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

gloom and dismay brooded over a tax
ridden people. The crisis so Ions
expected came. 1t passed, and now
the, national prosperity is increasing
with a rapidity that abundantly show.
the wonderfully recuPerative power
of the people when the revenues ar,
honestly administered. The:debt wa
being steadily reduced, while expense
in all Departmental the Government
were cut down to the lowest possible
limit. The appropriations for tn,
fiscal year had been cut down So, 600,
600, which was clear saving of tha
large amount. Yet Notwithstanding
the economical administration Of af-
fairs public improvements were still
going on with no diminution; navi
CATION was fOstered, our rivers cleared
Of distractions and our ports and
harbors improved.
BAD LAWS REPEALED.
Abiding to various unpopular enact
ments, the speaker stated that it was a
fact highly gratifying, that though the
Republican party was nOt,infallible,
and had passed bad and sometimes
unjust laws, yet at the demand of the
people, the most if not all of the un
popular measures had been either re
pealed or amended. Such bad been
the case with the Sanborn contracts,
the credit mobilier, the bankrupt law,
and the salary grab, which latter act
was passed by the Congress preceding
that to which he was elected, but he
was proud to know that he had by his
influence aided in having the salary
reduced. He had drawn his salary as
a memberOf Congress and the increas-
ed compensation, he had not covered
into the Treasury, because he thought
he was entitled to the same pay
that others received and prescribed by
law, albeit one that he did not APP
prove.
FINANCE AND CLAIMS.
The judicious financial policy of the
Government was apparent, and now
that the effects of the late money pan
ic were over and no longer felt, entire
confidence was restored and large sums
of money were now in circulation,
which previous to that time had been
locked up. Want of time, however,
prevented his dwelling on this vital
subject.
The question of claims was one that
interested large number of the citi-
zens of East Tennessee, which amount
aggregated nearly three-quarters Of a
million of dollars, for which they had
waited ten long years. The Govern
ment owed this debt and it should be
paid. He had worked diligently to
bring about this contamination, how
much so he would let those say in
whose special interests he had labored.
His correspondence on this subject
had been enormous and he had given
every request made by any of his con-
stituents his personal attention, and
to the audience for proof of
THIS, many of whom present had his
letters in their pockets. He had work
Ell for them while many of his hearers
were doubtless asleep, but that was what
lie expected when he put ON the har.
ress, and he was willing to work on.
HIS POSITION.
His party fealty few had affected to
doubt, but he would state his position
He was now as ever
before in full accord with the princi.
pies of the National Republican party.
In this connection it might he expect
ed that he should define his position
on what Is known rs the Civil Rights
Bill, or more properly understood in
Congress as Senate Bill No. l. 1t was
almest useless to consume the time to
say where he stood. In the true ac
of the term civil rights -
meant those inalienable rights guaran-
teed to every citizen, " life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness" The ter
minatiOn of the late civil struggle re-
suited in the emancipation of over
1000, 900 slaves to the rights of citizen
ship. Step by step additional powers
and rights had been conferred on the
colored race, and he asked the question il
they did not have every privilege ex'
tended them now enjoyed by the white
man? Being suddenly transformed
from bondage to the estate of freemen
it was necessary to protect them by ap
propriate legislation in the enjoyment
of those rights, hence the 18th and l4tt
Amendments were passed, which car
ried out the objects sought to be OBJ
tanned:
ARTICLE XIII.
SIC. l. Neither slavery nor involuntarl
servitude, except as a punishment for Grim,
"utItOl lut party euhll nave uteU uuly con
victed, shall exist within the United States
or any place subject TO their jurisdiction.
ARTICLE XIV.
SEC. ]. All persons born or naturalize,
in the United States, and subject TO tn
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of tn
United States, and Of the States wherein
they reside. No State shall make or enforc
any law which shall abridge the privilege
or immunities Of citizens of the Unite
States nor shall any State deprive an
person Of life, liberty, or property withou
due process Of law, nor deny to any perso
within its jurisdiction the equal protectio
| of the laws
Yet, other legislation was though
necessary, and the 18th Amendment
TO the Constitution of the United State
was passed:
ARTICLE XIV.
SIC. J. The right Of citizens Of IN
! United States 10 vote shall not be denied c
| abridged by the United States, or by an
| State, on account Of race, color, or preyiOL
condition Of seryitude.
All these amendments had been en-
acted by a Republican Congress for IN
benefit of the colored man, and ha
been endorsed and sanctioned by tn
Republican party years ago, and j
ventured TO say that his opponent
Judge HOuk, had endorsed them bC
| fore he 1.-THE speakprl had entprcd M