The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-09-05

y. my ability, -nGsa0aezE is8 -lE8essz zsle
viii question. / have heard but
two objections urged to my election
first, it is objected that 1 have been
soldier General officer. My
copntrymens is there any force ia
y that obieetioag W hen / was lf1lle
hoy my mother pat IN my haads
Weems life g Washington, and
taught me to believe tHat the eaar
aeter Of that great citizen sol Ser
Z was q model sor every AmeFtcan
youth. learned then TO think and
TO feel that the highest type of
citizenship was a man who would
imperil his life in defence or his
country. In my early life it was the
custom Of our people to meet every
Fourth Of July and pay tribute TO
the memory OF our Revolutionary
fathers, whose heroism on the bat
tIe-heid had achieved our liberty
and Independence. I was raised in
the shadow Of the Hermitage, and
was taught hy my father TO love the
name Of J ackson-T Tennessee s great
est soldier. Under such instruc-
tioBE, when ] reached mans estate,
/ felt It TO be ms duty, when my
country Was involved in war, to re-
spond to her call for soldiers. When,
years ago. the United States Gov
eminent called for volunteers, to
carry che stars and stripes in tFi-
pumph 70 the halls Of the Montezu-
mas, for ore answered the call, and
/ / hope 80 acted in that contest as 70
bring no discFedit TO ms native
State. IL erred in so doing, Ierred
in commSn with Ca1nbRalI and
Trousdale and hosts of oGlsers, whom
heretofore you have delighted TO
honor. In later years, when our
country became unhappily involved
/ In civil war, and the State Of Ten
nessee called upon her sons 20 de
fend her rights and your homes, I
again answered to the cali; and, IL I
erred in that, erred in sentiment,
! if not in action, with q vast majOri-
/ ty ofmy fellow citizens. In becom-
ing 8 soldier to the extent to which
I have beer one, ] was prompted by
no ambitious motives; ] sought sim
ply to do my duty as under stood
| it; / asked and expected no reward;
but ] will admit it never occurred to
me that the day could ever GENE IN
which my efforts to protect the weak
and defend the homes and firesides
Of my coantrymen and State, woutd
be urged as an objection to my be-
/ ing trusted with a civil Office.
FelloW-citizens, If had been one
Of those guGsi military men who
took q position IN the rear, aud |
abused his power by tyrannizing
over helpless women and disarmed |
citizens, the objection would be q |
good one. But / made no war on /
the defeHseless; never disturbed /
their peace, nor wasted their prop
eTty; no citizen can raise his hand |
and say / ever sought to Cypress
him. When borne down By over
whelming numbers, we were forced
TO surrender, and che war was ended,
l accepted the situation upon the
honor of a soldier, and returned to
the pursuit Of peace. I am now a
farmer, and nothing more. In my
humble way, / have labored eaTnesE-
~, from that day 10 this, for peace
and reconciliation. The great body
of Confederate soldiers, who shared
with me the dangers and hardships
of that war, have done likewise. We
feel that we have not dishonored us
for having discharged patriots du
"; besides it has been demonstrated
that the presence of a Confederate
soldier In Congress excites no sen
sation, and is not made q cause Of
objection. As evidence Of this, /
WIN only cite you to General Lewis,
of Kentucky; General Ransom, OF
North Carolina, and other distin
gnished soldiers who now occupy
seats ia Congress.
The second and only other OBJ !
lection that has been urged against ,
me is that a man is wanted who, in ,
she language of the objectors-caD .
"make Rome howl" Fellow -citi- / ,
zens, If Tennessee needs such 4 man !
in Congress, the objection is a grave ,
one, for / have neither the peculiar
talent nor the aspiration TO become ,
an sgitator or a political gladiator
in Congress. elimination and re- ,
are often the offspring | !
Of reckless hearts impelled by an !
overlapping ambition, and subserVe I
at best but bad purposes. :
In Legislative halls wisdom, mod
honesty and justice should
bear sway, and not ambition, envy, !
hatred, malice, and all unchGritable-
ness. But at this juncture of our {
affairs, above all others, when the J
era of peace, reconciliation and Of / :
good feeling seems to be approach I
ing, is it desirable that Tennessee
should be represented in Congress
By any one whose presence might o
create disCOrd2 ] think not. / do :
aot believe, in our present situation. '
that my State and other Southern I,
States can be relieved or benefited .
a that way. believe that manlyt ,
1ut quiet policy is best fOrus. III y
I'M elected to represent yOu, ! shall !,
sndeaVOr by q manly but civil de- =
Beanor to acquire such respect as :,
sill enable me to exert an influence =
n your behalf. But il, IN your =
the demands OF the times =
equire an agitator, ain frank to say !
hat / would not answer your puF- :
IOse. With regard 20 national poll I
les, ! belong 20 the great brother
lOOd Of Conservative men through n
'ut the country who are combining \
o elect a reform party candidate to :
he Prpeideuov Ia tha--uarsn1, mi =
iOrace Greeley. liz
laying aside party politics and =
ARTISAN passions end prejadiee, and ii
egaFding him as the representative n,
andidate OF the great ideas Of peace, u
iarmOny, reconciliation and q re- @
toFatioR OF the Union and COnsti- in
ution to the hearts affections OF Il
be people everywhere, I know Of no +
lan, either North or South, who te
Ould with more propTiety be pitch r
q upon as such = representative "
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