Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-02
MIR WISENER'S SPEECH.
His Views Of the Situation

Col. Whener having failed to put in an
appearance at Chattanooga yesterday, for
reasons which we presume are entirely
satisfactory to himself, although perhaps
not so much so TO his detected and dis
conf orted friends in this State, few and
far between, we put on record his speech
made at the Cipitol on the evening of the
2Sth September, as reported by us steno-
graphically. Col. Wisener has learned that
the UNION AND AMERICAN is fond OF old
records, and will appreciate our pdblica-
ton of his speech to his dusky hearers in
this city. 1t may be of use hereafter.
He said: -..- r--.z
GENTLEMEN AND Fellow CITIZENS: |
appear before you tonight as the Rspub-
licsn candidate for Governor of Tennes-
see. l was selected, gentlemen, for this
position without any effort on my part.
1t was conferred upon me by my political
friends, and l accepted it, as l always do
in cases of that kind. said on Thurs
day that ii looked like forlorn hope.
Since then my prospects have frightened,
and l think l am going to be
your next Governor. Why l think
so is this: Your CITY press has paid so
much attention to me for the last few
days that it has made me out very good
Rebel, hence think l am entitled to all
their votes, and will consequently be elect
ed. Pardon me for saying few words
in regard TO myself in the opening of my
remarks. l will not go farther back than
1860. Up to that time l had been called
an old Wing, sometimes the term old
Line Wing was used, but l never claimed
that part of it. never was an old Line
Wing. In 1860 we had a Presidential
election under the forms of law and IN
der the Constitution of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President. l
OppOsedhis election, as most of the people of
Tennessee did. Shortly after his election,
as soon as the wires could send the news
from Washington to Charleston, there
was rejoicing in that city over his election,
not because they approved of bis election,
but they thought that that was a good &C.
casiOn for the dissolution of this govern
ment. The Legislature of this State was
called to meet on the 1st of January, 1861,
was member of that body, and was
there when it convened. On the second
day of that session, l offered few short
terse resolutions. One was that Secs
sion was unconstitutional, a remedy for
no existing evil. Another was that multi
ficatiOn was equally unconstitutional
and tended 10 mischief and anarchy
Another was that impeachment and the
ballot-b box were the principal remedies for
the removal of incompetent and unfaith-
full officers. Another was that we had no
necessity for a Convention at that time
for the purpose indicated in the Govern
or's message. These resolutions expressed
my sentiments then, and they are my
sentiments now. During that session a
law was passed calling Convention. 1t
passed the Senate and was sent into the
House of Representatives, where it
passed with but one exception, and
was that exception / went home and
implOred my people not to vote for
Convention. They took me by my
word and voted it down two to
one. Time rolled on and Fort
Sumter was fired upon, and Gov.
Harris called second session of the Leg
islature. appeared there. The ordinance
of secession was there bill to call out
$4,000 volunteers was there, and the
League was there, three of the
greatest measures of that session. l and
few others voted against each one of
them, but they passed over my wishes.
| went home aud made speeches against
secession until the day of election. But
in the revolution of politics, the majority
that had been cast against the Convention
was reversed and was in favor of secession.
My people in Bedford county said was
wrong, and the people in Tennessee said the
same. | sent in my resignation, which
was not accepted, and l returned to
the Legislature. l said then that it was
all wrong, and say the same thing now.
l offered an amendment to bill in regard
to organizing the army, which provided
that the soldiers should be paid uine dol
lars more than they were getting; and,
on another occasion, that they should be
paid in gold and silver, or its equivalent.
These prof. ositions came up and were voted
down. l thought then that it was the
rich mans war and the poor mans fight,
and l wanted the rich man to
pay the poor man for fighting.
The newspapers say that to still show
the love of Wisener for the Confederate
soldier, he wants to pay him in gold. l
have always been for the masses against
wealth and power; always expect to be
that way My frie, DIS, who are urging
thess things against me Low, voted in OPP
position to my views then. If loved
the soldier, they hated him If these
things are true, they ought to come over
and vote for me; if they are not true,
they ought to stop circulating them.
Another papsr, that calls me- Old
Mother Wisener, says THAT from their
earliest recollection / have been in
office, and have been seeking office
ever since. | have been elected 10
the Legislature six times. Three times |
desired to come and three times l did not,
and one of them resigned l have had
the seal of the Supreme Bench Offered
me three or four times and declined it
each time had cOllectOrship offered
me, without any effort on my part to OBJ
tain it, and l declined it. That does not
look much like seeking office. Who of
our Democratic friends would have de-
olined such glittering prizes? So much
for my Office seeking.
Now l have got something in store for
my Democratic friends who are trying to
get control not only of the government
of Tennessee, but would ike to have that
of the United States. They voted for the
League; for calling out 80, volunteers;
and what further2 They voted for the
ordinance of secession. They now stand
exactly where they stood in 1861. After
that, when the war was about to close
when we had no government in Tennes
see, or, at least, no machinery to carry 1t
on with-a convention met in Nashville
under authority of the President of the
United States, although | believed the
people of the State had right to call the
convention, and passed an amendment to
the Constitution providing for elections.
They declared, by two or three resolutions, |
or rather sections Of an ordinance, that |
certain things were null and void. They |
passed certain laws, and the Democratic |
Constitutional Convention which met |
here last winter repealed them. Now, |
every man knows that, when you repeal |
one law and nothing more is said, then
you thereby revive the former one. l say