Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-15
COL. STEPHENS SPEECH

We were unable to publish Sunday
morning our synopsis Of the speech of
Col. W. 81. Stephens, at the Cheatham
Reception, Saturday night. 1t does great
injustice TO Col. Stephens, but such as
1t is, we publish it this morning:
Colonel Stephens said: would be rec
reant to duty, to gratitude, to my people,
should /, through fear, refrain from ex-
pressing my admiration for Gen. Cheat
ham, the Democratic candidate for Con-
gress.
Col W. 81. Stephens then spoke Of the
Cincinnati movement, which be deemed an
effort to repudiate miHule and oppression,
and Tennessee was the first to foster
the enterprise. The State ConVen-
ton nominating Gov. Brown and the
one nominating the other candidates were
reviewed, their purposes set forth and their
results considered. Drawing a parallel
from the necessity requiring the Cincinnati
Convention, he showed the necessity ofthe
State Convention, which was fair in having
made the nomination, whose support peace,
reconciliation and harmony required. The
common platform of peace and harmony
did not suit the selfish wishes of individual
pOollADhs AAOASO . ASAAO0
seean has endeavored to interrupt this pros
perity, resulting from eEmity Of others, and
had himself nominated by MSS meeting,
either to elect himself or Maynard, he did
not know which. Neither Grant or the
Radical Congressional candidate in this
State. sought to brand the CODfederstes
with s'traitor." johnson does, and his ar
Cument is that the Confederate Generals
II. thn laaAAra in tho
late war had no sense. Hence he never
asks any to support him except those who
are fools. The great sin OF the war Mr..
Johnson Is making upon us is that he COM
pcls the great debaters Of this State, who
are mostly Southern, 10 write traitor upon
their graves, or else to support Mr.. john
son, and thereby ipjure MIR. Greeley In the
North. He did not intend TO be betrayed
into the discussion of this subject, nor
would he pretend to say that the Confeder-
ste Generals were traitors. l have Mr..
JChnson's word that they are not. Let us
see the papers.)
he then read what johnson said to Con-
gress in his veto MESA ge, in February,
1867, on the Reconstruction Act, which
passed over bis veto:
''I submit to Congress whether this inca
sure is not, in its whole character, scope
and object, without precedent, and without
authority-in palpable conflict with the
plaiaest provisions of the Constitution, and
utterly destructive Of those great principles
OF liberty and humanity, for which oU
ancestors, on both sides Of the Atlantic
have shed 80 much blood and expended 81
much treasure" $3.50.
Aud again: "Those who advocated the
right of secession, alleged in their iustiicA-
tion that we had no regard for law, and
that their rights of property, life and Liberty
would not be safe under the Constitution
administered by US. If we now verify thei
assertion, we prove that they were in truth
and in fact fighting for their liberty; and in
stead of branding their leaders with the
dishonoring name of traitors against ;
righteous and legal government, we elevate
them in history in the rank of self-sacr1h
cling patriots, consecrate them TO the admira
ton of the world, and place them by thu
side Of Washington, Hampton and sgd
ney."-Stephens % vol. Of war, page CAS-
Col. Stephens then commented at length
upon the words of johnson who now I'm
dertook to tell the common people the.
composed one class and be wanted thei
votes, and the Southern leaders the othel
class.
True Christianity he thought did not con
sist in arousing the bad passions, and ex
citing hatred. Gen. Cheatham, an humbl
man. and not as rich as. Andrew johnson
does not hate Andrew johnson because 3
is poor. Hatred such as johnson exhibit
he Thought inconsistent with true and gres
sta;csmanship. He here 81 owed the col
trast between Cheathan and Johnson, shoS
ing he one fought in the battle and tlep
with the common soldiers on the ground
both wore epaulettes, but johnson sep
upon a soft bed and revelled at the csplto
He also bestowed very worthy conpi
ment upon Gen. Cheatham's private chai
&cte., soldierly fidelity and kindness an
his genuine personal worth. lllustratin
Gen. Cbeatham's kindness and sympathy q
all times for his private soldiers, he Ieiel
red 10 an incident the night following Go
battle Of Belmont when the gallant NAL
arese at midnight from his sleepless couc
and went into the dark and cold an
dreary tangled thickets where unseen enc
mics might hnger to look to see If an,
wounded, or suffering soldier was ther
There he said was an example ofthe genera
of an army. If Cheatham's heart was i
Johuson's body, it is so large that it woul,
burs. Johnson's ribs. 1 merely came be
fore sou to express my confidence in th
ability, honor and personal integrity
Gen. Cheatham, the Democratic candidai
for congress.