Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-08
LAMAR.
His Proficiency and Ability As Demo
cratic Leader I'm Time of Great
Public Need.
The Best and Safest Adviser the south
has in Public Life To-Day Demo
cratic, Fair and Just
Jackson rMiss.l Clarion.

jackson lAiss.l Clarion.l
EDITORS CLARIoE-The question Of
who shall be our next United States SEN
ator is slready the sui jsct OF animated
discussion throughout the State. This
Is natural and pTOper-natural because
the intelligence and talent Of the State
having been SO long debsTed from high
positions that il could not ell be other.
wise Il an that there should be many
competitors for the place; 1t is proper,
because the discussion, IL conducted In
kind and friendly spirit, must result al
last IN fair ascertsInment OF the poPu-
lar will. With ne kinde5t feelings lof
other distinguished gentlemen, and the
highest appfeclation OF their ability
aIiude to those who have been men,
toned IN this cGgnsction-l think Colo.
mel Lamar shoul be elected. The opiD-
ion is based not spon personal psltiaii-
ty for him over all others, but from welt
mstured, and, i tank, unprejudiced con-
yiction that IL is the right thing TO be
done. The great Office OF senator II
trust, and not peIquisite. 1t is TO be
bestowed upon considerations OF public
good, and not OF personal liking, or even
OF pzIs Dnal services; though upon the
latter score none can exceed those CT
Colonel Lamar. Mississippi has many
fine lawyers, gallant soldiers, able jurists
and worthy citizens. She has but one
distinguished statesman. II the answer
be maize that she has but one who has
bad the chance TO become distinguished
as 8 statesman, reply that this, even II
tue, does not affect the question. III 1t
is our duty, as it UDquesTionably ls, TO
send to the senate that man, who, by
his experience, his reputation and abill-
ty, can, from the day OF his entrance
there tsKe rank with the greatest men
of the nation, and thereby confer the
greatest homer and service upon the
State, We cannot escape that duty by
saying that we have other men who
could have achieved the same thing I'M
der the same circumstances. The State
should have it's foremost nan in the
foremost place, not in order TO reward
him, but to obtain the best service for
hprself That his opportunities have
been greater for acquiring fame, should
not diminish the reward Of that fame
honestly won. The day that Colonel
Lamar takes his seat in the senate he
ranks at once with Thurman aud Bay
ard, and when he TisFs to make his firet
speech the whole nation will listen. The
ablest Of his competitors cannot hope
to win the fame weight and influence
in less than five years. But it is not
true that Lamar's greatness is accident
al, or that il has been won without COM
petition. He was confessedly Missiesip-
pts greatest statesmen, after Davis and
Brown, when the war broke cut, and he
won that reputation at time when all
the lent Of the Stste was unfettered to
contend with him. He left The old
Of he Of nj RI VI a
fame established throughout the Union,
% the most philosophical thinker and
the most eloquent o. ator in the lower
branch OF that body from the south.
Colonel Lamar's election Is earnestly
desired by the Democra y OF the north.
His defeat will be regarded in that sec
ton IS the reputation by us OF those
sentiments OF fraternity aud concilis-
ton Of which he has been the most con-
spicuOus advocate. AS such, it will be
uuiversa ally deplored by our friends and
seized upon by our enemies. While
admit that it Is our privilege, and not
that OF our northern brethren, to elect
our senator, it is nevertheless true that
Difference should be paid to their wishes,
IL the man whom they desire Is In every
respect worthy. II the selection OF such
q mau will strengthen them, and his de.
feat would iDjuTe them, we owe some
thing to their wishes and interests,
which are also our own. With regard
to services, will only say that those Of
no man surpassed Colonel Lsmar's in
pOineof labor, zeal or effectiveness In
the late canvass. doubt whether there
was q man in the State who made more
speeches. There was certainly no man
who made ADLER ones. But the incom-
parable service which he rendered was
before the canvass and outside of the
State. He has done more than any
living man, and Horace Greeley alone
is excepted among the dead, to produce
that state o! popular feeling at the north
which made Ulysses Grant afraid to lay
his hand upon as during the late cleo.
ton. 1t was that sentiment that ena-
bled Us TO win. 10 Lamar more than
any other one man was this feeling due.
Without it we cOUld not have succeeded.
l have heard but Two objections urged
TO bis electioD. The first js from those
who dislike his course in congress, and
his position upon the constitutional |
amendments. IIssmuch as his course
and his position have been openly, |
warmly and peatedly Endorsed by |
each and all OF his distin- |
guished competitors, it is needless
to say anything on that head. Ger. |
tsinly no man who supports any of the |
other aspirants can object to Lamar on /
that ground. The other objection lie that /
1t will cause vacancy in his OWE dis. |
trict in our congressional delegation. /
This is not true. His term in congress /
will expire before the term of the sena-
tore ,ect commences. His term in con-
gress expires on the third OF March,
1877. The term Of the senator will begin
the next day. But sometimes it Is urged |
that he can be reelected to congress
from bis own els riot. This Is by no
means certain. Our congressional dis
tricts will be recognized, and IL is
hardly probable that his county will fall
again in its present district. II not, we /
may lose him altogether. But If we ad-
NIT that be can be reelected 10 congress,
what sort Of an argument lie that az ainst
his election to the senste? Is man to
be denied the first Place, because he can
probably ges the second one? Henry
Clay could have been elected forever in
the old Ashland district of Kentucky,
and Albert q. Brown, in our old fourth
district in Mi-sissippi; was that ever
urged as 3 reason why they should not
be sent 10 the senate? Thurman can
possibly be reelected TO the senate from |
Ohio, and Tilden can be reelected gov
er8or of New York. Is that any reason
why they should not be nominated for
the Presidency? 1t would be q silly
rule indeed which would prevent the
State from selecting the rigut man for
the highest place, because he had q
IOlceT one, which he could probably OBJ
tain again. CIyIs