Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-27
AND BROWN.
Grand and Enthusiastic Mass
Meeting of the Liberal Rcpub-
licanS and Democrats of
Memphis.
Opening Speech of the Campaign
by Col. John n. Fleming, Of
Knoxville.
Speeches of Col. Charles Cameron
and Col. Nichols, Of Arkansas
The Ticket and Plat
form Reimbursed.


COLONEL NJ. D. L. STEWART
came forward aud said: Ladies and gen
tlemen, 1 have great pleasure in intro
ducing to you Hon. John NJ. Fleming
of Knoxville, who viii now address you
Cheers.
ADDRESS OF HON. J. N. FLEMING.
Hon. Mr.. Fleming, on rising, wa
greeted with cheers again and again re
peated. He said:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN fee
something ike embarrassment in hav
ing to ask you to remain to listen to
speech from me after the very delightful
entertainment to which you have beef
a, listening. Indeed, in these days, politi
cal discussions have been in a grea
measure superseded by the daily press
the railroad and the electric telegraph
and it is hardly necessary, as in thu
olden time, upon the recurrence Of
presidential campaign, for the people t
turn out to listen to
THE ISSUES OF THE CONTEST.
A politician to-day, by means of tbs
daily press and the telegraph, speaks L
milionsinstead of hundreds or Thousand
as in former times, and the sound Of hi.
voice and the utterance Of his sentiment:
reaches over the entire continent. WheT
tie great Hendricks addresses the citi.
zens of indianapolis, the people Of Mem
phis, as wei as the whole people of the
United States, read the speech he ha:
made the evening before at their break
fast tables the next morning. When
Carl SchurZ details the crimes of the
present administration, in st. Louis
with that keen philosophy of which be
is so great a master, it is known through
out the length and breadth of the land
the next day, by means Of
THE DAILY PRESS.
Every sentiment uttered by any poll
tician is in this manner heralded
over the entire country. 1t is
therefore right and proper, in times
like the present that we should come
together and take counsel relative to
our own local feelings on the questions
ofthe day, and confer together face 10
face, and decide upon a plan to MAIN
tain Our principles, and achieve success
for the course which we advocate. On
the ninth of May last i was selected as
an elector Of the State at large; but /
am not here on duty tonight. Neither
am / here for the purpose of PENN the
campaign. I am not here in the strict
party sense to address you in detail on
the issues of the day, and l will, there
fore, defer making a speech Of that
character until the entire ticket
is completed. l do not, therefore, intend
TO enter in detail in regard to the issues
of the present campaign, but l am SIM
ply here tonight to make a few remarks
10 you on the leading issues of what /
consider to be
THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CAMPAIGN
in which ever the American people were
engaged-eXtraOrdinary in its issues and
extraordinary in the forces arrayed ON
each side. 1t is also extraordinary from
the fact that men who formerly worked
together are now to be found on differ
ent sides, and those who were formerly
antagonistic to each other are now TO be
found fighting under the same flag. It
is a sight most extraordinary TO the
American people, and there is a philoso-
ply running through the entire move
ment of which we are waiting to zee the
development. Let Us go back for only q
few years, and let us look at the extra
ordinary change which has taken place
in political affairs.
ONLY -FOUR YEARS AGO
we were then engaged, as now, in select
ing candidates for the offices of Presi-
dent and Niee-President. Then the
country had just emerged from a bloody
and disastrous war. We did not then.
/ know whether liberty would be pre-
served to the American people. The
chief of a victorious army, the man who
had
BEEN IN AT DEATH
Of the war was taken up almost sponta-
neOusly by the American people and
nominated as their candidate for Presi-
dent, and he was carried into the eXecu-
tive chair on his war record. But he
went into that chair on pledges of peace,
and with the words on his lips
"LEr Us HAVE PEACE"
The people congratulated themselves
on what they had done in electing Ulys-
ses S. Grant to the Presidential chair.
They gave him their support, but what
a sad mistake did the American reople
commit in electing him to that position.
| say 1t was a mistake, for after four
years since he uttered the memorable
words, "Let rs have Peace" what do
We find? We find that the people We're
deceived, for what is the condition of
the people in this year of 1879 in regard
to the administration Of Grant and the
government. What do we now find?
l do not think we have to go either to
the North or to the South for evidence
as to the opinion of the people four
years ago relative to public affairs; but /
ask, have we not been disappointed?
Did we not expect, from the statements
then made, that we would receive bet
ter treatment Has not every hedge
made TO the Southern people been vio-
lated? Did they not expect that Ulysses
$. Grant would call men to his counsels
who would give him honest advice rela-
tive to the administration of national
affairs? But in this the people have
also been disappointed. When the
Southern people laid down their arms.
and when Robert L. Lee gave up his
sword to q. S. Grant did they not ex-
pect, with the giving up of that sword,
that the pledges then given by Grant, as
a soldier, would be carried out? They ex-
pected that these pledges were given on
SOLDIERS WORD
and were guarantees Of peace, bu! in
this how sadly have they been disap-
The administration of {. s. |
Grant has been One Of deceit, and Grant
la his dealings with the American peo-
pie has deceived them. The people
therefore, have been disappointed, and
the wishes Of the people haVebeen COM
ignored. What do we see as
the result OF this treatment? We find
REBELLION IN EXISTENCE
on the American continent. 1t is
not a rebellion as between the South
and the North, but it isa rebellion which
Dervades the entire land; a rebellion
the present government, and
which gave birth to the convention
which was held at Cincinnati on the
irst Of May last. Ever since u, S.
frant became President, what have
We Seen2 We have seen the DOW
rs Of the other branches of the
government gradually stolen away
y the Executive, and this has been done
Y his own corrupt acts, or he has al
owed those in his control to do so ]
through his imbeeility. The legislative
ranch of the government has been
lade subservient TO the executive.
Though by the constitution il is made
separate and distinct branch. [ g
o not intend to gointo details, neither do :
at any length, intend to point out how :
le Judicial branch has been made also )
lbservient to the Executive, and how
lat important branch of the govern
.ent has been manipulated by the EN- 2
utfve The Legislative branch has \
manipulated by means Of Federal /;
ltronage, in violation Of the Constitul- a
aud used for Executive purposes. a