The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Good Words Fifty spoken.


The remarks of Col John F. House in
the Democratic Convention last week
were SO true and so appropriate that we
desire our subscribers to read them. He
said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvENTIoN--I
thank you most heartily for the great
compliment you have paid me this even
ing, and for the cordial greeting you have
given me. But [ draw from it, gentle
men of the convention, the reflection that
spirit has appeared among you which is
the omen and the augury of victory, that
we are friends, that we are all brethren
here to-day. You have heard tell to-day
of the old Wing party and the old Demo
cratic party. l had the honor, gentlemen
of the convention and fellow-citizens, of
belonging to the old Wing party Tim
mense applause, and followed its banner
as long as the breezes of heaven kissed it.
1t was a grand and glorious old party.
Its memory and its traditions are en-
shined in the hearts of its friends, and
there it will ever live upon the pages of
history. | meet, occasionally. as l go
about through the country, an old Wing,
a man that belonged to this grand old
party, wandering about like Marius,
among the the ruins, not knowing where
to go. honor them because they were
men devoted to principle. I honor both
because they were honest, and differed up
on principle. Loud applause The old
Wing party has gone to its grave, and an
impartial historian will write its epitaph.
We owe duties to the present hour.
What will you do now? The Wing party
is dead, but zoe are not dead APP
plause We owe our country a duty
What shall we do? Shall we wander
about outside the pale of the Republican
party? Shall we wander outside the pale
of the Democratic party? five go carp
ing about because this or that does not
happen to suit US, we cannot achieve
anything by it, but we should, like sensi-
bic men, go into that party which is best
calculated to be of benefit to US in this
our hour of great peril, A voice, THAT
is the way to talk to them Your par
ty is dead, but you are not dead and you
owe duty to your country. If you be-
lieve the Republican party is right, go in
to that party and act like men, but if you
believe the Democratic party are the on
ly friends of constitutional liberty, then
shoulder your musket and go into ranks.
That is your duty, fellow citizens.
Look at the Republican party. Look
at what it proposes to do now. We have
been sleeping; been divided up; many of
us have retired to our tents, and said
they would have nothing to do with it,
didn't like the nominee of the Democra-
cy. We have been divided up until the
Radical party has passed the picket lines
of the Constitution unchallenged. If
its onward march is to be arrested, it will
have to be done by the Democratic party.
Let every man stop talking about MONIES
sentials. Let US 60 together and do our
duty as valiant soldiers. Fellow-citizens,
[ would like to extend these remarks.
Cries of go on, go on.
General Bate said something to you
about harmony. would be willing to
get down on my knees before this con-
vention aud surrender every political as
piration cherished if l could feel this
convention could be harmonious. Vo-
ciferous applause. tell you as an
honest man, to-day, l hold that above
aspirations. Loud cries, Well have
harmony There is spirit abroad here
that tells me you will do it, that you will
harmonic upon platform. know you
will put good and true man before the
people as a candidate for Governor. |
am not prophet enough to tell who it will
be, but take the man nominated by this
body, on trust, now. Applause.J l
voted for General Cheatham APP
plause:l l have no apologies to make to
anybody for the course / pursued. AP-
plause.l Let me say that there are many
men in this State as true and as patriotic,
perhaps far more intelligent than myself,
who saw fit to support Mr.. johnson. l
ask them to make no apologies to me,
Applause The English of the whole
| thing is we acted the fool and got beat
Loud laughter and cries of go on, go
on. All have to say to you is don't
do so any more. Applause l don't
believe | have felt solicitous about this
platform, but see all honestly working
for the same purpose. tell you there is
a spirit abroad in this convention which
tells me you will do what you have under
taken, and you will carry the State by
10000 votes. Shall we split up on
platform, or anything else?
You will have platform upon which
all can harmonic No party has right
to aspire to the control Of this country,
ifit has not the manhood and sense
enough to manage its own affairs. How
can you expect people to trust you with
theirs if you do not know how to conduct
your own7 Two years ago, fellow citizen,
thought would not alIude to that, but
| will do it. In 1872 we had the fruits of
division. l bore my humble part in
the canvass of Y. Who is it that now
represents US as Congressman from the
State ut large? Horace Maynard. Who
is he? A man that said rebel had two
rights, one TO die and the other to be
damned; man who voted for the civil
rights bill. He did not, nor does not,
represent the people of Tennessee, He
represents minority, How did he get
there? By your division. And let US di-
vide again, and you may expect the
same result to be brought about. Horace
Maynard is for everything you don't ad
vocate and against everything you do advo-
cate. You can have the luxury of such
a representative. l cannot believe it.
You will not 90 il. LCries of 60 on, 90
on. Now | want you to 60 on. | be-
lieve feel it in the atmosphere. l feel
it thrilling through my heart that they
can and will be harmonious, and that in
November next a glorious victory will
crown our efforts, and instead of having
seven Republican Congressman, there
will be only one, and he a respectable
colored man like the one elected in North
Carolina. Laughter | feel like
could speak always to such crowd as
Al - II - H.. -