Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-02

had the administration OF the govern
ment in its hands. In 1860 they lost it.
1t then passed into the hands OF the
Eastern and Northern men. They viii
hold it fifty years more unless we make
an alliance with the liberal men up in
the North.
He then gave an account OF the dis
ruption of the Democratic party by the
men in Charleston. 1t was killed that
time not on a question Of slavery. 1t
was merely a gigantic struggle for po-
liticai power. You have heard talk
about the constitution. What is a con-
stitution? Why it has no eyes, and
it cannot see; It has no ears, and
it cannot hear; it has no hands and it
cannot feel; it is only a piece of paper
printed by the government printer at
Washington until the people breathe in
TO it the breath of life. Public opinion
is the constitution. Il is said that l am
committed 10 the principle OF conven-
tons. There is no principles in cOnven-
tons. He was at the convention which
nominated Governor Brown and wrote
the resolutions on the occasion because
it was part, as he thought, of the Libe-
raj movement at Cincinnati. He did
not think that the platform committed
him to the party nor to a party organi-
cation. He then read the plat
form, which says that it is unwise,
Unnecessary and exceedingly dangerous
to have q Democratic party in the field.
When a party comes to that, said Colonel
| Kellar, It may be said to have passed
away from the useful sun Of things.
When a party, or 3 set of men acting for
| q party saws it is unwise and exceedingly
! dangerous to put a national ticket in the
field, is it not f~oOlishness to talk Of pre-
| serving it. When it has nc national
status it is merely a waste Of time to
attempt to keep it alive IN the State.
This is a most peculiar canvass. You
find a man supported for the Presidency
who has had no utilization with the
Democracy for forty years, but VINO has
been engaged in denouncingit. The Balti-
more observation-disclosures nominated
Horace Greeley, and proclaimed q po-
litical folsehood to the people, that HOr-
| ace Greeley was a Democratic candidate,
running upon a platform every bit as
Republican as that upon which Grant
stands. We can have no words of cen
sure for A. II. Stephens on the one
hand, nor for O'COnor an the other,
when they distinctly disavow the action
of the people at Baltimore. He went
| on TO show hat there is no Democratic
party in the field, in this canvass. the
| Democratic leaders had been misrepre-
senting us since 1865, by placing Us in
hostility to the government. The lead
ers proclaim that those constitutional
amendments were null and void,
while the people do not care a fig
about the constitutional amendments
They knew that those questions of
/ - Acknowledgement InvsrRr fh.
national debt, were all settled, and they
did not and will not attempt to disturb
them, vet we take the same political
leaders to-day. Those doctrines were
preached by some of the Democratic
leaders in the North; men who misrep-
| resented the people as vi Southern pO-
| litical leaders misrepresented US; men
whom be would never trust again in
| anything. TCheers. There is not one
colored man in twenty thousand who
will vote for Horace Greeley. "A voice:
"No, they won't."l Now, is not
that the most curious thing about
the canvass? That man who was
chief and principal in having them
enfranchised, and having it cOnstitu-
tionally pinned down so that their rights
could never be disturbed; who fought
for them for forty years; who was an
original anti-slavery man; and yet, af-
ter all these services, is it not singular
that not one in twenty thousand of them
will vote for Horace Greeley. We taught
those coIored men that the whites were
their political enemies by our conduct in
the past, and when they find the old
political leaders I" voting for Greeley,
the instinct of self-preservation drives
them over to Grant. IA voice, "You
bet.vJ The wisest thing W. jefferson
Davis said, was that We ought to have
no politics nor party. We are too poor
to have party, to dabble in politics. Our
fifteen Southern States have no repre-
| sentatives abroad. We have not one
representative on the Supreme berch.
What can we hope for with our eleven
millions of people in the way of over
throwing the sectional government at
Washington, upheld by twenty-five
millions? The only thing left for us to
do is to overthrow parties, particularly
the Democratic party. In speaking of
the " grateful plank" which was as
sailed by Colonel Lewis, he said that
Iicans at Cincinnati. It was addressed
to the people Of the North and West,
and its adoption by that convention was
eminentiy just and proper. 1t never
was contemplated that any Democratic
party would indOrse it. When
the "party" at Baltimore did
it they did it without our
consent, and we are not bound
to stand by it. We have nothing TO do
with that. We may choose between
two Republicans and accept the best il
respective of platforms. We are not to
be bound by platforms.
Colonel Kellar then devoted a few
minutes to the "Confederater talk. He
said the politicians denounced Long
street because he accepted office under
Grant, to support q starving family.
The truth is, they use the cry of Con
federaten in favor of a man who con-
sents to be their party slave, but if he is
bold enough to think for himself they
denounce him as heartily as anybody.
The Confederate soldiers were not much
indebted to them, for they took their pay
in gold, while the soldiers had to take
their pay in paper.
Haynes says / am between the upper .
and the neither milestone. Isuppose hei
the upper and Barbour, having the tender
face, is the neither stone. They are mill
stones. They are exponents, produc-
tons, in its highest PROJECTIONS of the
party system. de says that ! am run
ming to elect Lewis, Others say that
Lewis is running to elect me. 1t is
limited even that Haynes is to withdraw,
but neither of them can do anything
bat what their party tells them. They
are not themselves. They belong to
their party. I am still free. | am my
self. l belong to no one, and l represent
no party, clique, nor cabal, who can con
troll men. They broke down on the in
dictment that [ am running to elect
Lewis. Then they got up another in
dictment, that i was an original seces-
siOnist, and got up the Raleigh resolu-
lions.
He then gave an account Of the Raj
eigh meeting, which was got up by one
Senator Payne. He (Kellar) was a sol
der at the time, drilling out there.
There were thirty thousand men in the
State at the time ready to be mustered
into the service, and he told them if his
name was of any use to them, they
could use it. The soldiers did not go into
the war for the purpose of fighting for
a secession platform. We cared no more
for a dirty platform than the women of
the country did. The platform men,
who were the original secessionists, did
not go into the wal at all.
He then spoke a piece in favor of An
drew johnson, and attempted to show
that Sumner had written an unconscious
eulogy of him in his letter to the AmeTi-
can people, written a short while ago.
He said that was his last speech before
the election, aud he was happy to find
in the good company Of Andrew
Johnson and Carl Sehurz, a bold indie
pendent. He said all sorts of reports !
had been circulated as to his integrity
and motives during the canvass. He
said he was kindly treated by his two ]
opponents. In order that the people
may see the full result Of the workings
Of the convention system in Jhis district
be would leave the fight to Colonel Lam
don c. Haynes and Barbour Lewis, and
from the contest. I
Without sayinganotber word be retired
and Colonel Haynes at once stood up to
speak.
Colonel Haynes said he had no agency
IN getting up the convention which
nominated him. That convention
long in an attempt to make a
different nomination, but the gentlemen
who composed that convention found it
to take the sponge, dip it in
the water and wipe away all names and
write his in their stead. He did not ]
seek to gain another position in public
life. He had enough of public offices,
and now his affections and his thoughts
we're turned to another refuge, another
source of comfort-home! He paid
/ feeling tribute to the sweets and de-.
lights of home. He said Barbour Lewis
lad called upon him to say whether