Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-12-21
Senator GordOn's Patriotic Appeal
10 the Young Men Of the Country.

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spoken at Atlanta, Ca, Nov. 2l, 1873.
You are the coming trustees of
these DemOcrotic institutions, and
those institutions rest upon the
Democratic principles which 1 have
attempted to set forth and enforce,
and great parties are the natural
and necessary agencies for the pro-
motion of these principles. In this
connection [ wish to repeat the re-
mark with which | set out, that in
this country there are only two
great parties, the Democratic and
the Republican parties; the one,
conceived in passion, born OF fantl-
cism and baptised with blood, has,
from its accession TO power, march
ed with rapid and straight strides
over these principles, over State
governments and the Constitution
to AN increase of power in the gen
eral government the other, begin
ming its existence with the Constl-
tuition, proclaims and defends that
instrument as the fundamental, in
violable, omnipotent character OF
all human rights of this continent.
One Is Il e party of passion, power
and privilege; the other is the party
of peace, of law, and Of liberty The
one legislates for classes, for grasp
monopolies, for colossal corpora
tiuns which despoil the people; the
other, combining itself within the
limits of the written Constitution.
keeps steadily in view the veal and
safety of all classes, all communities
and all sections of this great country.
Where is the room for a third
party with snch issues as these dl-
viding the people? 1t would of
necessity be ground to powder be-
tween these upper und lower mill
stones. 1t would be but bubble
to flash a faint and false hope for
time, only to burst and vanish and
mingle in the waters of these great
streams.
My young friends, let me say to
you with greater emphases than l
could prior to the Senatorial cleo
ton (for having been chosen for six
years service no man can charge
me with selfish mOtive), let me say
to YOU that you are not only bring
1 ing damage to this country and de-
strOying the party which maintain
ed your principles, but you are sap
ping the foundation of your own
| political character. You could not
i organize and keep in position a
third party if you were to try, and
/ you ought not to do so if you could.
| 1t would be damage to the country
and to your own manhood and po-
litical future. Why do l say that !?
Because no man ever yet sacrificed
his ambition upon the altar of prin-
ciple without coming from the
| sacrifice a purer, greater, grander
man But my independent friends
| tell me that they sacrifice no prin-
| ciple. But if to break down the or
| ganizatiOn is not to break down the
party, and if breaking down the
| party is not to destroy the pOssibili-
| ty of enforcing its principles in the
administration of government, then
reason is a mailman and logical
sequence have no existence.
| Take care, young man, lest when
YOU have broken this party in twain,
| the organized Republican party
rush through the breach and seize
| the government, State and Federal.
| Take care lest when yOn accomplish
| lndependency, you have candi-
! date for President from every sec
ton of the Union. Pause. l beseech
you, and think before you scatter
| these seeds of dissentiOn-Oh,t think
| what 'tthe harvest may be"
But do you tell me that if you
gave up your independent move
ment it would loose your chances.
Young men, if you are ambitious
| and want office, you can secure 1t
inside the Democratic organizations
! by showing to the country that you
are necessary to its service. Let the
country see that you have not only
the ability to lead, but the deyo-
ton to follow, and your sacrifice
will not go long unrewarded l
read somewhere of distinguished
English clergyman who was up
braided for throwing away Oppor-
tunities of preferment, and was
asked by his friend, "Why are you
always impaling your chances of
success upon point of conscience?
Do YOU know what became of the
man who was always standing on
matters of cOnscience" Eyes, J"
replied the clergyman. Gle was
| crucified ON Calvary. He not only
gave up riches and hOnOrs, but even
| His life; but on the third day He
rose again with Omnipotence in His
! arm and salvation for mankind ="
| God forbid that | should compare
the sacrifice that [ invite you to
make to that infinite sacrifice of the
! Son of Man, but let me say that If
you cruelty your ambition ON the
cross OF principle, though it may
prove your political grave for d time,
| you shall rise again in glory of a
| renewed and exalted manhood and
with the assurance of a nObler and
grander success.
These dIssentions will not only
destroy your political future, but
will bring palsy to the arms of our
allies at the North now raised to
strike for our liberties as well as
their own. Come back | saw men
| i'm this district above us who want
Ell to come back, but they had done
so much, that they could not get
back. They did not know how
to come back. They did not like
| the idea of abandoning an enter
prise once begun. That is natural.
They did not like the criticism that
would be made upon their consist
ency. That is natural, too. But
the best rule is, when you find
you are wrong to turn back. "Be
sure you are right and then go
ahead" They applied some very
complimentary epithets to me
because I answered a call of the
party and obeyed the dictates of my
conscience and defend these princi-
pies. But this does not hurt much.
If it had | should have proven my
self very unworthy the high trust
reposed in me by this people had l
permitted this or any other cause to
seal my lips and silence my tongue
when the party which supported
these great principles was assaiied
and summoned me to speak in its
defence. Such principles are worth
defending, even if it cost some sac
ritice. Truth is the diVinest thing
on earth, and yet how long would
truth live if there were no sacrifice
for it? You remember they burn
ed old Latimer at the stake because
he would not give up the truth. But
who would not rather be Latimer,
with his untarniShed soul ascend ng
to heaven In fame, than to be the
III.