Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-09-21
THE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS.
Letter from lion. Horace Maynard.
KNOXVILLE, September 10, 1870.


ComB7iHc:
DEAR SIR: You, as the recognized organ
Of the Republican party in this Congress
sional District, have, at considerable pains,
consulted the people to know their senti-
ments in respect to my becoming a candi-
date for reelection Nothing but the gen
eral assent of our friends, unequivocally
expressed would justify me, or could in
duce me, to assume that attitude before
the District without formal nomination.
by convention called as usual. After
having visited the most of the fourteen
counties which compose the District, and
having conferred with persons from them
all, l feel at liberty to accept the numerous
published calls as fair expression of the
Republican sentiment and to offer myself
as a candidate for Representative in Con-
gress from this, the Second Congressional
District Of our State, at the election to be
holden on the Second Tuesday of Novem-
Der next.
While, if elected / shall endeavor, as /
have always el ldeavored, TO represent, ac-
cording to my AGILITY, the interests of all
the people of the District, of all parties and
crery shade of opinion; and while | shall
be grateful to receive, as / have heretofore
received, the support, of those who, in some
matters differ from me, however widely, ]
avow mysefdistinctively q Republican. TO
do less would be disingenuous. / am
Republican. And in making this dccara-
ton, trust ! shall be pardoned for con-
trasting the Republican and Democratic
parties, the only two political parties of the
country, and considering their relative
claims to popular support.
The Democratic party is no stranger.
For years we heard its boasts Of the long
continued control it had exercised over
public affairs. And when, having lost its
hold upon the confidence of the people,
and finding the Government about to pass
into other hands we felt the cruel war it
waged for the overthrow of the Govern
ment, to ruin forever what it could no
longer rule. 1t is the constant assertion of
its leadingmen that they have not changed,
and that they stand now where they always
stood. As Il party, | never thought well of
it. | did not deem it proper to join it in
the day of its power, when its leaders were
noisy in their loyalty to the Union, quot
ing and claiming the patriotic words of
Jefferson and Jackson, and other lights of
the nation. / shall hardly Join it now,
after their disloyalty has been demonstrated
by speeches and bitter denunciatons and
on the humberiess battle-fields of the re
bellion, 1t is saying but little to say that
the Democratic party is responsible for the
rebellion, and for all its terrible conse-
quences. And if single doctrine or prn-
cipe of the rebellion has been abandoned
by its advocates and adherents, fail osee
the evidence of it. This remark applies as
well to that portion Of the party which was
i'm open arms against the Republic, as to
that part which, during the war, remained
within the lines and by votes, speeches
and sympathy with the rebellion, paralyzed
the strong arm Of the Government in its
effort to suppress it,
The Republican party has practically con-
trolled the Government for the last ten
years Organized upon the repeal Of the
Missouri Compromise in 1854 it continued
i'm minority until after the electionof A bra
ham Lincoln in 1860, by II plurality of
notes.-the opposition being divided be-
tween three competing candidates. Had
their opponents been patriotic, wise and
united, the party could hardly have out
lasted Mr., Lincoln's first Presidential
term. But as they We're neither patriotic,
wise nor united, it has increased steadily
in numbers and strength until it las at
tanned hold upon the public confidence
and affection never gained by any previous
party.
The difficulties which it has encountered
and successfully overcome have been of the
greatest magnitude. First, the rebellion,
involving the governments and people Of
eleven States, and headed by men connect
ed for years with the most Important func-
tions of the Federal Administration, and
countonanced by most of the principal for
egn powers. 10 meet it, there was neither
army nor navy, and but an empty treasury.
An army and navy We're created, sccOndto
none ON tho planet The people were APP
preached with straightforward, manly
appeal for aid, and they responded by
cheerful submission to enormous taxation,
and by millions voluntarily subscribed be-
sides. The rock of public confidence was
emittpu and full streams of rpVpniln ,lI-I1-