Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-09-12
General B. F. Cheatham.
Circular Address 10 the pe0p.c of
the State at Large,

y i L.
AT the earnest IT quest OF mum.
Der of friends, | became a cadldate
for Congress from the State at large.
Soon thereafter the Democratic par
ty, though its Central Committee,
called convention to nominate a
candidate for that Office. This was
done to seizure harmony aud unity
Of action among people having "a
common sentiment and a common
interest. announced promptly
that | would submit my claims to
that COL ventioD, abide it's action,
and support lis nominee. Alter
time had been allowed Tor consul
tation and due consideration, that
convention met, and | WAS NOM
mated as its candidate. / believe
it was fairly organized and ex-
pressed honestly the preference Of
two,thirds Of the people whom it
undertook to represent; otherwise
| would not be before you to day.
| believe that to act well is more
important and beneficial than to
speak well, and | have endeavored
Throughout my life to act we'll III
whatever | engage. Though not
professional politician, l have
from boyhood taken lively inter
est in public affairs, and believe
il | am elected to the Congress of
the United States, / shall be at no
loss to determine what is the true
interest of the people. That l
will stand by and promote your
interest to the best Of my ability,
no one who knows me will gu, s.
ton. l have heard but two ohjec,
tons urged to my election; first, 1t
is objected that l have been SOL
dier-a General officer. My coun-
trymen, is there any force to this
objection2 When | was little
boy my mother put in my hands
Weems' Life of Washington, and
taught me to believe that the char.
acter of that great citizen-soldier
was a model tor every American
youth. Learned then 10 think and
to feel that the highest type Of citi-
zenship was a man who would i'm
peril his life in defence of his coun-
try. In my early life it was the
custom of our people to meet every
Fourth Of July aDd pay tribute to
the memory of our revolutionary
fathers, whose heroism on the
battlefield had achieved our liber-
ty and independence | was raised
in the shadow of the hermitage, land
was taught by my father to love
the name of Jackson-Tennes.
sees greatest soldier. Under such
instructions, when IreacL ed man :
estate, | felt it my duty, when
my country was involved in war,
J to respond to her call for soldiers.
When, years ago, the United
States Government called for vol
unteers, to carry the stars and
stripes in triumph to the halls of
the Montezumas, | for one an
swered the call, and | hope SO act
ed in that contest as to bring no
discredit to my own native State.
If | erred in SO doing, | erred in
common with Campbell and Trous-
dale and hosts of others, whom
heretofore y>u have delighted to
honor. In liter years, when our
country became unhappily in
volved in civil war, and the State Of
Tennessee called upon her sons to
defend her rights and your homes,
| again answered to her call and
if | erred in that, | erred in SEN
timent, if not in action, with a
vast majority of my fellow-citi-
zens. In becoming soldier to
the extent to which | have been
one, | was prompted by no ambi-
tious motives; | sought simply to
do my duty as | understood it; |
asked and expected no reward
but / will admit it never occurred
to me that the day could ever
come in which my efforts to pro.
tect the weak and defend the
homes and fresides of my coun-
trymen and State, would be urged
as an objection to my being trus-
ted with civil office.
Fellow citizens, if | had been
one Of those quasi military men
who took a position in the rear,
and abused his power by tyranni-
zing over helpless women and dis
armed citizens, the objection would
be good one. But ! made TO
war Cd the defenseless l never
disturbed their peace, nor wasted
their property; no citizen can
raise his hand and say l ever
sought to Cypress him. When
borne downby overwhelmingnum-
bers, we were forced to surrender,
and the war was ended, accep.
ted the situation upon the honor
of soldier. and returned to the