Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-03

adjacent, gathered in the spacious amphi-
theatre at the Fair Grounds, two miles
from the city, to hear the Chief Executive
of the State discuss the exciting political
issues of the day.
THE RECEPTION
given the Governor upon the arrival of the
train at Columbia, at II O'Clock, was GER
tainly fattering testimonial, of which the
recipient had reason to be proud. A large
body of mounted men were drawn up in
line near the depot, and as the Governor
was conducted 10 the open barouche pro-
vided for him, to which was attached span
of milk-wbite steeds in richly mounted
harness, they greeted him with three rOus-
ing cheers, after which Capt. Joseph II.
Russell
| WELCOMED THE GOVERNOR
to Columbia, as follows:
ave are here, sir, to-day, to welcome
you to our city, and we are glad of the OPP
portunity thus afforded us of showing our ap-
probation of the Governor of our State.
We are glad to welcome a man whose
name has occupied pages of our State his
tory and that Of our country.
ave trust, sir, that your mind will re-
cur with pride to those halcyon days spent
in our midst before the important duties Of
later years fell to your lot. But, sir, those
halls you were wont to frequent, have long
since fallen, aud their ashes have
long since been given to the winds.
But the friends of those days are here TO
welcome you to-day. We turn with them,
sir, to the days which tried mems souls
| to the days when the clash of arms and the
roar of Battle distracted our country. On
that day you cast your lot with the boys in
| gray, who believed their cause was just.
The men who sacrificed their all upon their
country's altar are here to-day to welcome
you.
| 'And again, when the din of arms and
/ the clash Of steel was no longer heard-in
that hour Of need, when our State was see
/ ing its darkest day, you came to her rescue
| when she was lettering and sinking-when
We thought We heard the death-knell of all
! we loved and cherished, and to-day we are
| proud to know that We are known through
| out the length and breadth of the land,
| and that he who has borne our banner has
been true to his task.
GAS a citizen, as a soldier, as a patriot,
and as a statesman, YOU have been true to
| your task, and in the name of these citi-
zens, L welcome you once again." PRO
longed applause.I
GOV. browns RESPONSE.
"Sir, and Ladies and Gentlemen: This
reception is no less gratifying than unex-
pected. The complimentary terms in
which you have been pleased TO character
! ize me, must say, have been Undesered.
| If have been enabled TO accomplish any
thing for this grand old State, it is because
the good and true men of Tennessee have
stood by me and upheld my hands.
If l accomplished anything in
the late struggle, il was be-
cause Of the patriotism, the noble
ness, the bravery of the people of Tennes-
see who stood at my back.
"Gentlemen, in a very short time | will
have an opportunity of addressing you at
length. l can only say now, that L desire
to return my sincere thanks for this de-
/
me, coming as it does from a people among
whom was educated, and to whom, in a
great measure [ am indebted for the posi-
tiOn now occupy" [Applause.l
The procession then formed, in the fol-
lowing order:
l. GibSOn's Rock City Band.
,. Mounted men.
). Open barouche containing Gov. Brown
and Col u T. Wade,
1. Carriages containing prominent citl-
zens.
). Hills String band.
In this order the procession moved
through the principal streets Of the city, |
amid the waving of handkeChiefs and |
cheers on the part Of residents along the |
line of march, reaching the Fair Grounds |
at y o'clock. As the procession passed in |
at the gate, Col. I. w. Keesee met it and |
took a seat in the barOuche in which the |
Governor was seated. After marching |
around the trOtting course, the procession |
halted in front of the aInphitheatre, Glib |
SONS band playing "Dixie," which elected |
round after round of hearty applause. |
Quiet having been restored, the Governor |
was introduced to the aSsemblage, num- |
bering several hundred people, by Gen. l.. |
Z, Polk, who said:
REMARKS OF GEN. POLK.
Ladies and gentlemen: l have the |
pleasure Of introducing to you Gov. John |
e. Brown-one whom we all delight to |
honor, one who has endeared himself to |
our people by his yalor as a soldier, his |
character as a citizen and by his admins
traiion of the public affairs of our State |
during the last four years. (Applause.)
Well may We congratulate ourselves, |
when we compare our condition with that |
of other States in the South. We do have /
bad men among Us, who bring TeprOach |
upon our State by their conduct; we have, /
also, at the head of the State government, |
a man who shrinks from no responsibility, |
but goes TO work at once and brings those |
men to justice.
As he looks around him to-day he sees |
the friends of his youth, and his classmates |
of old jackson College, his comrades in /
arms, and his old friends Of the Third Ten /
nessee, and he sees that he is indeed among |
friends. CCheers.)
Gov. Brown then came forward and spoke
an hour and half, delivering a very inter-
esting address, of which we give a full |
synopsis.
GOV. BROWNS ADDRESS.
He said: Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow
citizens of Maury COUNTY: In the vast crowd |
before me l see the intelligence, the enter
prise, the industry, the virtue and the beau
ty of this portion Of our State-the fairest
land Gods sun ever shown upon.
Although l am personally . stran-
gez to many of you, | do
not feel to-day as a stranger feels in
strange land. Among the familiar fac
that grace this occasion, recognize some
who, in early youth were my classmates; L
recognize the true faoeS-the honest, brave
faces of those with whom. when the war
cloud OvershadoWed our land, shared the
soldiers couch and the soldiers fare.
While it reioices my heart TO be able to
mipele again with these brave men, it
gives me pain ais for l look around and
miss many dear faces. Those friends are
gone; they have fought their last fight and
no sound save that of the arch angels
trumpet shall awake them again.
| would be less than mortal if did not
feel proud of the reception you have given
me ON this occasi on-a reception did not
deserve, a reception | did not expect.
Thirty years ago, lacking a few days, |
came in your MIDST, pennileSs and friend
less. Your people were kind to me. Your
old men took me by the hand and babe me