Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-30
hon. JOHN M BRIGHT.

NATIONAL Finances The Currency
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Grants Ffnan-
ciaI FaiIacies Dissected-
Pursuant to announcement in our col
umns yesterday, Hon John III. Bright ad-
dressed the citizens of Nashville, on the
Public Square, last night, upon the various
subjects Of national importance. His audi
eace was composed of representative men
of the city and county, and the address was
one of the most interesting of the cam
paign.
After being introduced by Maj. VI. j.
Sykes, Mr.. Bright said:
Address OF HON. JN0 NJ. BRIGHT.
Fellow-citizens of Davidson county: /
am before Won tonight in obedience 70 an
invitation to address you upon the financial
and other political issues of the day. L
fear that in view If the inclemency of the
weather, in addition TO the condition of my
voice, L NAV not be able to address you, or
that if | were, your want of comfort would
deprive you Of patience enough 70 bear the
infection of lengthy speech. l have
started, however, though / cannot say what
will be the result.
Ours is government which allows the
people to govern themselves-it pre-sup-
poses they shall act for themselves, and
that, acting for themselves, they vote for
themselves. 1t is sometimes the case that
the people become fatigued with the duties
of self-government, but it should be re-
memOered that whenever they become
fatigued with the duties Of their govern
ment and abandon their rig IS, they are
sure to be taken up by some person who
will use them TO their oppression.
UsURPATION OF POWER.
In attempting to address you upon this
occasion, rcannOt attempt to go into the
details of the political issues Of the day;
can give you only a general outline, or
drift of natural events. In 1866, just after
the close off our unfortunate civil war, the
Congress of the United States, resolving
that there were no governments in the
States lately in rebellion, and by that rcso-
luton they struck down those State gov
ernmentS, disfranchised a portion of the
people, enfranchiSed another portion and
reconstructed those State governments to
accommodate them to the loyal idea as 1t
was then expressed. This was in subyer-
sion Of the principle of self-government.
After these States were reconstructed it be-
came necessary, in order TO carry out the
Congressional idea, that sufficient power
should be invested some where to perpetu-
ate to some extent the Usurped powers
of the Congress of the United
States, and ther they passed what is called
the selection law by which they author
lied marshals Of the United States TO
be present with the military at
all the voting places of cities
of 10000 inhabitants, and upwards.
This law was afterwards amended so that
ha1f - hl1.aarrs tho
other half of the other paTty-by petition to
a Federal Judge could have inspectors APP
pointed 10 be present and superintend the
voting, certify and make returns in all na-
tional elections, and file these returns with
one of the Federal Judges. NOu see the
result of this i'm Louisiana. IL was the
election law that put the knife 10 her
throat; it was the means of destroying her,
and il may be used as the means for the
destruction of any State in the Union. We
find that the Attorney General of the
United States has made himself busy
in giving opinions outside OF his legitimate
duties.
The Congress of the United States DIS
coyered there were 5000 civil officers in
the service of the United States, scattered
all over the country, and that if that large
patronage Gstll DC uifoAl AnE
ident ofthe United States, he will have an
army twice as large as that of Alexander
when ne started out to conquer the world,
and so there was the civil law passed and
rules adopted Cor the appointment Of all
the civil officers, placing in the hands Of the
President the power to organize conven-
tions and TO administer to the support Of
the power of his party. But it was found
that the President real y had power to ap-
point only 4 few of these officers, the Sen
ale aud President together greater pro-
portion, While the great power was in the
hands of the heads of the deParlm, n so
competitive examinations were established.
The Republican party looked abroad and
found there Is another great element Of
power, and so attempted to in ade the ed
ueatiOnal interest Of the people of the va
nous States. They proposed TO introduce a
bill apprOpriating the proceeds OF the sales
OF the public lands TO the education Of the
children of the States, provided the State
governments would agree 10 guarantee a
system of common school education. and
report the same 10 the great educational
bureau at Washington. 80 you ind that
there is an effort TO connect the educational
interests Of the Federal government with
the people of the State governments, and
the assumption made that Congress has the
power 10 tax the people for educational
purposes. Here was the logic Of the thing.
There were about 100000 common schools
in the United States, with 100000 teach
ers, aud, If tie Government should assume
control of the educational interests Of the
country, YOU would find your native teach
ers showed out of your schools, and the
President would wear upon his girdle the
keys Of 100000 schoOl-hOuses.
We find the Government of the United
States looking abroad upon its vast public
domain, aud, upon application made by
certain organized set of gentlemen, they
granted to them 19l,090,0O0 of acres Of
the public domain for the purpose of con-
structing q railroad-land enough to make
about four States snch as Tennessee. They
also granted these men SIS, 100000 in ma
tional bonds. The roads were constructed,
and the effect is they are endeayOring to de-
stroy the railroad system Of the United
States, except as they are able to absorb it
within themselves. We are not opposed
to railroad Improvements, but we are
opposed to their utilization with the FEEDER
al government. Their power is to be felt
in the Congress of the United States, and
it is power to be dreaded.
And not only SO, the President Of the
United States, together with his Congress,
have endeavoredtO possess themselves Ofthe
telegraphic lines of the country, and they
propose to establish telegraphic bank and
in addition to this you find there would be
about $4,000 employees connected with the
Geographic department, which would add
to the patronage of the government.
With this partial review of the action Of
Congress, and the apparent design which
has been manifested throughout, who is IL
that is not ready to have suggested TO him |
the idea of thirl-em for the President |
of the United State? Do you not find |
that the Federal government is feeling |
all the time for the heart strings Of a free |
people?
INTERSTATE LEGISLATION.
There was rivalry between the rail- |
roads and the canals of the Northwest, and |
the Republican party comes in with what
is called the Interstate bill, and provides |
that the President shall have the power to |
appoint ten commissioners, whose duty it |
should be to regulate the freights on those
railroads AID canals. This bill was OPP |
posed by the democratic party in
a body. They held that if the Presi- /
dent had the power to appoint ten commits
sioners he would have the power to appoint
one, or that Congress might appoint the |
fIaea Hrrfiac and no Il