Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-10-01

u
ACCEPTED ...
the candacy for third term had the i'm
terests of the country demanded it and
they had been situated as General Grant
now is. Indeed, it is fact we'll known to
many of the older citizens of Nashville
that General Jackson for q long time Sc
riously contemplated running a third
time, and only relinquished the idea on
account of falling in health and If he had
done so he would have been triumphantly
elected by as large a mojority as was
GRANT OVER Mr. GREELEY.
Cbrrespondent-Is II your opinion, Gov
ernor, that General Grant will be the next
republican candidate?
Senator BroUniotH-Well it Is rather
early to prophesy, but events are tending
in that direction, and my opinion is that
he will. He is certainly the most promi-
nent candidate now. .... r..
Correspondent--You have said, sir, that
General Grant was yonr first choice, and
that you believed he would be a candidate.
Do you think he will be elected il he does
run? ........ -...
Senator Brotrnlotu--Of course have no
means of knowing the result in advance,
but there Is not the least doubt in my mind
that, should he yield to the wishes of his
party and again enter the lists lie would a
third time be
OVERWHELMINGLY ELECTED.
orrespondent-Fromy your knowledge of
the political situation, what do you think,
Senator of the future of Tennessee?
Senator BrOtcRIOtD-I believe that, with
harmony and proper effort, the republican
party will carry the State at the next cleo
ton. The masses are thoroughly disguised
with their democratic rulers and (grimly,)
as bad as they represented my administra-
ton, when order had to be evolved from
chaos, their disgraceful conduct has rem
dered mine eminently respectable by con-
trast.
Correspondent to national
affairs, would like to ask if you think
the Liberals will put presidential ticket
in the field at the next election?
Senator BrOlOnLoW.-Oh, no. The mis-
sion was accomplished last November,
and, being a moDgrel concern, the dis
cordant elements composing it having
nothing in common the party-if l may
be allowed the misnomer-will fall to
pieces, if, indeed, it has not already done
SO, and those composing it will return to
their old organization.
COrrespondent.-You referred while
ago to n statement made by yourself on the
stump in 1861 that you preferred that Mr.
Lincoln should be elected rather than
Breckenridge, the leader of the secession
democracy, but at the same time expressed
preference for Bell and Douglass over
Lincoln. In view of the fact that your
then leader, John Bell, afterwards went
into the rebellion, presume your support
of him in that canvass is one of the acts
of your political life which you would
like to recall?
Senator BroaonloD Yes, / frankly con-
fess that was mistaken in Bell. / never
would have voted for him had 1 not sup
posed him incapable of yielding to the
storm which then saw was approaching.
Edward Everett was true, and rendered
great service to the country by his mag
nificent war speeches; but my old friend
Bell was
CAPTURED BY THE sECESSIoNIsTS
And, from conversations had with him
since the war ended, L know he deeply
regretted having yielded. On his return
to Tennessee he came to my Office in Nash
vile, and asked me to accompany him to
General Thomas headquarters to procure
his parole, experimenting that he would be
imprisoned and tried for treason, which
request 1 complied with, and the parole
was readily granted by General Thomas,
who treated him in the kindest possible
manner.
Correspondcnt-Doyo you think that Gen
eral Grant would attempt to override the
law and attempt to remain in office by
force as his enemies charge?
senator Br0tCntOU.-NO. Sir. IN tne
first place General Grant is a patriot in the
fullest sense of the term, but if he was so
ambitions, he is of too well balanced a
mind to attempt coup d'etdt such as on
which Napoleon went into power. His
administration has demonstrated that he
is far ADLER man than even his friends
thought. / know of my own personal
knowledge that
HE WRITES HIS MESSAGES HIMSELF.
Alexander II. Stephens read him more
correctly than any Of the Southern Demo-
cratic leaders. There never has been a
man in the Presidential chair with less
disposition than Grant to assume absolute
power or to subordinate the civil to the
military, and at no period in our history
have the laws been more impartially exc
cuted. Were il not for the respect with
which he has inspired the lawless ele-
ments in the South by his firm and just
administration, we would have this much
| talked-of Cesarism in its worst form in
every Southern State-i. e., the kuklux
| Democracy whose only law is force, and
whose hatred of the negroes is intensified
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