Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-10-12
b. Take it home and ponder what

REVOLUTIONS
There is another Democratic platform afoat,
originating at Greeneville and adopted at Knox
Vile on the 10Th inst This discgrds the doc
trine Of accession and disunion, but asserts the
right OF revolution. Have VIC forgotten that on
the fatal 9Th of May, 1861, the star of Tennessee
shot mady from her sphere, it was not upon
state Sovereignty, not upon the right of seces-
sion, but upon this same right of revoluton2
Why reassert it now, after these years OF suffer-
ing and blood ] ask again what does Il mean
will read you what the Republican Conyen-
zion has said respecting these doctrines:
J. The union Of the States making them a ma
ton was intended to be, and shall be perpetuated,
and the Republican party lhaying already main
tanned It against armed rebellion and attempted
royoution) hereby pledges It's maintenance
against the horosv of State Sovereignty and Sc
cession taught and practiced by our Democratic
opponents the former of which was reasserted
and the latter not disavowed in the platform of
the recent Democratic State Convention.
Here you see how we stand in reference to the
asserted doctrine Of State Sovereignty, out of
which grows secession, and Of the reserved right
of revolution in immediate connection with our
relations to the Federal Government.
Gentlemen, we have lived long enough, unless
We have lived for very little purpose, 70 know
Oh in this proposition of state Sovereignty lies
'ea.et She veal or woe Of those American
people.
STATE MATTERS IGNORED.
60 along with me- / beseech You, while ] eZ-
anime this platform further Recollect. n you
ease. this was "a State convention called %
nominate q candidate for Governor, TO prepare
TO- Sta.r c... ,a,s, just upon the eve of eectng
a Governor ana Legislature. When We would
have supposed the affairs of the State. her inter-
ests, whatever would promote her good, would
have NJ least received some attention; and vet
beg you will re-eNamine this Democratic plat
form, and observe that not one word from the
beginning TO the end has reference to the affairs
of Tennessee. / will run my eye over the reso-
lutions and examine them with some care. The
second one reads as follows:
POLITICAL DISABILITIES.
. Rcsoioed, That the citizens of the United
States under political disabilities should be i'm
nediately relieved therefrom
Gentlemen, / have not much TO say about
that. It is certainly something to admit that
there were citizens in the United States under
disabilities. Perhaps ought not TO say one
worl npon the Subject. The disabilities referred
to are under the Sd article Of the 14th Amend
ment My idea, gentlemen, and | say il here
as elsewhere is that no man should have his dis
abilities removed, be restored 70 the authority
to hold Office under the auspices of the Federal
Government until he gives satisfactory testi-
nony. that he has abandoned all thoughts of
3 cssiOu and revolution, and intends in honesty
an good faith 10 submit 70 the laws. / hold
that il you gentlemen who for four years at
tempted to overthrow the government Of the
United States, will give proof that Won have re-
turned to your allegiance and mean 10 live uu-
der this government of our fathers, and that you
mean 10 support it, your political disabilities
should be removed. do not believe in rernov-
ing the disabilities Of the man who has been
trusted with nigh position either under State or
National Government and then went conspiou-
ously intothe rebellion, without some assurance
The man who after his disabilities are removed
will go out before the American people and say
that some friend or other did il without his
knowledge or request, and no thanks for IT,
suppose the war had resulted III another way
Suppose the Government of the United States
mad been overthrow and Southern Confedcr-
acy established and its authority asserted here
IN Tennessee and some of Us who adhered TO
our old government and gave it our support had
come back and asked To be restored to our old
positions, do you think anything less would
nave been required of your opponents. Answer
me a honest men
THE TARIFF
From that we pass on 70 the tariff | have
this % say in regard 10 the tariff. by which |
mean protective tariff, the protection OF home
industry and American labor. In the South
when the war broke out, were cut OFF from
the outer world, we found ourselves alInostabso-
luteiy ~ q state of desttutiOn. We had no
here of any account, no munitions
Of war no uneaus of procuring them except by
running the blockade, not even the means of
making piece OF white paper. If protective
tarlh viii build up New England. build up the
mountains of Pennsylvania and ill them with
a rich population, it will also establish wealth
ami industry on the banks Of Stone river and
throughout the South. Shall we learn nothing
by experience. never be any wiseruud continue
70 commit these old errors and bunders that
have been fatal to Us. The tariff and the IN
ternal revenue are the main sources of the re-
ccipts into the national treasury. We are OBJ
lged 70 have large sums Of money 10 pay the
Heayy debt and the pension list that has accrued
ny the war There may be some who would
obhierate the pension list but ] am not one of
those. ] am for paying every debt incurred by
the nation and in the name of the nation Strike
out the tariff and the internal revenue and
what are your resources, where will you get
money; liquidation or direct taxation is the
only remaining alternative The Republican
party in their platform are explicit on the sub
Ject Of reputation. They say:
Resoioed, That the honor and credit of the
United States, and of the State of Tennessee
must and 'hall be faithfully upheld in the pay
ment of every dollar Of the State and National
Indebtedness, and that we view with adherence
every proposition, directly or indirectly. TO re-
pudiate any portion Of the just obligations of
the State or Nation. e .
DIRECT TAXATION.
The Constitution Of the United States appor-
tons direct taxation, as well as representation
according 10 population, without regard 10
wealth, whereby the poorest portion Of the
people must pay rs much rs the richest. This
is not the policy Of the Republican party
The fourth section Of the Democratic platform
has this extraordinary provision the tax itself
should be collected by State and county officers"
Place the collection of the Federal taxes in the
then be amenable 10 Federal authorities, its
creatures and subordinates, which will give YOU
a Capitalization Of power beyond anything that
the most tifnid ever feared or the widest ever