The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-02-07
A. =. CoIyar's Attack Upon the
Press, Public Men and
People Of Tennessee.
From the Columbia Herald and MALL

From the Columbia Herald and MALL
We would not object to publish the
entire speech of A, s, Colyar OF the
State debt question, II II were not 80
long, and 80 much Of 1t Of u mere per
sonal character. w will give its ga
lient points. however. He sets out by
admitting the validity and justice of
the State debt, of the whole debt and
not merely Of u portion OF it. He
says it has been too often recognized
to be now disputed, He then says
that public creditors have no right to
touch the corpus Of the property Of u
State, but merely the income. He then
says that the reason why Mississippi
was censured, and justly ccnsured. for
the Reputation of her public debt, was
because she was able to pay and re-
fused. He then says Tennessee is I'M
able to pay her debt, and that she has
been rendered 50 by the policy of the
Federal Government in contracting the
currency, and bringing everything to
a gold basis. He gives illustrations
to show the extreme poverty of the
people OF Tennessee. aud contends
that they are consuming yearly more
than they produce that they have not
sufficient food 20 eat o clothes to
wear that "people all owe the coun-
try are giving up their household
goods, and often what IS worse the sup
ply of provisions, to pay taxes"
He says further, that this money
power controls the newspapers and
leading politicians of both parties"
Now, If these statements be true, the
people of Tennessee are not only una
bic to pay public debts, but they are
unable 20 pay the expenses OF their
State Government, much less to pay
their individual debts. If what he says
he true, the lands are worthless in
Tennessee, and the soOncr the people
abandon the State the better for them
and their families. According to him,
not only are the people poverty-strick'
en-, but the newspaper press is cor
rupt. and the public men Of the State,
Of all parties except the Culyar party,
are "paid party leaders, putting them
selves on the side OF the o~ondholders,"
That these statements are untrue,
that they do injustice to the people OF
the State, as well ~ TO its public press,
and its public men, must be evident to
any man of intelligence. That A, 5
Colyar is more pure and patriotic, that
he is more devoted to the interests OF
the people thanTall the public men Of
Tennessee is simply ridiculous.
Our objection to his speech is that
it so grossly misrepresents our State
and ~ people, that it utters such un-
founded calumnies upon some of the
purest and best men of Tennessee, who
will be remembered with gratitude and
affection when A. S. Colyari is forgotten
or remembered only to be despised.
The people of Tennessee are not such
mendicants as A. S. Colyar represents
them to be.
Such speeches as that OF A. S. Col
var, if believed, would do more to in
jure our State, and drive away from us
all capital, than taxes three times
enough to pay the interest upon the
public debt. Who would want to
come 20 a State such as A. S. Colyar
describes Tennessee to be-, when he
says q careful examination of the cen
sus reports will show that but few
States are worse Off than we are and
when be says that our public press is
corrupt, our statesmen "paid party
leaders," and our people reduced to
beggary and starvation.
He says that our public men and
new spapers who advocated State cred
it are controlled by the money power,
when it is known that all or nearly all
the newspapers and public men who
advocate State credit, are opposed to
the forced resumption Of specie pay
menls, in favor OF remonetizlng silver,
of reducing the tariff, and. in fact, Of
all the relief measures now proposed
in Congress; and n OF their strong
est objections to State reputation is
1t will tend to defeat these very
relief measures which they consider of
such vital Importance to the whole
country.
1t is most true that those who charge
all other men with corruption, Judge
others by themselves, and are most
to be corrupt.
We consider Mr.. Colyar's speech a
wanton and outrageous attack, not on
ly upon the press and public men of
but upon all the people OF
which it is their duty nc
less :han their interest, to resent, and
therefore in behalf Of the people We
AVE written this article.