The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-01-17
IsHAM G. HARRIS.
The New Senator Serenaded at
the Maxwell House.
A Brief but Eloquent and Pa
triotic Acknowledgement.

triOtic Acknowledgment.
Nashville American, Jan. 10.
United States Senator Isham G.. Har-
ris was serenaded by the Porter Rifles
at the Maxwell House, last night. Upon
entering the rotunda the company form
ed in line, and, after going through sew
eral evolutions took the position of arms
at rest, and the band struck up a lively
air. At the conclusion of the second
piece loud calls were made for Senator
Harris. The distinguished gentlemen
soon after appeared upon the corridor,
with Maj. James d. Richardson, of
Rutherford, who introduced him as fol-
lows:
Fellow-citizens-It would be a work
of supererogation upon my part to do
more, in introducing a man SO distin-
guished for his eloquence. than to sim
ply mention his name. I, therefore,
take great pleasure in presenting and in
Producing to you a man who. in my
opinion, is now the truest and ablest
statesman in the South-ex-Gov. Isham
G.. Harris, of Tennessee. prolonged
cheers
Senator Harris was received with a
general outburst of enthusiasm as he
bowed to the assemblage. He said:
My fellow citizens-From the fullness
of grateful heart thank you for the
honor you do me in making this call. 1
owe deep and lasting debt of gratitude
to the good people of Tennessee for the
honor they have conferred upon me in
times past; for having called me to
seat in our Legislature, and having twice
made me Presidential Elector, twice
elected me to the American Congress
and thrice elected me to the Chief Mag
istracy of this grand and glorious State.
Immense applause
The high and honorable position con-
ferred upon me to-day by the people Of
Tennessee through their representatives
might well fill the measure of any mans
ambition. A life of devotion to the in
terests of a people who have thus honor
ed me can, fear, never repay the deep
and lasting debt of gratitude that owe
Tennessee in the American Senate, | can
only promise that the Constitution shall
be my chart; and the controlling motive
and object which shall prompt my &C.
ton shall be: first, the interests of the
State of Tennessee in common with all
the other States that compose the Union.
/ cannot forget the fact that the high
est, truest and best interests of Tennes-
see are most promoted by that line of
policy which recognizes and promotes
the interests of our whole country. Our
interests are, in the main, identical with
those of our sister States. / trust that /
may be able to place myself upon that
plane of patriotism which is far above
every feeling of sectional prejudice or
sectional hate-a patriotism as broad as
the Constitution and as comprehensive
as the whole Union; and to the extent of
such ability as possess. with whatever
of>zeal and earnestness I may be able to
command, propose to struggle for the
maintenance of the Constitution in all
its parts-in the letter and the spirit
and for the maintenance of the rights of
each and all the States and equal rights
of each and every American citizen, re-
gardless of locally; TO struggle for the
peace, prosperity, greatness, and glory
of the people of Tennessee and the whole
people OF the American Union vOcifer-
Gus applause], feeling assured that the
sooner we forget the sectional prejudices
which have torn and distracted our
counsels; the sooner we forget the Sec
tional hates which have alienated the
citizens of the States North and South
the better for Tennessee as well as the
whole country Hence, my effort shall
be to cultivate the broadcast nationality
and the broadest brotherhood, believing,
as do, that the purest and most perfect
brotherhood between citizens of COM
mon country, az ours is, and must remain
forever, is the only true, wise, and pa
triotic policy which can be pursued by
any intelligent and patriotic people.
But do not intend, fellOw-citiZens,
to inf1ict speech upon you Continuous |
cries of t'Go on Go on !''1 for this is |
not the time, place or the occasion for
political dissertation. TCries of $50 |
night, with the repetition of my pro-
found thanks for the honor you have |
done me. Much as 1 appreciate the high |
to which am called by the action of |
to-day, I appreciate far more the manner
in which the honor was conferred, |
High as may be the appreciation of such |
position, its highest value to me is found |
in the evidence it gives of kindly regard |
and the undated confidence of the |
whole people of Tennessee.
AT the close of his speech Gov. Har-
ris was again greeted with prolonged |
applause, the band struck up Hail Co |
lumbia and the assemblage dispersed.