Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-08-19

Tuesday at twelve O'CLOCK, Jne nOuT
for adjournment of Court having been
agreed upon, 10y the rival candidates
for Congress, in which to commence
the discussion before the people of their
respective claims, the Court House
was filled with crowd of eager lis
teners, each anxious to hear for
himself the position each occupied on
those questions of public interest that
now attract such general attention.
Both gentlemen had agreed on a
division of the brief time allowed by
Judge Hall. between the adjournment
of the Court at II o'clock and the hour
of resuming, half-past one p. m,
which gave each three-quarters of an
hours time, which was sub divided
into speech of thirty five minutes and
a reionider of ten minutes each, one
hour and q half being all the time
that the inflexible administrator of JUS
tice would allow them, but even that
owing to variation between his and
their watches, the candidates were not
allowed the benefit of; for before Col.
Thornburgh had fairly commenced
his rejoinder, Judge Hall appeared and
the Colonel had to bow to his ipse
dirt, while Judge Houk had not even
that poor grace.
COL. THORNBURGH's SPEECH.
Col. Thornburgh commenced by
stating that he appeared before the peo-
pie of Roane county. for the first time
in his life, as a candidate for political
office, and in so doing he addressed
himself to men, some CT whom had
known him from his majority aud the
time he had as young man entered
the service of his country as a soldier
in the Union Army, during that ar
duous struggle and afterwards in his
official capacity up to the present time.
HIS RECORD.
In 1872 he had been sent to the Con-
gress of the United States, since which
time he had endeavored TO faithfully
represent his constituents, and his
course had been closely and critically
watched, and, appealing to his record
to sustain him, asked jf|
past services were not a
better guarantee for the future than
promises of future devotion. He was
ready now as he had ever been TO dis
charge every duty devolving upon
him. His enemies had not veutured
to assail his official career, for they
well knew it WAS useless, and if he was
before them to make defense against
charges of that character, where had
any been made? Bad men had at
tempted by the use of baser tools to
Islander and backen his private char
acter, but their venom had fallen harm
less and he stood vindicated in the
sight of community who knew alike
both he and his traducers, as his hear
ers could, many Of them, testify. Such
had been the warfare waged against
him by INSCRIPTIONS foes, but he had
not the inclination if he had the time,
to repel such aspersions at present
If his private reputation was hereafter
assailed, he would repel the charges so
brought, but not now.
WHY HE is AGAIN a CANDIDATE.
He was a candidate for re election
and thought it was due him for the
reason that he had made the race two
years ago against the most tremendous
odds. When first solicited at that time
to make the race by the leaders of the
Republican party, he had endeavored
to avoid the candidacy, preferring that
others who had deep seated aspira-
tons should take the field, but he had
been appealed 10 by every tie OF party
fealty to run, they asseverating-wh
modesty impelled him to doubt, their
kind partially to the contrary, not
Observation-Disclosures he was the only
Republican in the Battering Ram
District" who could marshal the Re.
publican hosts to victory. But not to
90 into detail, he had led the A" forlorn
hope" and carried the victorious col
umns OF Republicanism into the
stronghold of the Democracy. He was
a Republican candidate and ran on the
same platform as that he espoused in
1861, when he first put on the blue, "
and expected TO remain there as long
as the party was right, but, 50 help
him God no longer. He had, when
solicited 10 take the race before, object
ed, on the ground that his business
would suffer and the expense of the
canvass would be heavy, stating in ad.
dition, what time had since verified
that the next Legislature would re-
district the State, making the I'd Dis
trict overwhelmingly Republican
when candidates in shoals could and
would be found anxious to go to Con
gress this time. Recognizing the JUS
Altc Vi Ills INlllAl hHs AAlF lEaAfln Vi lllt
party had promised him u clear track
now. True, there had been no writer
guarantees, none had been asked o.
given, but individual pledges had beer
given nevertheless. Still he did no
insist on the track; the lists were opeI
and any man could run who chose
He
INVITED INSPECTION
Of his public record, which any and al
could examine with a lighted candle
and if there was aught that was disap
proved, why, then, go against him
But harmony was greatly 10 be desir
ed, and to show his fairness, he was
willing TO leave the question Of fitness
to the arbitration of friends, notwith.
standing any previous understanding
or agreement that might have beer
entered into with him he did this 70
the good Of the party, for If dissensior
existed in the ranks Of Republicans
the district would be represented in Tia,
next Congress, not by either himsel
or competitor, but by a Democrat. II,
would entrust his claims 10 a conven
ton If its elements contained only thu
smattering of fairness and could SCI
nothing that could be further asked O