Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-09-30
NO. 81

topics. 1t is not my purpose TO detatu
you here tonight. My views upon the
momentous questions affecting oeC
outgrowth and material upbuildinnc
age, presume, pretty well known. T.
was educated in that grand old school
that numbered among its teachers SO
many of the eminent intellect of oHr
State, and have endeavored, IA best I
might, humbly to follow those teach
ings, and rs opportunity offered, to
impress them upon my countrymen,
on the subjects Of finance, the cur
rency, revenue Of manufactures, Of
miniug-of all the great industries
that 20 to make people prosperous
and happy.
You, my political friends and asso-
ciates, in highest token and apprscia-
ton of my public labors, have honored
me as your candidate for the highest
Office in the gift Of the people of the
state. ! can ask nothing more ut your
hands. 10 is the Well done, good
and faithful servant from those 10
whom I would naturally, and OF
course, look for encouragement and
appreciation. The canvass, which ter
inmates on the Sd of November next,
is about TO open. | hope | shall have
the opportunity OF seeing you and
many thousands more of our fellow
citi2ens, and addressing you at length
upon topics legitimate and proper 10
enter into the discussions of the can
vass
The times demand from the people
of our State grave and serious deliber-
alton. II is no time now for undue
excitement, expressions Of passion or
hate, or unbalanced thought. We need
the wisest and best matured Judgment
to guide us. We need To come togeth-
er aud reason together, and then act
deliberate upon the result of our rea-
sOning lt shall be my effort, so far
as in me lies, to appeal to the reason Of
my fellow citizens of Tennessee. I
have no epithets to indulge in. have
no ordinations or recriminations to
make. The times are too serious-the
matter IL too grave and important.
The day for small politics in Tennes-
see is past. | was sorry to see by a
report in one of our papers of the city,
that the Chief Magistrate of our State,
whose Eetiriug footsteps we are seek
ing 20 follow, in speech made yester-
day in the town of Pulaski, Giles
county, expressed, not the opinion, but
stated "a fact, that the two hundred
gentlemen composing the convention
by which | was nominated all deserv-
ed TO be in The peuitentiary, and that
he. the constitutional dispenser of
pardOns, would not pardon them out.
Laughter, and cries of "CivH
Rights!h
| have no comments to make--Rs
remarks To make-upon the justice,
the taste, or the propriety of this re-
mark, which ! should have been veTy
slow ofbelieviug tohave been made, had
! not seen il in a friendly print. "a
voice-"How about Civil Rights ?")
In regard to the platform adopted
by the Republican party, | see gentle~
men very much exercised. If yOu
examine it-if you will read it as ii
stands, an expression of true, honest
sentiment, as it il, you will find there
a full answer TO your inquiry. and
when the time comes, if need be, il
may he further and more fully discuss
ed, rs the eXigencies may require.
Gentlemen, we have grave questions
Dot of theory, not of prejudice, not
of passion, but questions that relate 10
the fundamental Interests and well be
ing of our state to be considered and
to he decided. Then open the ballot
box, set il out i'm the eyes of all the
people of the State, and, in the Ian
guage of President Grant, "see that
every man entitled to vote is permitted
to vote, and vote his real and true
sentiments. just once and no more"
and with the result of that vote, 4
pledge you, as one Of the candidates
before the people-as one Of the citi-
zens of the State, 10 he satisfied and
Contented.
Neither you nor /, nor any Of us
ought to be satisfied, or contented with
Nihing short OF that; because, my
cuuutrymen, when il comes to pass
tuIt the ballot box is not permitted "
express the sentiment of the people OF
the country-tO express public opinion
the ballot being regulated by law,
then there is an end of popular, rep
Tesentative government. The forms
of it may linger, like the trunk of an
old, worm-eaten tree that stands, and
still stands year after year, because ne
storm comeS-beCause no blow asSails
il, but when the untoWaTd blow does
fall, or when it il struck by an uncom-
mon blast, it falls, and great is the
fall thereof
Gentlemen, it is not my purpose to
make q speech, and shall make none.
| could do no less than express my
thanks for the compliment which my
friends have rendered me on this occa-
sion. At the proper time, in the course
of the appointments which I see are
made throughout your State, | win
endeaVOr, as best | may, to present my
views on the various important ques-
tious to be considered by the people.
| thank you again for this kind ex-
preston Of your sentiments toward
me. Good night.