Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-04
erNERAL h z. CHEATHAm

GENERAL b. r. CHEATHAM.
The appended letter, full of truth and
of Cheatham's native modesty and good
sense, win be read with keen interest by
the masses of Tennesseeans. It gives
forth no uncertain sound, and modestly
and properly asserts his claims to the
position which the people Of Tennessee,
if true to the nOblest mstinctsu0f our
race, viii surely assign him. johnson
would be a tempest turned loose in
Washington; Cheatham would win
there the same respect and friendship Of
men that became affectionate devotion
among soldiers, and made him the idol
of an army. he would serve Tennessee
much more effectively than Andrew
Johnson, and for the simple reason that
Chestham is only a warrior in war, and
Johnson a warrior only in time Of peace.
CIRCULAR ADDRESS To THE PEOPLE OF
THE STATE AT LARGE.
FeIow-Ctizsns Of tennessee:
At the earnest request of a number of
friends, I became q candidate for Con
gress from the State at Large. Soon
thereafter the Democratic party, through
its Central Committee, called a conven-
ton to nominate 3 candidate for that
Office. This was done to ecure har-
mOny and unity Of action, among a peo-
pie having a common sentiment and q
common interest. l announced prompt
~ that l would submit my claims TO
that convention, abide its action and
support its nominee. After time had
been allowed for consultation, and due
consideration, that convention met,
and Twas nominated a the candidate.
believe twas fairly organized, and ex-
pressed honestly the preferences Of
twO-thirds of the people whom it un-
dertOOk to represent, otherwise / would
not be be before you to-day.
] believe to act well is more import
ant and beneficial than 10 speak well,
and I have endeavored throughout my
life tO act well in whatever j engage.
Though not a professional politician, l
have from bOyhoOd taken a lively inter
est in public affairs, and 1 believe if l
am elected to the Congress of the United
States, l shall be at no loss to deter
mine what is the true interest Of my
people. That l will stand by and pro-
mote your interest to the best Of my abil-
ity, no one who knows me viii question.
l have heard but two objections urged
to my election; first, tits objected that i
have been q soldiers general officer.
Nv countrymen, is there any force in
this objection? When / was a little boy
mother put in my hands Weems's life Of
Washington, and taught me to
believe that the character of that
great citizen soldier was a model
for every American youth. / learned
then to think and TO feel that the high
est type Of citizenship was q man who
would imperl bis life in defense Of his
country. In my early life it was the
custom of our people to meet every
Fourth of July and pay tribute to the
memory Of our revolutionary fathers,
whose herOism on the battlefield had
achieved our liberty and independence.
/ was raised in the shadow of the Her
mitage, and was taught by my father to
love the name of JacksOn-Tennesseeis
greatest soldier. Under such iustruc-
tons, when 1 reached mans estate, /
felt 1t 70 be my duty when my country
was involved in war, to respond to her
call for soldiers. When, years ago,
the United States Government called
for volunteers, to carry the stars and
stripes in triumph to the halls of the
M-ontezumas, i for one answered the
call, and l hope 50 acted in that contest
as TO bring no discredit to my native
State. If l erred in so doing, l erred in
common with Campbell and Trous-
dale and hosts Of others whom hereto
fore you have delighted to honor. In
later years, when country became
~unhappily involved in civil war, and
the State of Tennessee called upon her
sons to defend her rights and your
homes, l again answered to the call;
and, if l erred in that, / erred in senti-
ment if not in action, with a vast ma
jOrity OF my fellOw-citizens. In becom-
ing a soldier to the extent to which l
have been one, 1 was prompted by mo-
ambitious motives; 1 sought simply TO
do my duty as l understood it; I asked
and expected no reward; but 1 viii ad-
nit it never occurred to me that the day
could ever come ia which my efforts to
protect the weak and defend the houses
aud firesides Of my countrymen and
State, would be urged as an objection to
my being trusted with a civil Office.
FellOw-citizens, i'll had been one of
those quasi military men who took a
position to the rear, and abused her
power by tyTanizing OVer helpless wo-
men and disarmed citizens, the Objec-
ton would be a good One But l made
no war on the defenseless; 1 never dis
turbed their peace nOr wasted their prop
erty: no citizen can. raise his hand andt
saw / ever sought 10 Cypress him. When I
borne down by overwhelming numbers,
we were forced to surrender, and the
war ended, / accepted the situation
the honor Of s soldier, and TetHFH-
ed to the pursuits Ofpesce. i am now a
farmer, and nothing more In my
humble way, / have labOred earnestly, |
that day to this, fOr peace and re-
Cancellation. The great body Of Con-
federate soldiers, who shared with me
the dangers and hardships of that war,
have done likewise. We feel that we
have not dishOnored cur mother State, \
and that she win not dishOnOF Us for
discharged patriots duty; be
sides il has been demonstrated that the
p~reseneeof a Confederate soldier IN Conf
gress exeites no sensation, and is not
made q cause Of objection. As evidence
OF thatl VIII only cite you 70 General
LEWIS fkentucky; General Ransom,
OF North Carolina and other distin-
guashed soldiers who now Oceupy seats
The second and only other objection
that has been urged against me 81 fbst
a IA is wanted who, in the Isn0nsge
Of the ObjectOrs-can "make Ro5e
FellOW-eitizens, II TennsSsee
needs such a man in Congress. fhe ~
is a grave one, for / have ns;fber
the peculiar talent nor the aspirafion 81
become an agitatOT or a political glsde
istor IN Congress. elimination and re-
elimination are often the offspring az
reckless hearts impelledby an overieap-
ambition, and subserve at best bus
bad purposes.
In legislative halls wisdom, modera-
ton, honesty and justice should bear :
sway, and not ambition, envy, hatred, Z