Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-10-03
LETTER FROM wooDLAwN.

are very anxious these hard times to |
learn what is going on in the political
of government, to see if
something cannot be done to remedy |
the great evil affecting u.s. / went to |
Jordan's Springs on Friday, 18th ult., |
having heard there would be barbe-
cue and speaking, and to my astonish-
ment found quite a number of ladies |
and gentlemen assembled on the
ground After waiting some time, DR..
Northington, the Democratic nominee
for the Legislature (the only candidate
present. appeared on the stand and
for one hour and quarter made one
of the most sensible speeches (for the
first one he ever made) it has been my
good fortune to listen to.
Before he concluded, DIR. West, our
nominee for Floater, appeared on the
ground and followed DR.. Northington
in one of the kind of speeches that
will tell all over Stewart and Mont
gomery. 1t is a glorious thing he has
no competitor. If one had been pres
ent. don't think greasy spot would
have been left. The DIR. is a good
Surgeon from the way he dissected
radical corruption, for his probe reach
cd plumb through and found nothing
but corruption. / am sorry the DR..
has to deal with such a body, but then
he is our servant, and does not refuse
to clear up the body polite, which has
been rotten so long it smells to heaven.
He spoke about one hour and half,
and never was there a more attentive
audience In ADLER or truer hands the
standard OF Democracy could not have
been placed.
About the time DR.. West concluded,
up drives old bald-head-you know
w. A. Quarles, who received the unan-
imous nomination at GAINESVILLE to
represent us in the Senate. Loud calls
were made for him to come to the
stand. He arose in the crowd and
stated it would only be fifteen minutes
until dinner-that he could speak bet
ter, and the people hear better after
dinner. Then calls were made for
Maj. Henry, who arose and said he
could not make a speech before Gen.
Quarles, as he would say so many good
things it would spoil the Generals
speech; however, he'amused the crowd
a few moments with his wit, and din
ner was announced. The ladies were
invited first, and from the length of
time they were at the table | am sure
they did ample justice to the nice
things prepared by the whole-souled
citizens of Jordan Springs. Well, l
did think the ladies eat long, for you
know hungry man thinks five min
utes long, as | confess l was, and |
was astonished after | went TO the
table that they did not stay longer
for | never eat better barbecue and
etc. in my life, and | did great credit
to myself to leave the table in time to
hear Gen. Quarles commence his
speech. After eating such sumptous
dinner / did not care much whether
| heard Quarles Or not You know |
have heard him nearly a thousand
times, and in fact l thought | antici-
pated him. However | took my seat
and thought when he grew stale ]
would leave and let those not accus-
toned to hear him remain. Well, |
staid about two hours and that part OF
his speech never came for me to leave,
and | reckon l would have staid until
dark if he had kept on. Never did |
hear such an eloquent, argumentative
and convincing speech fail from mans
lips. wondered if that was certainly
Gen. QuarIes, for he scared above any
thing [ ever heard him make before.
He made many tears fall and many
signs for our once glorious but now
corrupt government Do you suppose
| would undertake to give even a syn
opsis of that speech? No, no pen
could do that, but November will tell
what it meant. His appeal to the col
ored people present | will only speak
Of Concerning the infamous civil
rights bill, he told them the law already
gave them the right to sit on juries.
He asks them if they wanted to-they
said no. He explained that if that
bill passed and became a law they
would have no free schools to educate
their children-for the constitution of
the State prohibited mixed schools.
He asked the negroes present if they
wanted to send their children to white
schools with white children-they all
said no, no, no.
After the General concluded his
speech, calls were made for Maj. Henry.
He presented himself before the au-
dience in his usually eloquent man
ner. After a few happy thoughts,
said forty-one years ago he was at
church near by, and asked where are
the old citizens living about there.
They nearly all have gone to their
great reward. Only a few links of that
generation left to point to the Tram
mels, Brodies, and others in the prime
of manhood at that date, forty-one
years ago-few can claim or see their
old associates. The old man eloquent
felt the fire rekindled in his bosom to
think what we were at that time and
what We are now. Where is our
boosted Democratic Government?
Wings and Democrats were all for
Democratic Government, although one
claimed the name Wing the other
Democrat The difference consisted
in the manner of carrying out Democ-
racy. In fact, we were all Democrats.
Just like farmers differ in carrying out
the mode of farming, no one was hurt,
whether Wing or Democrat had con-
l.