Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-10-02
THE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS.
Messrs. Maynard, Johnson and Cheathau
at Knoxville.
The Political Horizon Scanned from sew
eraI StaudDofufs

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this city on Friday night from Morristown, and
yesterday morning addressed the people at the
Institute. Gen. Cheatham opened the discus
sion and said more than at sny one time since
the canvass commenced. The following is
gen. Cheatham's speech.
FeSto'c Citizens: l appear before you to-day
as the standard bearer Of the Conservative DEM
oeratic parry of the State of Tennessee selected
and endorsed by that great party in Conven-
Congress of the United States from the State at
Large. My honorable competitor, General AM
drew johnson, in all of his speeches. refers to
the Convention which nominated me as a pack
Cd Convention. Now, fellow citizens, if you
will but examine the proceedings of that Con
vention you will find that it was more largely
and fully represented than any former Conven-
tion 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
resentatyes there by proxies. who were John
son men, and when they found that they had
not sufficient number of counties to secure Mr..
johnson S nomination, they "boltedp from the
Convention and carried the counties which they
were authorized to represent with them. Had
the johnson men in that Convention proved as
true to their party as they should have done,
not less than 70 or IS couuties of the State
would have been represented therein. When
our State Convention assembled in May last to
appoint delegates to the National Democratic
Convention at Baltimore, and to nominate a can
didate for Governor, there was n bill pending
before Congress, which provided for an addi-
ional 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.
Fellow Citizens; am no politician nor ever
have been, in true sense of the word. l am
but poorly prepared for discussion with my
competitors, who have made politics their pro-
fession and calling, but there are some things in
IOhnCnnic 10 nh; ;n1 ,,, !
to call your attention. In that speech, Mr..
johnson endeavored TO array the confederate
| soldier against his officer. He told them that
1t was politicians war and poor mans fight
And right here / would ask any confederate
soldier who was associated with me in the army,
| IL ever at any time there was any danger or any
privation that did not willingly, aye cheer
| fully share with the humblest in the ranks.
Fellow-Citizens: Seven long years ago the
| war closed. We were whipped, overpowered
| and conquered. | acknowledge the fact-gave
| my parole to Gen. Sherman and promised to re-
turn to my home and obey the laws of my State
and the laws of the United States. Since that
time have had nothing TO do with politics Tex
cept TO tryto elect my Honorable competitor,
| Mr.. johnson, to the United States Senate once),
and wherever have been, at home or abroad,
| that the war was at an end, that the dead past
| should bury its dead" and that our people
| should join together in one common brother
hood to restore this great country to its former
| prosperity and peace.
Fellow-citizens am but n plaip furmer
and have been a working man all my life, and
| should L be chosen as your representative in
| Congress, l can not promise to make you a mem.
Der who will be heard for his much talking. but
shall work zealously for the interests of my
people. l will always be found advocating those
measures which look to the material improve
ment and development of our State We need
some improvements in the Tennessee and other
rivers to render it navigable We need some
custom houses within our limits. We want ap-
preparations of public lands for educational pur-
poses, and pledge myself if elected, to work
| for these ends and other measures of like char
acter. will have no battles of the past, of my
own, to fight over again in the halls of Con-
| gress, but can go there with the good of
| my fellow-Iennesseeans strongly set in my
heart / know and feel what our people need,
and will, to the best of my ability labor to
give them legislation by our National Congress
that will give peace, happiness and prosperity
Fellow-citizens: | wish you TO understand
that / do not claim to be the particular cham
| pion of the poor or working man; neither am
the rich mans advocate In this great country
OF ours there must be unity among our peo-
| pie OF all classes; there mnst be feeling of con-
fdence in each other if We would prosper
| never have, nor never shall endeavor to array
| one clss against the other to advance my own
| personal interests or those of any other living
| man. Being myself a working man, it is but
| natural that my sympathies and warmest de-
| sires would be for the advancement of the best
1
In conclusion, my fellow -citizens, allow me
te say that / regard this country-this great
| American Ul ion-the stars and strpes the flag
| OF our commC country, as much mine as it is
| of either of my competitors, and day if our
| country or flag were assailed and nv services
| were needed in their defense, doubt if there is
| a man within the borders of our State who would
| shoulder musket TO preserve its honor sooner
| than myself thank you, fellow citizens, for
your respectful and patient hearing to my few
! remarks.
| Mr. JOhusOn's Speech.
! His appearance was the signal for applause
! from friends A short time ago he had the
pleasure of addressing a portion of the people
! from the same stand, In regard to the conven-
| tion, he always stated unequivocally that he
would pay no attention to the action of the con-
vention, whether favorable or unlavorable He
| did not think that the fact of being a candidate
qualified one for office and the rubbish about
| regular nominees, etc, should have no weight.
| His opponents were present with him and the
people could choose for themselves which of
! the three was best qualified TO represent them.
| Mr.. johnson ventilated conventions and
| rings, generally charging that Gen. Q. was the
candidate of clique that wished 10 sap the
! foundation of popular liberty and concentrate
! power in their own hands, His remarks on
| these points were substantially the same as ex-
pressed in his Morristown speech, q synopsis OF
| which we gave yesterday.
| He fought under the banner of the people OF
on whose folds was inscribed; The Con
stltution our guide; the public good our aim, -
and proposed to bear il aloft in compliance with
their request until the election. Cheers foI
Johnson and "Hurra for Andy."l Abiding tc
party corruption in the days Of Ancient Rome
he thought now in our history it was time the
people had party He had been denounced