Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-01-27
THE KENTUCKY CONVENT rION.
Speech Of GOV. McCrearr.

Speech Of Gov. McCreary.
At the conclusion of Gen. Preston 1
speech, Gov. McCreary and Judge
Robert J. Breckinridge were loudly
called for In response, Gov. Me-
Creary arose and spoke as follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN
OF THE CoNvENTI0N-I came here to
| listen, and not TO speak, yet | can not
decline your complimentary call upon
me to address you. The Constitution
| of the United States guarantees the
right of the people peaceably to assem-
tle and to petition the Government
for redress of grievances and the
constitution of our Commonwealth
declares "that the citizens have a
right, IN peaceable manner, to assem-
| bic together for their common good y
In accordance with these provisions
We meet on this important occasion,
and it gives me the greatest pleasure
to greet this grand assemblage of
Kentuckians. [ lApplause We are
called together by widespread
FEEIING OF PUBLIC PERIL,
and stand in the presence of events
which strain and test to the fullest
extent our system of government. At
the very Threshold of the second cen
tury ot or national existence we are
confronted with problems as dangerous
and difficult as were encountered by
those who first organized our Govern
ment. In my opinion, American citi-
Zens are now making a chapter in
history whose events will result In
good or etil to us and to the genera
tions that are to succeed us, and the
wisdom, patriotism, courage and virtue
of the people in this crisis may decide
the fate of American liberty and
American law, and perhaps the fate of
the Republic itself.
Heretofore In our country when
elections have been held by the people
the candidates receiving the majority,
according to the Constitution and the
law, were declared elected, and the
contention and pickering of heated
contests were soon succeeded by peace
and contentmentthat reigned supreme;
but months have elapsed since the last
election, and two great political parties
have each unoficially proclaimed the
election of their candidates, and
A DISPUTED PRESIDENCY
is stagnating business, depressing com.
merce, paralyzing energy and enter
prise, and evershadowing like dark
cloud the whole country. Who shall
be President is an important question,
but far more important than this is the
right of the man legally and constitu-
tionally elected to be inaugurated, and |
the right of the people to their free /
choice, unawed by threats and uncor-
rupted by fraud. Applause.] These /
rights can never be relinquished with
out destroying the Constitution and
overthrowing the Republic.
The present critical state of public
affairs concerns every citizen and every
home, and, although the Presidential
should be settled by the
two houses of Congress, it is right and
proper that in determining so momen-
tous question the members of Con-
gress should have the benefit of the
opinions of the people. Under our
system
THE PEOPLE ARE THE SOVEREIGNS,
aud are more powerful than the edicts
of party leaders or the demands of
partisan demagogues. Senators and
Representatives, however blinded by
passion or influenced by dazzling pros
poets, must heed the voice of the peo-
pie who have dressed them in their
brief authority" or take the conse-
luences. Therefore, it is right that
the people should be heard at Wash
lngton and elsewhere through resolu-
tions aud petitions without limit.
Kentucky has never hesitated to speak
boldly and plainly in favor of the Con-
law, justice and right, and
to day her people have an earnest love
Of liberty, as profound regard for their
rights and the rights of the people of
the whole country as any other State
Or people in the Union, and they will
sustain and support their representa-
tives In every proper and legal effort
to expose fraud, enforce the law and
maintain the rights and liberties of all
Applause.
THE GREAT ARBITER
1f popular elections is the ballot-box.
From it we must learn the honest. true
result. I am in favor of inaugurating
IS President of the United States that
nan who is legally and constitutionally
elected, no matter whether he is
Samuel j. Tilden or Rutherford B.
Hayes, and it is the duty of the two
houses oil Congress and of every citizen
If the United States, to see that this is t
lone, and done peacefully, promptly '
md according to the methods of law I
IF it shall appear that the Democratic s
,onJi1ofoC lomf,,1lu oloatod fhair
should be demanded, and ]
ii patriots should pledge themselves
O support the authorities in such '
as becomes freemen who j
,now and appreciate their rights and '
iberties, and have energy and courage I
to maintain them. APP '
,lause. c
PRESIDENT AND VICE-PREsIDENT. I.
I shall not occupy your time with l
.etails. Let it suffice, therefore, for j
ne to say that on the 9TH day of No 9
ember last, more than four millions t
f men, moving simultaneously in all d
arts of our vast country. deposited I
he ballots which proclaimed their !
Iesire that Samuel j. Tilden and Z
thomas A. Hendricks should fill the Y
highest Offices in our Government. A
,opular majority of nearly three hun a
red thousand votes were given to G
hem. They appear to have one hun t
red and eighty-five electoral votes on t
he face of the returns, certified to by t
Governors of respective States. which Q
) a majority of the whole number of t
lectoral votes, and sufficient to elect t
hem. IF we go behind these certif p
ates they appear to have 184 undis- S
uted electoral votes-being within i
ne of majority without counting he a
otes Of Louisiana and Florida, and a
uch a book of wrongs and outrages
ommitted within these States has +
een written that l forbear to discuss
hem. 1t is enough to say that some
f the most distinguished men in the
United States, who were present when Il
he votes of these States were can
assed and counted and who have since