Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-11
THE APPROACHING CANVASS.


Hai
The Radical organs are speaking,
apparently, with the utmost confidence,
of victory in November, over the
foolishly discordant elements which |
make up the opposition. They Ger
tainly know our weakness, but overrate |
their own strength, in supposing that
they can gain victory. The opposi-
ton may commit suicide, when, in the
regular order of business, Radicalisrl
will come in as administrator, de bonis
non, Of the deceased Conservative
Democatic party, and thus, without
winning the fight, it will enjoy all the
fruits of victory. 1t is far from being
pleasant to contemplate such an issue
Of the conflict once so CALAMITY and
periodically waged, by the friends of
free government against the minions of
centralized despotism, and the only
consolation, under such disaster, will
be the consciousness that party inca
pable of governing itself, is unfit to be
trusted with the administration of
public affairs. When party is SO de-
moralized as to select its representa-
tives from the ranks of Its most dan
gerous enemies, the Inference is fair
one that it ought to be disband-
ed, either because it has no con-
fidence in its principles, or has
no representative men competent to
uphold those principles, and the cause
of regret is, not that such party COM
mits suicide, but that the ignorance, or
treachery of portion delivers over to
the enemy the interests of all, and
places within the power of a corrupt
and designing ring everything which
the patriot and statesman holds dear
liberty, public virtue and general pros
perity. We had cherished the hope
that Tennesseans are the last people,
within the boundaries of the Union,
who would forego their claims to con-
stitutional liberty, or pander to the
ambition of those who were tried, in
the hour of peri, aud found wanting
who, in fact, were foremost among the
enemies of the constitution when as
sailed by the hand of usurpation. In
this hope. We have been sadly disap-
pointed, ON one occasion, and see moth
ing in the present aspect of popular
sentiment, to revive it, but much to
strengthen the conviction, that the
revolution which hurled Radicalism
from its throne in this State, was a
spasmOdic throe of public virtue-a
passing show of resistance to fate,
now coveted, rather than Stunned
The decentralization brought about by
the war, was the result of innate vice,
restrained temporarily, by the force OF
good government But, that govern
ment being changed, the evil, that is
born in US, runs riot and, instead OF
desiring a return to virtue, through
the same instrumentaiity, wholesome
restraint is the last thing desired, and
hence the indisposition to follow up
the victory over corrupt tyranny, and
the willingness to fall again into the
power of the once hated tyrants-
johnson, Brownlow, Maynard, ct I'D
OBae genus
1t is of great Importance, therefore,
to the present and future welfare Of
the Conservative opposition, that in
the manner of selecting candidates,
the comparative strength of parties be
ascertained, as well as the tone of pop
ular feeling on the subject of conven-
ton, or no convention, and the degree
of reliance to be placed in public opin-
ion, as guarantee for united vote to
the candidates of the party, in what
ever manner they may be fairly nomi-
mated. In this county, convention
will be the mercst farce, if boilers, or
independents, relying upon the Radi-
cal, or colored vote, and the few Con
servatIve whites they can lead astray,
should take the field against the regu-
lar nominees. But a Convention is
the very thing, provided the whites
will stand square" up to it and, by so
doing. prove to the selfish aspirant.
that the power is theirs and that they
are determined to exercise it for their
country's good. Without such a de-
termination, all plans are equally
worthless, and we are fated to drift
with the current of corruption and
folly to certain political ruin.