Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-25
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
The Issues lByOlEed-The South
Yearning for Cancellation. =

Virginia, at the Great Greeley am,
Brown Meeting I'm New York. Sen,
IL, 1872.
IL any man had told me three month
ago that l should be here to-day to address
public meeting on political affairs,
should have replied that whatever might b.
bis other gifts, that of prophecy was no
among them So completely have / with
drawn from any active participation in pub
nc affairs, that the din and turmoil Of partj
strife scarcely reach me ia my retirement
unless there be some jar in The machinery
OF society itself. To others younger thar
myself, and whose previous life can bring
up no bitter recollections, and none OF the
prfjadices engenderedbyf former differences,
and to those who have the hopes and aspi.
rations that give energy to public men,
which have long since fed from me, |
have thought it best TO leave the active con-
duct of political affairs, and into their hands
L freely resign whatever share | NAV
have had in them. But when l came
to reflect upon the consequences of refus-
ing this invitation, it struck me that it
might be attributed to ali indifference to
the welfare of the country, which | am
very far from feeling. On the contrary,
desire most sincerely to reunite our citi-
zens il sympathy and affection, without
which the tie Of citizenship ceases to be a
common bond, and no longer implies a
mutual support among its members. But
these are feelings which require reeiproca-
ton to thrive, and cannot flourish with one
party il met by neglect and persecution By
the other. l had yet another motive for
coming. / believe that there are words Of
warning necessary TO be spoken to the
country, and | know of no one in a
better situation than myself to utter Them,
without suspicion of selfish and personal
designs. Disabled by The Constitution
from holding any Office, and retired from
all active participation in public affairs, |
can have but little personal interest In the
result Of any election. General considera-
lions, and desire for the welfare of the
country and my friends alone can move
me. My interests are only those of citizen.
With the candidates whose cause sup.
port have no personal acquaintance. /
never exchanged a word or a line with
either ofShem in my life. In times past
Mr.. Greeley and have differed, on nearly
all the great public questions which have
divided parties in their political action. As
| understand it, these differences stil exist.
He is Republican, and a Democrat, nei-
Their having changed, or professed to change
on those subjects Of division. And yet /
sincerely desire his election, and stand here
TO aid in it as far as l can. His friends
have put him in the lead, in the great
cause Of National Harmony, and in the
important issue between popular govern
ment and the coming empire, he is the
Standard-bearer of those who maintain the
popular supremacy. For the sake of these
great issues he will command my earnest
support; in their sacred namesI will follow
him, so long as be leads faithfully, and his
fidelity to his pledges on these issues no
man has ever doubted. For the present |
will bury all consideration of the questions
upon which we may differ for the sake of
his aid upon those which l hold TO be of
transCendant importance. Indeed l could
make no issue upon these other questions
if l desired it. Upon them his opponent
is as much opposed to me as he is, but l
viii not forbear to do the good which l
possibly may do because / cannot effect all
that l would. Let us secure peace, not
pretended, but real, between all the sec
tions and people of this great country, and
arrest the rapid progress Of the central
ization Of all power in the General Govern
ment, so as to check the advent of despOt-
ism, and we will look afterWard TO other
and minor causes of division.
TIE PARTY OF SECTIONAL HATE.
Questions of finance, of currency, of
commerce, are worthy Of all attention, but
in Importance they sink far below those
which concern the social life itself. To
9nfrea cnai1l nd Of
among all the sections of this great people
is a mighty task; and the man who leads
and succeeds in it will deserve the Presi
dency for this, if for nothing else. And
yet, citizens, there is a large party
in this country seeking TO build up its
power on the foundation of sectional hatred
among its people. Whatever can be said
or done TO keep up this bitter feeling is said
or done by this party under the hope of
finding favor with the majority, as being
the best instruments for the punishment Of
those they dislike.
In this way, too, they find impunity for
their Entertainments upon the constitution,
which are pardOned because of their i'm
mediate effects upon the South, without
consido ration of their ultimate results up-
on the North. To infuse a suspicion of
the feelings and purposes of the Southern
whites, and to represent them as being hos
titc 10 the Government and the former free
Safes, seems to be favorite object with that
party. It's by means of these suspicious
that they command support from the
NUr, hcrn people for their Ku-Klux laws,
and tOr theil support of the carpet-bag gov
eTaments in all their enormities. The war
has been ended now for seven years or
more, and yet if we listen to this party the
sections are as hostile as ever. At the very
last session of Congress, the President was
not ashamed TO ask FOR the privilege TO pro
claim martial law in the South, and thus in
effect 70 enable him to exercise supreme
power 10 that prosecuted region. say, TO
exercise supreme power under that pretext,
for | bt lieve with the Duke of Wellington
that to establish martial law is to say that
there shall be no law, but to leave the COM
maUler Of the military without check or
regulation. If this request had been grant
ed by Congress the President would have
regulated ali the Southern elections. With
this power he had only to threaten them
with the application of the Ku-Klux law to
their cases, and what so tempting as TO es.
cape tire suspicion by voting for his party.
That sIch an effect of the powers vest
ed by law in the President has been
prOduc in North Carolina we have all
seen charged, with how mach truth know
not; but the possibility of such an applica-
ton II this power is obvious to all. The
whole course of this party in the South has
proved the bitterness Of their hostility. To
keep NJ inveterate opposition between the
two races, and to subject the white mas
tiers 0 their former slaves with passions
exceed by those whose duty it was to have
promoted peace aud encouraged Justice in
the ad ADMINISTRATION of the power of the
Government, seems TO have been the es-
pecial object of their policy. States for
merly distinguished for economy under
their white rulers have been plunged into a
ruinous load of debt under the government
of corrupt carpet-baggers and ignorant ne
gro rulers. The seats of justice have been
filled bv persons disqualified by ignorance
and ch lacter OF such places. The exs
periencei members of society and those
used TO the task of governing and trusted
by the D sople were for long time 10 a
great extent disqualified, and the rule of
the woIs. over the better element OF society
was esta llished by the sword. The result
of all this is just what might have been ex-
pected from previous experience. Corrnp-
ton, debs, aud oppression on the part OF
the ruling class are the confessed results of
thelr government, and il the whites show
dlssatlsl lection at such a state of things
they are aocused of disloyalty and in danger
OF being transported from their sunny
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