Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-27
His Views on Congressional Cau-
cuses and COnventiOns-Ir-
responsible Parties.
How Senator'S ShOald be Elected
About His Military Governor
ship-He is for Greeley.
He Accepts the Nomination, and
viii Stand by the People
He Goes into the Hottest
of the Conflict.

n SYNOPSIS of the proceedings of the
great mass meeting held at Nashville
on Saturday last, at which eX-President
johnson announced himself a candidate
for Congress from the State at large.
Fully ten thousand persons were pres
ent, and the tOrchlight procession in
cluded delegations from all the trades,
bearing banners and uansparencies.
Upon the arrival of the procession at
the courthouse, 2. W. Maxey was called
TO the Chair, whereupOn P. McGOvenn,
in behalf Of the workingmen read a
series of resolutions, among them the
following:
Resolved. That in ex-President Andrew
johnson. we recognize a man Of large expert
ence, inCorrupubls patriotism and man Of
known ability, and believing him TO be the
choice OF an overwhelming majority OF the
people Of the state, for the important once OF
Congressman for the State at large, we invite
him 70 become a candidate, and pledges him
our earnest support.
These proceedings being had, Mr..
Johnson, mid an excited fervOr like unto
that already mentioned, was introduced
by VIM. G.. Brien, in a neat speech,
WhereupOn
Mr.. JOHNSON RESPONDED.
FeIlow-cicizens, I have been in the
habit, in times gone by, Of appearing
y
,9us topics, but il is with somewhat of
Difference that 1 have permitted myself
to appear before you tonight. To come
before an audience so vast and orderly
as this is surely a great honor. The in
uuiry is, what has been the cause of this
Gathering? II commenced with eau
cuses, and strength has been gathering
for long time, which has eliminated
in the uprising of the people. There is a
deep feeling somewhere. There is some
thing wrong. We may 60 back anterior
10 our unfortunate difficulties Of the late
war. and there we find that conventions
were becoming irksOme to the people.
In 1924 they were in the habit of bold
ing what were called Congressional eau
cuses, where the men were indicated
who were TO serve as candidates for
President and Nice-President. In the
administration of him who now sleeps at
the Hermitage. this scheme was broken
up. These cauclSses arrOgated to them |
selves the rights Of the people. From
these caucuses we went to the State
Conventions, and from this to the Ma
tional Convention. The power is exer-
cised at these conventions by few men 4
who are more distinguished for treache- /
" and corruption than they are for in
tegrity and fidelity to the people. This
has gone so far that the State is now I'M
der the rule of those irresponsible par
ties. We have had various parties; |
there have been the Democratic party, |
the Whig party, the Tory party, and the
KNOWN othing party-but where is the
people's partyi When we 90 back to |
the history of Rome, we find that Caesar
had a party, ROmulus haC party, Croe |
sus had party, but the commonwealth /
had none, and so il is with our COM |
mOnwealth Of to-day. Loud cheers. |
This shows that the people want to |
have the thing under their own control. /
We assume 10 be a State, and when we
ask what a State is, we find it is at pres |
ent a body of irresponsible men. At |
the conventions the people are bargain /
ed for as sheep at the butchers sham |
bles. and pledged by the convention men
to support Just such men as they might |
put in the field.
Along with conventions / might bring |
another thing to your notice, and that |
is the way in which the people do not
choose their own President.
TAIr. johnson gave a plan for electoral
voting, which he had before explained /
in his speech in the Exposition Build /
ing.
When we 60 back to the days Of Clay, /
Calhoun, Webster and Benton, we find /
that the United States Senate, that dig 1
nified body was the pride Of the nation. /
But it has now dwarfed into mean in
significance through the trickery and /
connivanc5 Of honest men. Whoever |
has the larg, st purse is the man who is /
TO get to be United States Senator in /
these davs wb,sn corruption, that terrible /
usurper of peo Ole's rights, reigns su-
prerne. What would you suggest as q /
remedy for this. Bring the power of
representation before the people, and /
give them the right to elect their Sena- /
tors, instead of allowing them to be ap-
pointed by the Legislature. While 4
talking about the many serious abuses
of the government, il would be well
for me TO mention fact relSuve TO the
organic Law governing the NATION. Sen
atOrs should be chosen once in six years /
by the qualified voters of the country, /
and as they are to remain in Office some
time, and advocate your rights from
their respective districts, it would be well
for YOU to choose such men as shall labor
most earnestly IN your behalf
/ know that many object to this kind
Of talk, and say that none but dema-
gogues would talk so. If il is dema-
goguism, would to God that we had
more demagogses. Loud cheers.
/ shall not attempt to make any very
lengthy remarks tonight, but l came
here more 10 tender you my thanks for
this display Of your sentiment and ap-
preciatiOn than for anything else 1t
shows me that the people want to bring
out what good there still Is in the con-
stitution. It may be safely assumed
That the greatest wrong that can be done
a DeoDle Is that which comes from arbi-
trary oppression and disrespect Of irrefu-
table rights. Go back 10 Congress and
see the long list Of uncalled-for laws
which have been the results Of nearly
AL the disasters that have befalien the
South. The constitution has been vlo-
lated from ''We, the people" TO
General George WashingtOn's sigma
ture. 1t is said by some, and quite
truthfully, that the constitution is dead.
Those who still dare 10 stand forth and
advocate the constitution in its original
purity are called "Old fossils" 1t is the
earnest wish Of my heart that the con-
stitutiOn as defined by the old Bourbon
Democracy, may still be handed down
70 the people Of the United States. 1t
Is now, however, called hut the ghost Of
7 constitution. Alexander Stevens
with his long bony finger, pointed scorn-
fnli = at the Senate not long ago, and
aid he. with his sepulchral voice,
.. You have but the ghost Of a cOnstitu-
tiop left" Alas, what a world Of sol
eiru meaning did that short sentence
r. tain. But. If the constitution is
dr4d. should 90 with you friends, and
,cib the aidance Of the Divine
8 ng above, help you ressurrect it.
ince my name has been spoken Of as
s. s!,Iidate for Congressman many hard
flii,sgs have been said against me. But
as q = vocabulary Of invectives and vials
az wrath have already begun to become
familiar TO me, am not afraid but what
j can stand the idle wrath Of those who
seek TO injure me. ] am not candidate,
Ta voice. 5rYon must be''l and even If /
was il could have no greater effect. In
short. friends, am used TO it Laugh
Ter. \ When left home 1 did not anti
sIpate being a nominee for Con
1ressman. They thought, though,
Ss Alexander Stephens thought of the
Constitution, that / was perhaps a
l0bostU of a candidate. Very unex-
pectedlv to me, found people all over
the State solicitOus that l should be a
candidate. and even many Of the papers
nave put my name at the head ot their
columns: but, mark you, without ever
being paid a cent by me. lOreat ap-
iA1e1~-I fl.a