Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-20
Co. DAVE SprNcr,s .rrrpu

We extract from the MurfreeebOr'
. Nes0s portions of the very pointed ant
s sensible letter of Col. d. II. C. Spence
: declining to be a candidate for State Sen
ator. Wepegret that our space does no
permit the Epaceso 1the5 entire letter, fpl
it is full of sensible suggestions all tht
way through- o C6L5 spence says: CO.
vlb We. have dOneidtnd can never do any
thing but harm, by the "d1nt of arms,
but by. intellectual moral force must we
as conouerors achieve nonr triumphs and
win our crowns. The time is at hand
when the anti radical strength of our peo-
2 b1el,he recent rebel element of Our
overwhelmed land, citizens, and soldiers,
must be rallied and united, and when duty
and decency demands that we discard the
irresponsible trimmers and trleksters of
the present political arena, who, armed
alone with the miserable floating vote.
have grown to imagine themselves terri
Die in their aggregated strength while
they are really only terrible in our sepa-
rated weakness. q fIeLrrlH NH a-s1 I
Then let US at once hest In the ever
kindled furnace of duty, glowing bands
of patriotic steel as it were, and let us
call forward the most skilled artizansl of
our camp, to rivet and bind US together for
all times, Wings, Democrats and Conserv-
atives so that when the cooling season of
inaction comes upon US hereafter, and the
chilled contraction of the metal comes on,
as it must and will, we win be bound only
closer and still closer together, for our
own and the eeuntry's good. I have met
and been happy with thousands of us
thus together, around the camp fires in
front OF the common enemy-no Demo
crat ever sneered az me there because j had
been Whig-Go Wig to the lasts
no Democrat was held as my enemy there
because of his honest faith in his party
there were no Wings, no Democrats then,
and thanked God then that so much en-
joyment was given me, as partial relief
for the disasters of war. ..-.., /
Let us at once stop dancing in trifling
office hunting orgies around the hiding
places of the miserable little gang of Rad
ical sQuatters and sneaks among us-whO /
have now only strength left to smile
ghastly smile of wonderment at their own
discontinue; and under chosen leaders !
leaders chosen for their fitness and their
fighting qualities in this new battle-liv-
ing men who are clearly alive to the stu
tion--the men of our counsels, gather up
all our strength and go forth armed and
united into the great national battle, and
be mustered together, shoulder to shoulder,
into the great Democratic army who are |
now organized in triumphing array at the
foot of the Radical throne, and whose |
battle cry we hear on every breeze, "Off |
with their headsl, sDown with Grant"
'Down with roguery!n .e'Down with |
Capitalization! "Down with taxation" |
'Down with disabilities" .-- |
These Northern Radicals with Congress
in their lead, have done us all our i'm |
measurable harm; against them should be |
all our vigorous fight; their down fall is |
our only safe triumph and we must organ-al
ize now, for the fight is on US and the en-
envy are already discounted. -a |
My, your, our great Democratic party |
is the live party of 1870-the only State
right party of 1S70--the party of Sey-
mour, and Hoffman, and Thurman, and |
Brooks, and Hendricks, and Brown, and |
Quarles, and Palmer and Stephens, and |
the good array of patriots and statesmen, |
whose names are familiar and friendly to |
us al-the great, strong party that now |
holds the Empire State of New York by |
10S,0 900 majority. Just here, an hon
ored and respected Wing friend-Who is |
old enough to be not only respected but |
prejudiced, demands to know why call |
our great party Democratic2 know no |
better answer than to ask in return, Why |
call me Dave Spence9 Simply because |
hot SC 7 har oNl
no other that can select would suit me |
as well (unless it would be Senator |
Spence, and that is no ''big thing on iee''
just now? y Please tell me, my old friend,
what would you name ii, if it was all |
yours to name? which it certainly is |
not, for there is not pouting old Wing |
in America to-day outside of Tennessee, |
and Tam glad of it. 30 ...-
If the Democratic tree bear good, |
healthy, pleasant fruit, why should any
seek to chop into its trunk, seeking some
fancied hollow If the Democratic well
brings to US wholesome water at our will,
why peer into its depths to inspect its
condition. There is no other fruit ripe
and ready to our hand-if we question |
and hesitate to drink the water, the cup |
will inevitably be dashed from our grasp
by watchful enemy, that we may be- |
come athirst and seek his well for water. |
No, my friends, let us henceforth eat |
and drink and ''dwen together in unity
let us not start anew the old principle |
that ''the Jews must have no dealings |
with the Samaritans," but on the other
hand let us rather follow fearless at the
funeral of antiquated usages and disas-
trous revenges, until we deposit them all
together, in the cemetery where the anti
bellum parties were buried with all the
hOnors of war.
But here l have. struck my favorite
hobby-to harmonic old Wings and
Demccrats-and must stop my untiring
pen, or l viii overtax your patience and
overwhelm the printer, for l understand
and expect this letter to be printed for
the " instruction of many"
/ hope the convention viii meet-will
meet as representatives of the whole peo-
ple-will show no signs or ear-marks of
latter day manipulation, and will spurn
any from its presence. tell you this
next Convention-the next Legislature
the next Congress--the next Governor
and the next President, seal our fate for
years, possibly for all time, and let every
citizen take his responsible share in put
ting forward representative men who can,
and will, and love to do right, and right
only, and because it is right Brains are
poor thing sometimes in mere candi-
date-not needed and not appreciated
but know nowhere they can be better
employed than in the council chambers of
the State and nation. They ought to be
specially well appreciated there just now,
for there they have been deviliSh scarce
for some time,