Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-09-29
THE COEGREssIONAL CANVASS.
Messrs. Maynard, johnson and Cheath"n'
mt Knoxville.
The Political Horizon Scanned from sew
eral etandpofnts.

The Political Horizon Scanned from sew
eral stahdpofnts.
The rival candidates for Congress arrived IN
this city on Friday night from Norristown, ana
yesterday morning addressed the people al the
Institute. Gen. Cheatham opend the discus
sion and said more than at any one sifne sl'io'
the canvass commenced. The following is
Gen. Cheatham's speeeA.
FcLloy Citizens: appear before you '9 6o1s.
as the standard bearer of the ConservatiYe I'm
ocratic parry of the State of Tennessee, Seieceeo
and endorsed by that great party IN Conven.
ton assembled to Represents you III 1He ~ ~
Congress of the United States from the State At
Large Ny honorable competitor, deherci an
drew johnson, in all of his speeches. relels ~
the Convention which nominated me as pack
ed Convention. Now, fellow citizens II you
will but examine the proceedings OF thas Con
yention you will find that 10 was more largeiy
and fully represented than any former Conven-
ton ever held by the Democracy in the state
with probably one exception. There were rep
resented in that Convention 40 counties some
considerable number of other counties had rep
resentativcs there by proxies. who were Johh-
son men, and when they found that they nao
not sufficient number ofcountles 10 SECURE MI.
Johnson's nomination, they "boised IroIn t.e
Convention and carried the counties which they
were authorized to represent with the1n' Had
the johnson men in that Convention proved as
true to their party as they should nave zone,
not less than 20 or IS counties @ot the State
would have been represented therein. Wnen
our State Convention assembled in May last to
appoint delegates to the National Democratic
Convention at Baltimore, and to nominate can
didate for Governor, there was bill penang
before Congress, which provided for an adj
tional member of Congress from our State,
which additional member, it was provided by
law, should be elected by the people of the State
at Large. l was not present at that Conven,
ton. Some persons thought that while That
Convention was assembled it would be better TO
nominate q candidate for that position, for our
party, than to go to the trouble OF caiIng anetn.
Congress should become law. A friend OF Mr.;
Johnson's, who was in the Convention, opposed
a nomination at that time as premature, ana
calculated to ALPHABETICALLY to the maj passage
of the bill then before Congress Ihereupon,
the Convention passed resolution providing
that in the eventual the said bill should become
law, tho Democratic Central Executive Com
mittee composed of gentlemen from eacn
Grand Division of the State, should nominate
o candidate. Col. John @. Burcb, was made the
chairman of that Committee. The bill giving
us the additional member Of Congress did pass
and become q law, and at the urgent request
of numerous friends, became candidate. "A
number of gentlemen better qualified Than my
self, were called upon in different parts OF the
State to become candidates for the position,
most of whom did me the honor to decline in
my favor. The Democratic Central Executive
Committee, in the meantime having been en-
powered by the May Convention 10 select
candidate, was called to meet at Nashville, at
given time, by the chairman, Col. Burch 1t
did meet, and when it was ascertalned that oil
the Committee but two members were opposed
to tie nomination of Mr.. johnson, whose name
in thelmeantime was being mooted in that con-
nection, the Central Executive Committee de-
clined to make nomination, for had said to
INV friends who MON bnra of The Commit
tee, that l thought it would be unwlse Tor them
to do so. Therefore, it was proposed, as sure
means of avoiding all grounds OF complaint
from any quarter, whatever, and as means OF
having perfect harmony in our party, that an
other State Convention should be held, giving
the people ample time to consider the relative
merits of different aspirants and of appointing
delegates who would reflect their wishes. This
was unanimously agreed upon by the commit
tee, l am informed, however, that the question
was raised by member of the committee, say
ing that: he was confident that Mr.. johnson
would not abide the action of the Convention;
but every friend that Mr.. johnson had On the
committee expressed their entire confidence in
the belief that he would. The natural inference
is that Mr.. johnson was made aware OF all that
his friends promised for him before the Conven-
tion Having all my life been consistent par
ty man, and believing organization neces-
sary to harmony and success and
unwilling for any personal ratification Of mine
10 GmDATTdSS lily lTleIlub VI oAuduSOL OuL GULL
mon cause, promptly announced through the
papers as soon as the convention had been called
that l would abide its action. 1t was not known
that Mr.. johnson would be q candidate, had
in times past been one of his warmest support
ers, and at the suggestion OF mutual friends,
honorably with me, went to Greenevile 70 see
him and asked him the question plainly if he
was or would likely be candidate. He said to
me that hewould not determine the question until
he came to Nashville. which would be beforethe
meeting of the convention. In the meantime
counties throughout the State were to appoint
delegates. Some few counties were expressing
themselves in favor of johnson. Some few for
me, and some for others, and great many no
expression of preference at all. In short time
after my visit to Mr. johnson, an iRteruSeser ap-
peared in Greeneville, through whom Mr.. John
sonfiIst began to address himself to the public.
Soon thereafter, he appeared at Knoxville and
made speech He came on to Nashville and,
made two or three speeches, but did not declare
himself candidate The Convention was to
assemble in a few days after Mr.. Johnsons ar
rival in Nashville. / was on the eve OF leaving
the city for my home in Coffee county, and was
naturally anxious to knew whether or not Mr..
johnson would be a competitor before the Con-
vention, and if so, whether or not he intended
| to abide its action. He had told me that he
would determine the question when he reached
Nashville. l accordingly addressed polite
| and respectful note to him desiring to know
| whether he would be a candidate for the NOM
nation, and if not nominated, whether he would
respect the action of the Convention adding
that having asked this much. it was due him
from me to say that my name would be before
the Convention, and that would abide its &C
ton whether for or against me. This polite note
was delivered to Mr.. johnson in his room By
two of my personal friends. He declined to
give me written reply, but stated verbally 20
those gentlemen that he had nothing to do with
the getting up of the Convention, and that il
action would not govern him in his course as e
being candidate. Col Burch, the Chairman
of the Democratic Central Executive Commit
tee land an avowed friend of Mr.. Johnson) had
called a meeting of the Committee ct theil
rooms the day previous to the assembling Of the
Convention. l am informed by members of the
Committee that after the regular business of tn,
Committe was disposed of one of the members
that as a wsTs especial a
harmonizing the party, and to that end hat
called Safe Convention, to nominate candi
date for Congress for the State at Large, and in
asmuch as trouble was threatened by rumor
upon the street that one of the prominent as