon him,
Mr.. Etheridge said that it was then nine
years since he had addressed the. people
of Haywood county. These years, he
said, furnished pratical craftsmanship,
its most difficult problem, and added to
the worlds history its most sublime
pages. Any review of this time should
be from the standpoint most free from
prejudices and passion, and should be
made with the sole purpose Of perpetu,
ating that truth which alone is the fair
and lawful aim of all impartial inquiry,
and which gives US that provision that
enables us to know the truth and avoid
the error which lies beyond. These
years, long and weary though they have
been, have given US the best of teachers
experience, and we have witnessed
events which will seem fabulous to pos
terity and shared in the hardships which
are naturally attendant upon the over
throw Of old established systems of
government. We stand, said ~ speaker,
to-day on an initial point in new era
point upon the outer verge Of two great
historical cycles, one in which a complete
past will shortly be recorded, the other
the beginning of great and glorious
future. The question for US to decide
is, what shall we carry with US in bid
ding adieu to the past to which we have
so long adhered ? Shall we cling only
to the dogmas and teachings of the new
apostles, or shall we follow the teach
ings Of that greatest of the Apostles, and
hold fast only to that which is good /,
as far as | am concerned, would avail
myself of the examples and lights afford
ed us by history, and cling to those well
established principles which have
proved fundamentally necessary, at
every step in the worlds pro-
gress. In all ages man has eyineed the
greatest possible solicitude for the safety
and existence of his form of government,
from the rudest fetichism to the most
polished civilization. Why all these san
culinary wars and waste of human life?
With all of them we are no nearer the
truth, or the goal of perfection than
Aristotle was two thousand years ago.
1t is not because all theories of govern,
ment are erroneous. This can not be.
No, it is because mankind have failed to
recognize the fact that government is q 1
progressive science, and that what is best
for one generation, will not snit another
and a later period with another charac-
ter Of surroundings, and with different
ideas. Ideas govern the world, and
ideas are influenced by what surrounds
them, consequently all communities left
to themselves will settle down upon that
principle of government best suited to
them and their wants. No teaching of
history is truer than that form Of govs
eminent, or system of religion, forced
upon people, or sustained by the sword,
becomes odious. History is full Of ex-
amples to prove this. The ancient re-
publics tried the experiment, and with
what result -? Nothing now is known Of
them except that they were failure and
that the descendants of the men whom
they wished to subdue have built up
great governments on the soil that was
once the abode of their oppressor. Russia
with her mighty power has tried the ex-
pertinent, and to-day the slumbers of
Vesuvius are not more illusory than the
quiet that low reigns in Warsaw. Un-
happy Ireland, which for two centuries
has been under the iron heel of the
oppressor-he people have never forgot>
ten that they were Irishmen, the de-
scendants Of Celts. Persecution has seats
tered them throughout the world, but
under all circumstances they have chung
to their country and their religion with
a heroism that even bigotry must adj
mire.
The speaker then spoke of Cuba, strug.
Cling for freedom, because denied for
centuries representation in the Spanish
Cortes. "The whole history" said he,
"of the AnglosSaxon race is one exem-
plifcation Of the doctrine-from the mos
ment of the signing of the Magma Char
ter at Runnymede to the present day.
The experiment Of attempting to rule
without the consent of the people Of
England, has been tried again and again,
and ever failed. They have never for
one moment endured it. Welded to
limited monarchy, they have never failed
to hurl from their thrones and overturn
any dynaaty that dared attempt it.
Glance at the history of the Norman
Princes, of the Tudors, and of the other
lines of English princes. You wonder
how they did this thing. The minute
that usurpations were attempted, the
usurpers were brought to the block, and
their heads paid the penalty. This earned
for the English people the name of the
King-killers OF the world. Look at
Cromwell. He was a usurper, but for all
that he was the greatest of Christian
princes at the time. He made England
illustrious throughout the ends of the
earth, and under his government the
Protestants dare worship after their own
manner, under every government in the
world. But with all this, what happened?
Englishmen and Americans do not love
even a good government forced upon
them. He died, and his remains were
inferred in Westminster Abby (fOr l
believe Cromwell was buried there) In
less than six months his son Richard was
compelled to relinquish the reins of
power, and the son Of the beheaded
Charles was recalled from exile. There
never was seen in England such gala
day as that on which the returning
Prince landed at Dover on his way to
Whitehall. Elizabeth seated on her pals
frey in sight Of the ruined and wrecked
Spanish armad a, created no such enthu-
| siasm.
The speaker, in glowing words, dwelt
upon the Joy of England at the restora-
| ton, and quoted Macaulsy's famous para
graphs in regard to Charles. He depicted
the career of Charles and his sudden
death; he then passed to James ii. He,
said he, attempted to rule England like
Brownlow did Tennessee. Loyal militia
were quartered on HOunslow heath, and
he attempted to overturn England's old
traditions. What became of him you
who are readers of history all know. He
was hurled from the throne and driven
into exile, and from that day to this he
has been known as "the Pretender."
Gentlemen, that experiment has been
tried much nearer our day, and much
nearer home. One William-not William
lst, nor William %, but William will
not call names, but his second name be-
gins with a G., and the last word is