Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-07


Smith and Newcomb2" Loud cheering.
Have we not seen the leading, representa-
tive of one great element of our population
and certainly of a great element of Repub
lican strength allude to our German fel
low-citizens, who have but single repre-
sentative in the Senate of the United Statei
have we not seen him when he presented
! his card at the door of the executive Office
and it might be presumed that ont
charged with so much responsibility
had weighty matters to presen
| have it returned to him will
the words 'not in," [cheers] willis
Chandler, Cameron, Sherman, Morton, and
Drake were fitting in and out the side
doors like scene-shifters in a theatre;
[Cheers.] And, gentlemen, have we not
seen something more serious? Have we
not seen the great Senator from Massachu-
setts-that man, who, if any, may say that
the floor Of the Senate of the United States
is the field of his glory-have we not seer
him stricken down a second time, and that
by executive animosity, displaced from his
committee, Ostracized from the Republican
party because he dared to be free and hon.
est and brave? [Cheers.1 And have we
not witnessed, further, that great and dis
tinguished editor, who has eXerted, perhaps,
as much influence through his journal as
any other in the nation-I allude to Mr..
Greeley Of the IriblUe-[cheersJ that man
who, by single article was able, in times
past, to wheel whole States Of the North in
tC line with the freedom sentiment of the
Union-haYe we not seen him, within the
last few months, unable to exert sufficient
influence to have 4 currupt official removed
from the Custom House in New York, who
was abusing the national authority for party
purposes? GCheers. Have we not seen
another great public journal of the North
west, that had exerted a control inferior to
none in the valley of the Mississippi, strick-
ed from the roll of favor, and questioned in
character, because it feared not to dissent
from and denounce these disastrous courses?
CHEERS
1t is not necessary that I should go on
with this long list of m4rtyrdoms that haS
been perpetrated in the name of freedom
by those who arrOgate TO themselves the
right to represent and be the Republican
party of this nation. But let me tell you,
gentleman, that strong as the President is
against whom personally it is the fashion
to charge all this-and l am of those who
believe him to be a strong, and brave and
selfwilled man, that there are stronger in
tellects behind him who have more potent
influence than any that he yields; and it is
with those likewise that you have to make
your fight for the control of this nation into
other and better courses. 1t is they who
mould these policies; and you will find that
this issue that is to be joined is not per-
sonal issue against a single individual, but
it is to be fought squarely aud to final con-
summation against the whole element that
surrounds and sustains him.
Mr.. President, it is 4ot my purpose to go
into any general discussion Of the various
matters that have been presented by your
resolutions; but there is one to which |
feel that it is appropriate that l should
allude here at this time. l refer to what is
known as the suspension of the great writ
of right, the habeaS corpus, that guarantees
your liberty and mine, at the beck and will
of single individual, on the plea that per-
haps somewhere else somebody may COM
nit a crime. Now l say that more uncon-
stitutional and atrOcious legislation, de-
signed as l have reason to apprehend,
rather for partisan than for patriotic pur
poses, was never perpetrated under this
CAACCAosJ L NO ACb JlAoIAA1
those wrongs that are generally committed
under the name of Ku-Klux. l think that
all invasion Of law should be put down. |
think that peace and order should be main
tanned in every community; but, sir, there
are other and better modes Of sustaining
peace and order in such civil society as
ours; and the refusal to adopt them,
and the swift resort to these harsh
and dangerous expedients of sub
jecting everything to military terrorism, is
but another illustration of that shroUded
danger that is brOOding in our midst. And
here the question may be fairly propOunded
what construction is to be placed upon
this failure, for six long years, to accomplish
any reconciliation Of the torn communities
of the South with the general order and
harmony of our self-regUlating Republican
system? Those who are in entire antagO-
nism to Republicanism, point to that fact,
and allege that there has been design, I'M
der the process of pillage and misrule, in
volving so much of bankruptcy, to force
new disorders for the purpose of having an
excuse to maintain partisan domination
there. Whilst l may not concur in such
belief, certainly as to the intent of large
majority of Republican lawmakers, yet l
would call your thoughtful attention TO the
result of an elaborate inquiry recently
made by commission, under Congressional
authority, into the Ku-Klux outrages at the
South.
1t is said that this commission which has
recently passed through the Southern States
investigating these grave charges, has come
back burdened with volume after volume
of evidence, thousands aud thousands of
pages setting forth this wrong, and that
wrong, and the other. Granting all fair
ness TO that investigation, assuming that
the wrongs which they represent are true,
l ask you, does it not establish to your sat
isfaction, and that of all sincere, rejecting
Republicans, that an administration which
comes into power prOclaiming peace, and
which for years has had all the appliances
of this nation under its hand, and yet at the
end of that time puts upon your table vol
umes of what it calls accumulated outrages,
that that administration is not fit to be in
trusted with power any longer? [Cheers.
Gentlemen Of the Convention, desire to
say only a few words more to assure all who
are present, all who may be participants, and
all who may scan these proceedings from
abroad, that they are designed TO be the
initial of great movement, and that they
have no personal end. 1t is the safety of
this nation that we labor for. We expect
to have in this movement the cooperation
of able and distinguished men in all parts
of this country. We shall lOok-I might
name them, but they need not be named
we shall look to them to rally the Liberal
Republican sentiment of other States; and
if when we come together and define our
position, and take final action, it shall be
found that some Of those gentlemen are
more capable Of leading us to victory, are
better prepared to unite the opposing
elements in their own persons than any
one whom our own friends might
present through their personal par
TALLY, l have only to counsel YOU, one
and all, to give such selection your earnest
support; and to say for myself, l shall do as
have often done before-go to the fore
front of the battle and fight there for the
integrity of the constitution, and the puri-
ties of our government, and the sacred cause
of freedom for this whole nation-not mere
supremacy for any part-until the last hour
of the last day Of the coming conflict.
Loud cheers.
One other word and have done. Some
of our friends seem to indulge in very great
timidity about what is known as the Demo
cratic party. / participate in no such an