The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1869-12-04
A.P. vVaddeII, yVna. IA, NOrment,
z. EE. Clinton and others.

Es
GENTLEMEN Your call in the BOLIVAR
BULLErIs, Of the 9th ult, together with other
personal appeals and petitions, in writing, re
guessing me to allow my name to be used as
candidate to represent you in the Constitu-
tional Convention, soon to assemble in Ten
nessee, have been duly considered. And
in reply, after thanking you for she honor,
I can but say that my business demands my
constant attention, and besides, am not an
aspiranJ for political fayors These consid-
erations would have induced me percmto-
rily to decline your call, but for the re-
membrance that the people of this county,
since the late war when ! returned among
you, houseess and in debt, haze, By their
generous patronage enabled me to discharge
my indebtedness and secure home for my
children; and now in gratitude, am viii
ling to render you whatever service | may
be able, though it involve a personal sac
rifce
Therefore, with great distrust Of my abili
ty, but with an earnest desire TO secure yonr
interests, l will accept your call, subject
however to the approval of a Convention Of
the people Of this county. and hope, when
YOU are met in Convention you may be able
to find a man who can better represent you
than I, for We are as a people II a critical
situation and perhaps the Convention which
ia to assemble to form Constitution IS the
most important body which has met togeth-
er since the organization Of TENNESSEE Dis
tracted in policy, this State has since the
late war been managed By persons franti-
caIlY bent on foisting upon the people their
peculiar political views They have taxed
a large portion of our citizens and oompou-
ed them to bear the burd .ns, while at the
same time they have denied them their birth
right Of representation. They have given
the elective franchise to the negroes of the |
State, and at the same time declare they
shall pay no poN taxes. They have squan-
dered the school fund and left the poor
children Of the State without . dollar of the
monies so sacredIy set apart for their educa-
ton An now by an enormous tax upon an
already over burdened people, they propose
TO supply from their pockets Immediately
the fund they have stolen. They have filled
the State with class legislation, giving i'm
portant and exclusive privileges to one class
Of citizens, and ruthlessly taking away the
rights Of others.
Indeed, they have, during the short time
they misruIed our State with p reckless
rudeness which is horrible broken down
the landmarks which our fathers in their
wisdom established bankruptad the State,
destroyed its credit at home and abroad
Prostituted the Judiciary to their ignoble
purposes, add by iniquitous acts and an ap-
pointing power exercised in defiance of
Constitution they had sworn to support,
changed it from mighty buiwark Of pro
lection to a terrible engine Of oppression
and wrong.
Not only this, bat a hastily assembled
body of mere adventurers, who never had
learned to obey just law much less to make
one, laid violent hands on the Constitution
itself and by pretended amendments, politi-
cal statutes, class laws and unequal taxation /
impaired its power insomuch that the grand
truths enunciated therein have been forgot /.
ten in the confusion and almost buried in .
the general wreck
But my counrrymen, let us hope that the /
night of disorder and anarchy is at an end,
and the day OF our deliverance at hand. +
And now as We are once more allowed as q
free people 20 meet in Convention let Us .
put aside all vain wranglings and dissensions,
and come up in one united and peaceful (
body, and with soberness and fIial tender
ness gather together the broken fragments
of our mutilated Constitution-the rich leg
acy of our fathers, and with such amend
ments, as experience may suggest and wis
dom approve, again establish it in the prin-
ciPlcs Of justice, equality and truth, so that
our people having it as a great rock upon
which to found the future honor and glory Of
our noble State, may never again be forced .
to build on the shifting sands Of compro-
mise or emaseulating policy; and thereby
make it manifest to the world that we are
not unworthy sons Of noble sires With
my best wishes for your good, whoever may
be your standard bearer in the Constitutions
al Convention, [ remain. your grateful ser .
want JAmEs FExTREss.