The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-01
NASHVILLE JUBILEE.
OPINIONS OF THE NEXT SPEAKER
DUTIES OF THE HOUR.

EEC BY THE HON. M y. hEhh Al The
REVIEW OF THE
WHOLE FELL OF THE FUTURE.
At the Nashville democratic celebration
on the 10th inst, the Hon. NJ. @: Kerr was
one of the speakers, and the following is a
report OF his speech on that occasion taken
from the Louisville Courier-Journal:
MEN OF TENNEssEE-I have not come here
to-day, for myself or in company with you,
to rejoice over fallen candidates for office
this year, or to exult over the mere defeat
of individuals. or even over the discontinue
of a political party, but / have come to
mingle my rejoicing with yours over the
success of a cause, the triumph of great
principles, the hopeful and encouraging
progress of political ideas in our
great country. l trust that no democratic
or liberal citizen of Tennessee de
sires now, even IN this hour of our unex-
pected triumph, to rejoice in any other spirit,
or for any other reason. L am glad to
be with you to-day. 1t is happiness TO be
able to rejoice with you over the remarkable
results of the recent elections and the bright
ening prospects of political reform. These
most gratifying events are proper subjects
for recognition at the hands of the peo-
pie. They are calculated to revive the
hopes and renew the patriotic zeal of
faithful citizens. They open the way
to better conditions, and invite the
DeODl6 Oh all CidSsG3 anu ctCtlOuO W MdIDltI
sympathies and closer brotherhood. They
evince an increasing sense of generous
nationality mongst the people. In my
Judgment, these great events, this political
earthquake, do not result from the labors of
the politicians. They are the results of the
voluntary, free, intelligent action of the
people. They come from them and echo
their feelings, purposes and sentiments. 1t
becomes us, therefore,, to look TO them for
their true significance. The political move
ments of this year pervaded the whole
country. North and south, east and west,
and therefore supply additional grounds for
rejoicing. lean well imagine that In many of
the oppressed and impoverished sections of
the country, a mighty load of dependency
or bitter apprehensions has been lifted from
the hearts of the people, and they now feel
that they have new reasons TO trust 4pd love
their country and all the people. Th5resuits
OF these elections rebuke the malign spirit
of s~ectionalism wherever It exists in the
land. They urge the people to cultivate
more friendly aud trustiul relations and a
nobler patriotism. 1t is, in my judgment,
one of the most precious results of these
victories that they evidence an intelligent
reawakening of the popular mind to
the public dangers, and a determine
ton on the part OF the people TO take charge
OF their own interests, and to rescue them
from the very great perils into which they
nave been brought by bad rulers and wicked
men in high places. They rebuke present
rulers for broken pledges and bad faith To-
wards the suffering people, for corruption in
Office, tor their bad, cruel, partial, and OPP
pressive laws, and for their gross excuses CT
authority. They rebuke, above all things,
every effort TO enact laws, such as the pro-
posed "civi. rights BILL" for the purpose OF
accomplishing mere partisan ends, and cal
culated chiefly
TO awake STRIFE n DIscoRD
4 a - -
section against section, and hasten on the
dangerous progress of ceutralism. They
show a determination on the part of the
people to come back, and bring their rulers
back, TO a more manly, honest and generous
obedience to the constitution, and to compel
the servants of the people TO forget them
selves and cease to pursue selfish ends and
TO remember their duty to the whole country
and all the people. [Applause.l They re-
the willingness hat has been mani
tested, for now so many years, to Cypress the
people with reckless and cruel laws and I'M
necessary burdens, and, as the gentleman
VINO last addressed you has so we'll said, to
grind them down into a condition almost of
slavery, and the country and the people,
with trumpet voice, have entered their pro-
test against this system OF legislation. They
entered their protest against all class
legislation, because 10 is the most fruitful
parent of sectionalism, injustice and corrup-
tion, and it is out of this kin of legislation
(0f which, In recent years we have had so
much), hat most of the s~ufferings, bur
dens and wrongs OF the people have
arisen. Applause In all these fortunate
and hopeful movements of the popular
mind there is the greatest ground Tor re-
jOiCing, because the promise of relief Is to
all the people, to all parties, TO ali pursuits
and interests, and not co one class, party,
aarftnn mr. m Fguif ThaFQfnrn nnnln saw
IL gives no reason for mere rejoicing over
individuals. 1 do not even rejoice in any
personal sense over the defeat of Mr.. b. +.
Butler, but | do rejoice, with all true and
faithful patriots, IN his defeat, because he
stood as the representative of bad doctrine,
OF bad policy of corrupt legislation. of dis
honest laws, and OF corruption in admins
tration. [Applause.l But in this rejoicing
the occasion tor which has been furnished us
by the brave and honest men OF Massachu-
sets, let us bear in mind that it was not a
democratic triumph. The democrats could
never have beaten Benjamin 4. But
Ter. 1t required the aid, powerful, Ell
fective and direct, of thousands of cOnserv
alive men, who have acted for years, and it
may be for their entire lives, with the re-
pabl1can party; men who love the country,
who love good and honest laws, who want
reform and who appreciate the rapidity with
which our country, for recent years, has
been travelling downward and hellward.
[Applause.1 And they have determined, in
their might, intelligence and virtue, that
would give us relief; and they have
thus rebuked the men who stood, as Mr..
Butler did, the representatives of these bad
things; and the results achieved by these
give promise to the people of the
whole country OF an era of peace-real, gen
erous, national and fraternal peace. lap
plause.] But it is not in. Massachusetts,
alone that we nave the aid of
IBERAL AND VOTES
to achieve recent trlumphs Over wrong,
rsdicslism and corruption. We nave had to
a greater or less extent the like aid in all
parts of the country. 1t is fit and just that
we should recognize this fact, and so use the
power conferred on us by these victories as
to deserve again the confidence and CO.