Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-30
THE DISCUSSION AT TREE.
Want.
General A. W. Campbell in the Field
He Achieves a Brilliant Triumph.

From an Occasional Correspondent OF the
| Appeal
| IRRELEVANT, August 25.-On last Sat-
urdsy there was discussion at Trezevant
between the Elk Republican member of
congress, ex.colonel in the Federal army
during the late war, !. r Hawkins, and
| General A. w. Campbell, of jackson, in
regard to the Reputation of the national
and State debt, Colonel Hawkins advo-
eating and General Campbell opposing
Reputation. Colonel Hawkins is law
yer Of acknowledged ability, ana has
been fer yeaIs, but he had such q weak
cause that he appeared to great disad.
vantage. Colonel Hawkins coutenGed
that the State bonds were issued with
out authority and were void. He said
that Mr.. Jefferson said that one genera
ton could not create debt to bind an
other generation. He read from the
Declaration Of Rights" to show that
the legislature had no right to issus
bonds. In regard to the Federal deb,
he said it had been Improperly aud
wr0ngfully created; that the govern
ment had on several occasions repudi-
ated its obligations and had taken from
the southern people the means OF pay
ment without erslaving themselves.
General Campbell, in reply, said that
neither he nor his psrty-the Demo-
cratic-had anything to do with con-
tracing this debt; that perhaps it was
all or more than Colonel Hawkins said
1t was; but we had sOlemnly agreed in
all our conventions to pay this
debt, and we had sworn to sup
port the constitution OF the
United States, and the fourteenth
q HVon xuhi H. l.
EgatOry on u, and we could not violate
our plighted word and our oath. Colonel
Hawkins k1aoeOS, said General Camp
bell, that this debt must and will be
paid, and is he trying to play the part of
The cuttle-fish by m1ddying the waters
in discussing this question, so as 10 draw
our attention from the extrevagances
and corruptions of the Republican par
ty. The interest on he national debt, |
said he, was only one hundred million |
dollars per annum, while they had col |
lected in Federal taxes an average Of |
four hundred and fifty millions a year |
up to 1870. The tariff alone drew from |
Tennessee twelve million dollars year,
while the whole of our State tax was
only million and q half per annum.
General Campbell showed that the Re-
publican party created the main debt of
tennessee, and that the debt created by
he people, Wings and Demo
rats, before the war, was well
occurred. They had these assets.
md applied them to the payment of the
Radical debts. He showed that the leg.
stature had the right to issue bonds TO
,uild railroads and turnpikee, and the
,tate capitol, and these were the tonds
low outstanding. He sustained his DO
ition by irrefutsb bic arguments, and by
citation of legal authorities. He said
was not the State taxes, but the Fed
raj taxes which were running the coun-
~. The people, he said, were deriving
AZ more benefit from these improve.
1ents each year than the whole of their
tate taxes. General CampbeIl's speech
'as full of eloquent sentences and fer ,
ent appeals TO their patriotism and /
tate pride, and brought down thunders q
applause. We cannot follow him
trough his whole speech. To be appre. j
ated 1t must have been heard. The
sople were with him heart and soul.