Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-08-29

r Ovtf the niStOff Oh tennessee
Is gE Khiggery. .,.+
And Counsels Deliberation, Harmon,
and Unprejudiced Action.
Liberal Text Of His Address Upon Tax
ing Charge of the Gayel.
| GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION
| We have been called together by the
voice of the people of Tennessee, at a
time of momentous interest to them
and which will prove to be SO to our
posterity. May what we do to- day en-
hance the present fame of the State
and send it bright, and perpetually
growing brighter, to the last syllable
of recorded time The present and
future reputation of the State is rest
ing upon the men of this generation.
1t is under their care, and is in their
custody. Would to God | could in
woke the spirit of Jackson and OF
White; of Polk, of Grundy, of Bell,
Foster and Gave johnson, to hover
over us; and inspire every member OF
this convention with their wisdom and
patriotism. They are with us, for the
good and the great, who were once
conspicuous actors here, will look
down approyingly upon a convention
of their old friends and their descend
ants, assembled in the capitol of their
own beloved Tennessee, to give shape
| and direction to the greatpolitieal can
vass that is pending, the results of
which, we fondly hope, will secure and
perpetuate the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity Many of
us, gentlemen of the convention. com
menced public life ardent Wings, an
adhered to that party, and advocated
its principles as long as its flag was fly
ing; we adhered to it in triumph, and
stood fast by its banner in defeat,
and were in it at the DEATH In 1860
it made its last great struggle for Con-
stitutional freedom, and was destroyed
at last, not by its old rival, the Demo
crtaic party. but in an evil hour nearly
the whole. Northern wing of it fell into
| the fatal embrace, and was absorbed
by the modern Republican party,
which has violated every principle of
the Republican party which was organ
lied by Jefferson and Madison on the
corner-stones of State sovereignty,
home governments for the people, hon
est economy in the disbursements of
peoples money, and faithful accounta-
bility on the part of the public agents
to the people whose servants they were
The old Whig party went down in 1860,
leaving nothing behind it but its i'm
perishable history, its pure principles
and its fidelity to the Constitution and
the laws. 1t died as it thad lived, with
out q blot upon its escutcheon When
we, the Southern wing of the Whig par
ty, looked over the wide fields of
American politics we saw only two
parties arrayed under. opposing ban
ners, the modern Republican, better
known as the Radical party, and the
old Democratic organization. What
could we do? Where could we go?
and where did duty call us? We
had to choose between the two.
Without hesitation and with unfalter-
ing steps and brave hearts we marched
under the Democratic banner, on
whose folds were displayed the words
true to its name, the people rule, the
Constitution as it was bequeathed to
us by our fathers" rather than under
the banner of that party which pro-
claimed there was a higher law than
! the Constitution of our fathers, TO
which they owned superior allegiance,
obligation and obedience, no matter
how it might come in conflict with
their oath to support, maintain and
obey the Constitution of the country.
An infamous doctrine, proclaimed by
men whose thirst was murder, whose
horrid joy to rend their country, and
their kind destroy" who commanded
their deluded votaries to midnight as
sassinations, and march nnder the light
of the torch of servile insurrection to
the carnival of death, and the baptism
of old men and women aud young
children in their own blood around
their own affairs. 1t was that party,
bent on producing the irrepressible con-
fict which forced us to fly to arms in
defence of our rights, which forced
upon us the dreadful choice, either to
stand still and be robbed of our prop
erty, or defend it by force, as constitu-
tional guarantees were denied US, to
submit quietly to the overthrow Of
our political institutions, or change
our political relations, and to die in
the assertion of our rights. We chose
the latter; the world knows the result,
and impartial history will some day
pronounce its judgment upon the right
These are some of the reasons why /
and vast majority of the old South
ern Wings are Democrats now, and the
world will be hard to satisfy, if it is
not fully satisfied now, we were right
in the choice we made under compul-
sion, to submit like towards, or die
like heroes die.
The fundamental ground on which
the old Whig party was organized was
opposition to Executive patronage and
prerogative. The Wings of England
we're the friends of the people against
the prerogative of the Crown. Al
Clay said in 1910, at Hanover, Virgin.
ia. the Wings, in resisting Executive
power, were better Democrats than the
Democrats themselves.
The Wings were against the one mar
power of the Executive, against the
dismissal of officers from office on the
mere caprice of his will. On these prin.
ciples they fought for her power o.
the people against Executive usurpa
| ton. and the Democrats of that day
stood by the President. But now
since Grant has usurped SO much
power. and wields the executive power
to crush the rights and liberty Of tht
people, the Democracy of Tennessee;
have stepped on the old Wing platform
| and against Executive power. ant
; stand where the old Wings stood
The Wings now fight under the Dem
ocratic banner, aud while the Demo
Gratis are contending for old Whil
principles in opposition to Executiv
bower, the Democrats furnish th
name and the Wings the principles.
With these preliminary remarks !.
, turn to the discussion of matters whicl
lie nearer our home The public deb
, is now ascertained to be about 81.
900 900 created by the State mainly 1
organize and complete our system o
railroads ia Tennessee. Though the
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