Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-07
The Union and American Over.
hauled in His Usual Vigor-
GUS Style.
He Denies Most Ennphatically
That He is a Republican or
a RepudiatOr
Governor Brown, the Senator.
ship and the Famous City
Hotel COnclave of 1870.
National and State finances
Elaborately Discussed

which was crowded With an Interested du-
dience of several hundred people, among
whom were number of ladies. The ut
most attention was paid throughout, the
speaker being frequently interrupted by ap-
plause of his speech. We give full synOp-
sis:
After being introduced as the greatest of
living statesman, by g. }. Moody, Mr..
johnson said:
SPEECH OF EX-PREsIDENr JOHNSON.
Fellow citizens of Bedford county: ap-
pear before you in compliance with the
request Of many of the people of your
county and in part in compliance with my
own volition, as felt anxious to one time
more in my life address the people Of Bed
ford upon the great questions which agitate,
and may almost say distract our country.
There is an important crisis upon us.
This must be important to all. There
is nothing on the part Of the government
to change its form from that left US by our
forefatherS. At the outset, deem it neces-
sary to correct what | conceive 10 be q
false impression which may be made upon
the public mind, and it will be more for
the purpose of correcting history upon that
subject, than anything else. On reaching
your city, picked up copy Of the Nash
vile UNION AND AMERICAN-a Demo
cratic paper, one that have known for
MANY wears, and one that has been my adj
yOcate upon many occasions. In the re-
marks may make | wish it distinctly un-
derStOOd, is not for the purpose of finding
fault, but merely to correct false impress
5ioA. In this paper spoke of, find this:
THE TOCSIN OF REPUTATION.
While waiting fuller report of expires
ident JOhnson's remarkable speech at Chat
tanOoga last evening, We cannot permit
this issue to 60 20 press without adverting
to tie views credited 10 him bt- OiIf special
dispatch. In an interview with him last
spring, the writer of this called Mr.. John
sons attention to the circumstance that the
logic he applied to our State debt would
apply even more foreibly to the national
debt. II would seem he has followed his
logic to the inexorable conclusion:
OF the two. we an rhdre iealOiis OF State
honor. Why? Because il comes nearer to
us, and is more under our control. And
State honor is, after all, the only safeguard
for national honor. Honest States will
make an honest Tnisn. D.sl.0i.est Stats
will make a dishonest Union.
As 60 the National debt, il was created
by the North, and that section bears the
greater portion of the burden il entails. II
ever the question of Its Reputation should
spring up, let il be in The North, not here
II is neither honorable nor eSpedieut for
| Southern States or statesmen to initiate the
discussion. In the present Juncture il
would be deliberate suicide.
For these reasons, it is some relief Ia
tT1fauT flos flna ,fr
ton Is an ex-President of the nation, elect
ed on the Republican ticket. His renuta-
tion and lnHuente Is national, and above
party. He is amply able to shoulder the
responsibility. Certainly the Democracy
of Tennessee, or Of the South, or of the
country, cannot and viii MT Do -.
A few months ago, in West Tennessee
Isaac K. Hawkins, a Republican ex-mem.
Der Of Congress, openly advocated national
reputation. Now, another ex-CongreSS-
man of the same party, VIM. B. Stokes
conditiOnally supports the ex-President.
In his Senatorial aspirations We have con
scientiously endeayOred TO hold these
columns impartial between MI. johnson
and his several rivals; but We may as well
say now as later, that, unless Tennessee
intends herself to repudiate; size has nc
business sending to the Federal Senate q
representative pledged to reputation, botll
State and National.
That editorial is predicated upon
DISPATCH FROM CHATTANOOGA.
dated Oct. 3, which reads'
ChAfTANOOGA, Oct. 3.-Johnson spoke
tonight to very large crowd in James
Hall. His speech was in most respects a
repetition of that at Gallatin and was fire.
quently applauded. He GdrOcdted replt
didtioR OF the entire bonded debt, State dno
Federal, on The ground that the bOndhOid
eTs had already feceiUed more IN iHferes
thGf, they had paid for the bonds. He IA
| eUred the abolishing of national banks anC
| the issuing Of greenbacks to replace thu
national bank currency, and also favored
the resumption of specie payment. He
said he would favor the improvement Of
The rivers by either the State or Federal
| Government.
He spoke for two hours, and was follow
ed by Hon. W. B. Stokes, who regretted
that he had not more time to speak, anC
| said that President johnson had substan-
| TALLY covered his ground. He then dc
| fined his platform to be the reputation O
| the United States bonded debt in toto. un
| less the United States government wOult
| agree to issue two thousand millions il
| bonds TO pay for the slaves emancipated il
| the South. He declared himself an indie
pendent candidate for Congress, and saiC
he bad been refused division of time b,
| the regular party nominees. Stokes 1
| going to make the canvass throughout tin
| district. He is running, | think, to bea
/ Nelson. h.
There is AN intimatiOn thrown out il
that article, that l am in favor of absOlut,
reputation. | have considered the editor
of that paper my friends in the past, an,
| had hoped they might continue so. The,
| have stood by me in some things and il
some they have not. have stood by then
| in all things. | can turn back to thei
| files for many years, even in 1866, when
was traduced and villified, and find edito
rails speaking of me in such terms 0
praise, as might have brought a blush {,
the face Of a younger man in politics
! Laughter
During the past four wears the country
| has been controlled by rings and cliques
/ 1t is well known that since my entranc,
! into public life, L have thrown down tn,
| constitution of my country as my guide
| That constitution has always been m,
guide and the public good my aim. Il Ina.
not been my custom to take up LITTLE
platform such as can be made to suit an
occasion, and which can be ordered by tn,
gross. My actions have always been con
trolled by certain great principles, anC
! these will continue to control me until th'
last. Ii is time the country had come t.
consider about these rings and clique:
which are extending their influence to al
| questions, either State or national.
What are the great questions now befup
| the people? There has been a great dea
SAID of late about the United States Sena-
| torship. Well, we ought to select as Oul
representatives men who are able to dis
cuss the great questions before the country
the Civil Rights bill and other impOrtan
| bills, the question of electing Senators by
the people direct, dispensing with the Elec
| toral College in voting for United State:
| President. etc. Then let the people eX
| press their opinion. ii is more difficult
| 10 deceive them than for him to deceive
| the Legislature.
This editorial | have read is intended t
express the opinion that ex-Presiden
.Johnson-a Republican eX-President, i
not the proper person to go 10 the Unite,
States Senate. Then who ought tn go
Thev point the case well, and suggest to
! the Democratic party that Stokes is upoI
The stmnp-tliat HaSkins is upon IA.
| stump, aud that Stokes and Hawkins al