Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-01
Frank Blair ON the New Departure.

Frank Blair on the New Departure.
The following is from recent speech by
frank Blair at Montgomery, Alabama:
Fellow-citizens, there are some questions
growing out of the position of the South
which feel called to mention, but with
diffidence, and disclaiming any purpose of
giving anything like advice to the people
Of the South. But i have read in letters
and speeches by distinguished men of the
South, certain advice to the people of the
South which touches all the South and all
who sympathize with the South i'm other
quarters OF our country. | have seen it
proposed that in the next Democratic con-
vention, TO be held for the nomination of a
candidate for the Presidency of the United
States, the South should forbear to take
any part whatever; that the South should
decline to be represented, but should ac-
cept whatever candidate the Democrats of
the North may see proper to offer.
dissent entirely from that proposition.
Hearty applause. 1 think l may here
enter the protest of every Democrat in the
West and North. Renewed applause.
The triumph of the Democratic party is
the safety Of the South. [Applause.] And
who should guard its safety but Southern
men, Applause, III they fail, why may
not others also fail?
My fellow-citizens triumph which will
relieve you is the thing which the South
looks to, and looks to alone. They have
no question of personal favorites to be ad-
vanced. To them all Democrats are alike.
[Cheers.] Their choice will allupon him
who is most likely to carry that banner in
triumph. [Applause.l If the South fails
to give the benefit of her wise counsel-if
she fails to send her prudent and wise men,
who will go there with an eye single to
success-if they leave the Democracy of
the North to struggle for nomination
amidst the contending factions of the as
pirants, she will withhold from us the bene-
fit of the wisest and most impartial coun-
sci we can have. Immense applause.
If she should abstain even though il be
upon the ground stated 10y some of these
distinguished gentlemen who advocate
this course, and who say that their pres
ence in the Convention in 1868 was laid
hold of and used to the destruction of the
Democratic party, tell you their absti-
tence now will be claimed as refusal to
go with the Northern Democrats, because
they have adopted the New Departure
Sensation. 1t will be claimed that the
spirit of rebellion still fingers and burns
under the smoldering ashes, and it is
lighted into new flame of indignation be-
cause the Democratic party of the North,
or large portion of them, have assumed,
for reasons that seemed good to them, to
make certain concessions in their platform.
1t would be suicidal; it would be destruc-
tive of your very best interests.
do not know how well it is known,
but to those who care for my opinion it is
known that / am no friend to the New
Departure. Prolonged and enthusiastic
applause and cheers. ~. ....
But believe in the patriotism and the
purity of the motives of those who have
chosen that path but while / shall still
hold to he opinions which have hereto
fore expressed, and shall not yield one
inch of my own convictions as to the I'M
constitutionality of the usurpations of the
Radical party, / am willing to fight the
Radicals in any shape the Democratic par
ty may determine upon. Long and hear
ty applause believe the new departure,
so far from being good policy, has proven
disastrous; but what the party adopts as its
policy shall maintain without surrender
ing my own convictions. Applause. i
believe that policy has failed to give us
success in the elections of this summer
and autumn; and for the reason thatit was
a confession in open court Of our inability
to carry the election upon our own prin-
ciples it was confession that we must
make concession in order to draw to us
others who had heretofore acted against
us; but in making that concession it failed
to place candidates before the people in
harmony with that platform. Thus while
some Democratic were disguised at this
concession, no Republicans were conciliat-
ed. IN