Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-20
a SCATHING DENUNCIATION OF
HORACE MAYNARD.

SCATHING DENUNCIATT0N OF
HORACE MAYNARD.
The Knoxville Wing of the 18th inst
flays Mr.. Horace Maynard, who is pray
ing Congress to reconstruct this State,
after this style:
We have the very highest authority for
saying that a prominent Republican of
this city, who has lived several years in
East Tennessee, and has made fortune,
boldly denounced the memorial to Con-
gress 'JiG5Se, 1GlnaGRly and di8honor-
able" We are, personally acquainted
with this gentleman; can endorse him as a
clever, high-minded and honorable man,
and though we differ in politics, we re-
spect him just as highly. /.
1t will be remembered that some daV
ago we asserted, without any sort of re-
seryatiOn, that even the better portion of
the Republican party, those who loved
peace and were pursuing il, would not,
and could not indOrsc this memorial. The
assertion was not made at random. We
have not studied the temper and character
of the people of East Tennessee for the
last twenty years in vain. They have too
much good sense and too profound con-
YictiOn of what is right to encourage a
course of such madness and folly as is
brought to light in this unfortunate docu-
ment. They would have to lose their
senses and become raying maniacs to do
such thing. Nor do we make the as
seTtion in any spirit Of unkindness or
bitterness towards any one. We lift our
pen above everything Of this sort Passion
must not pass for sincerity, nor inveCtive
for argument in this moment Of peril
We condemned the memorial in question,
because it was conceived in sin and born
in iniquity. We condemned lis authors
because they were seeking to destroy the
peace and happiness of a quiet and IN
offending people. We DO yet most
sternly and uncompTomisingly. We en-
terrain, personally, no unkind feelings TO-
wards Mr.. Maynard. He has never
wrOnged Us, so far as we now know We
admire his talents, and only regret they
have not been, as veal had right to ex-
poet, thrown into the scales of political
justice. That he has done q wEsng, a
great and mOnstTOus wrong no cOnsid-
crate mind can deny. That he can soon
recover from its terrible effect we do not
believe. There is point in the history
of human nature, when it becomes dan
gerous to tamper with il, and it will pour
its full volume Of indignation upon those
who have dared to deceive OF mislead IT,
Mr.. Maynard has, in an unfortunate
mOment-when the public mind was
bowed down, its brightest hopes almost
gone, and when there was longing desire
TO welcome the sweet messenger of tran
quillity-attempted to pCTpetuate strife, to
harrass and annoy, and to open afresh
the ghastly wound of hate and revenge
How, we would respectfully ask, had he
the heart for such an undertaking 1t is
SO unnatural and so Uncalled-fOr. There
was no prOvOCation for it in the world.
Can he now return 10 his constituents
among those who have nursed him into
life-and feel that he has not wrOnged
them What fearful responsibility to
facet No gentleman, from any quarter,
has received such distinguished consider
alton as he has AZ the hands of
the good people Of this coUn-
try. He has been lOnOred
caressed, tlattered and promoted. Why,
then, put such a document before the
world as the one under consideration
What motive had hcl Who wron-ed h!ml
And, if it Is his suffering cOumryB2ea
about whom he affects so much unCOn-
sOlable concern, what has been done here
in Tennessee to Cypress themf Where Is
the man, woman or child, in all this re-
giOn, who really feels that they have been
trampled upon and their rights snatChed
out of their hands? Where, where, We
would inquire. is there grOaDing, wGuing
and lamentatIOn, either in our beautiful
valleys or in our rugged mountain gorges.
Tennessee, like the poor patient worried
out and exhausted with some eXCTuCiaGDg
and tormenting disease, in an interval of
composurc, goes off into quiet and re
ircshing slumber, had become composed
. under the influence Of the peaceful meas
Ures of the last twelve months. Quiet
has rcigncd throughout her borders. No
complaints of oppression have come up
from any quarter. The JUdges-the
most of whom. il not all, are of the Re
publican school of politics-bave admin
istered the law, 50 far as We know, to the
satisfaction of all parties. The ballot
box has been protected; and so just and
wise has been tie course InauguTated by
mild and judicious councillors, that even
our colored friends have, with unanim-
ity unparalleled, cast their lot with those
who are striving with all their might to
promote the interests Of peace.
Ia view of these facts, We again ask
why our Congressman has chalked out
the course he has Was it simply be
cause he knew or felt that Othello's occu-
patton was gone Then his conduct is
the more unfortunate; for he dares to
jcopardize the honor, the peace and the
welfare Of his country because he is not
able to accomplish his selfish ends. 1t
would have been noble in him had he
yielded to the memorable logic of facts anj
events; beaten, it may be, but still lofty il
his attitude Of sublime aCquiescence in the
popular will