Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-07-13
REPLY OF col. KrLLErREw,



ALTERNATELY AND OTHERS :-Gentle-
mon-My attention has been called to
card in the GAINESVILLE CHRoSr-
Gle, signed by you, in which you call
upon me to announce myself rs a can
didate for Congress from the State at
large. l sincerely thank you, gentle
men, for the compliment which this
implies, all the moro grateful because
unsought, and because il comes from
old ncighbors and friends whose good
will and esteem l prize more highly
than / would the greatest honors heap
cd upon me by strangers. But | know
you will pardon me, when / say hon
cstly, that | do do not think | am the
man for the place. l have entered
into:a labor which think will be of far
more value to the State, than anything
] could effect in the Congress of the
United Statcs-no less n task than to
collect and make known to the world
our bondlcss resources, our genial eli
mate, the aptitudcs and capacities of
our soils, the value of our streams and
timber, the wants of the people, etc;
and regard this duty as one of para
mount obligation, and one that will
ultimately ennurc to the benefit of
every man. woman and child in the
State.
/ have no ambition for political
honors. Were | to accept any posi-
ton of honor or trust, it would be
from consciousness that | could be
useful. At present, have but lin
tied knowledge of my own State, her
wants and necessities, and l should
feel, in taking such a position as you
mention, that | would be receiving the
peoples money without rendering a
corresponding benefit. / have no de-
sire or inclination to sit dummy in
any deliberative assembly and perform
no other service than to draw my mile
age and salary. Should | ever be hon
ored with a seat in Congress, I should
like to go armed and equipped with
such facts and knowledge of my State
rs would make me useful and effect
i've member. I should like to be able
to represent the condition of our agri-
cultural and mechanical industries,
and to suggest some means by which
they might be lifted out of the ashes
and cinders that have been hcaped
upon them by the war. AS the pros
pcrity of the State depends, prinsi-
pally upon the condition of these pur-
suits, so | hold it to be the highest
duty of our representatives, both State
and Federal, to acquaint themselves
with these subjects, and to advocate
whatever may be necessary to stimu-
late and encourage them.
We live in strange times, and events
are daily occurring which upset all our
previous notions of right. We see
men growing great and powerful upon
the very misfortunes of the govern
ment. We see capital that lies idle
in the vaults of our banks eating up
the substance of cur people and max
ing labor itself Improbable. Money
that is needed for the successful devel-
opmcnt of our industries is distracted |
from circulation and invested in bonds
because the bond speculation of the
government upon the labor of the
country, pays higher profit than any |
other investment. All this must be |
corrected by the people. This is their
government. They alone arc sovereign. |
Their will is law, and their will is
made known by and through their
in the State and Fed
eral councils. Hence the importance |
of selecting well informed AMI true
men for such positions. A wise peo-
pic can never be Observation-Disclosures |
is power and wisdom is strength. I'll
They arc the chief corner stones of all |
free government. Liberty and intel
liecnce are twin sisters that go hand |
in hand dispensing blessing, to man
kind.
There arc three ideas of government
in the world:
LIST, That all the virtue and intclli-
genco of the State arc TO be found in
one man, and he is styled the SOW
vcreign.
2nd. That the virtue and intelli-
gcnce of the State are vested in few
and in these the sovereignty
resides
Bird. Democratic, or representative
government, where the aggregate vir-
tue and intelligence of the State, or
nation, are held to be superior to that
Of any one man, or select body of men,
where all have a voice in m king the
laws that all arc bound to obey. That
is the only form of government which
lnitcs wisdom with strength and the
happiness of the citizen, and if faith
fully administered by honest and in
felligcnt representatives will indurc
forever, because founded in the hearts
md affections of the governed. There
Is therefore a greater necessity than
would at first appear, for selecting
men who understand and appreciate
our form of government. and who
have the nerve TO administer it under
thc,c principles.
The practice Of our government now
is to take care of the rich. on the sup
position, let Us charitably suppose,
hat the rich will take care of the poor.
This is not only the practice. but the
theory of some politicians. This pro-