Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-17
The Speaking ON saturday.

The Speaking on Saturday.
The Congressional aspirants Of
this district "orated" to the people
of this city and county On Saturday
last. They had the honor of adj
dressing alarge and intelligent audi
ence, and each did his level best.
The discussion was opened by Maj.
Caldwell, in a speech of an hour
and half. 1t was the best speech
we ever heard from the Major. He
told the people that in early days he
supported Huntsman against Davy
Crockett for Congress, that he loved
the man that loved his neighbor,
that he was uneducated and that he
owed his preferment to the partial
ity of the people, that as a member
of Congress he done all in his pow
er to remove the disabilities i'm
posed by the fourteenth amendment,
that the Ku-Klux bill was the result
of too much discussion in Congress,
that Il reelected he would represent
even the negro more faithfully than
a Radical, that he had labored IN
tiringly to restore to the old soldiers
of the Republic their wrongfully
withheld pensions, that he wanted
no votes because he was an old
Wing, that he was for Greeley and
Brown, and that his record in Con-
gress, which he reviewed at length,
was a sufficient guarantee of his fu-
ture course. The Maj. was listened
to with marked attention.
Gen. Bell simply announced him
self a candidate, and pledged his
best efforts to promote the interests
Of his constituency if elected.
Gen. Campbell amidst great cheer
ing next took the stand. He paid
an eloquent tribute to the patriot
ism, intelligence and generosity of
the people of old Madison, and re-
ferred, in a strain of matchless and
touching eloquence, to his lifelong
association with them. He did not
come to speak of himself or his
record-those whom he addressed
had known him from boyhood and
could judge of his fitness for seat
in Congress, without any self-lauda-
ton from him. INDUCING in none
of the special pleadings of the dema-
gogue, and scorning to appeal TO
sympathies grounded in prejudices
beneath the dignity of the high Of
fee to which he aspired, he entered
upon the discussion of the great
questions OF the day and handled
them with overwhelming logic and
eloquence. He traced the origin
and progress of Capitalization from
1872 through all the revolutions and
devious windings of parties down
to 1860. How under different ban
ners and notices this dangerous
idea had worked its way down
through our political history until
it triumphed in 1860 in the election
of Lincoln, the first President who
ever ayoWed anti-States' rights doc
trines. Eloquently and powerfully
he presented '1ocal self-govern-
ment," that cherished principle of
both the Democratic and Wing par
ties, as the question of the hour,
upon which rests the hopes of the
Republic. He argued that the time
had come when the people must de-
eide, between local self-government,
the doctrine of the great fathers of
the Republic, and Capitalization,
the idea of those who doubted the
patriotism and intelligence Of the
people, and of those.who, for selfish
purposes, would create class aris-
tocracy upon the ruins of the Con-
stitution. The fusion of the patri-
OTIS of all parties, in this vital hour,
no less question than the perpetu-
ity of free government being at
stake, he pictured in words of burn
ing eloquence, comparing the pres
ent striking hands across the bloody
chasms with the historic league of
Arragon and CASTLE after centuries
of rivalry and blood, to free their
common country from the opprcs-
sions of three hundred years of
Moorish tyranny. He announced
his support of Horace Greeley and
passed an eloquent eulogy upon the
character of that great philauthro-
pist, philosopher and statesman.
The Generals speech throughout
was able, eloquent and statesman
like, evidencing a thorough knowl-
edge of our system of government,
and the vital issues of the hour, and
we regret our inability to give it
entire. This much is certain, all
who heard the speaking will award
to Gen. Campbell superior states
manship, eloquence and knowledge
of both our theory of government
and the questions of the hour, over
either of his opponents. We enter
tain the highest personal regard for |
each one of our Congressional aspi- |
rants, but we think that it is our
duty and the duty of the whole peo-
pie, to support the ablest man. This |
is vital hour in Southern history, |
and the clock of our progress viii |
be either set back or advanced ten
years by the selections made for
Congress. We need, andmust have,
the services of our ablest men, and
so far as this district is concerned,
there can be no question of the SUI
perior fitness of Gen. Campbell over
his clever opponents for a seat in
Congress. J