Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-10-26

i great mistake. 1t stands today as a colossa
power in this land, which will soon cAeel
the. policy of Republican administration
and control the destinies of this country
! Already we have both houses of the nationa
| legislature. The two great parties of tfli
country are putting their armies in line o
battle. Some men may have thought shor
/ time ago that this third, or National party
as it is called, would sweep this country
! Recent events have demanded that the greai
conflict of 1880 be fought between the Demo.
cratic and Republican party, and every
\ man who expects to do effective work in
/ that great campaign must array himself
/ under the one or the other banner. There
/ is no room for third party, and unless men
/ wish to fritter away their strength, to throw
| their influence away in a hopeless contest,
! if they expect to fall into the line of the
great contest in 1880, they must aTraign
themselves under the Democratic or Repub-
licau banner. No man of intelligence who
has observed recent events can have any
doubt of this.
But, felIow-citizens, the contest of 1880 will
be different from the last contest, and, as I
hope and believe, ii viii be q contest in
which the two parties viii divide upon gov
ernmental policy and without sectional ami
mostly. Sectional hatred viii be eliminated
from the contest. So FAR as the South is con-
cerned, am certain that such viii be the
case. i cannot, felfow-citizens, find in lny
heart to indulge in feelings of malice toward
the people of the North when witness their
magnanimouS and generous conduct toward
the Southern people. feel like pulling of
my hat and standing uncovered in their
presence.
G! grander than the victory of Appomatox
is the victory won by the people of the North
in their noble and generous contributions TO
the stricken and suffering South. Upon that
fated field the South surrendered her sword;
within the shadow of the dark wing OF the
pestilence, beside the new made graves of
her heroic sons and daughters, with bowed
head and fearful eyes, she extends her hand
and SurrendeTS her heart to the generous and
magnanimOuS North. Gods own hand has
bridgcd the bloody chaSm. Let not the am
seek
and to rekindle the embers of sectional
strife. Let us go into this great contest of
1850, which is before us, without any of these
elements of sectional bitterness OF course
we viii be divided as to questions of policy,
but with that element eliminated from the
contest the representatives of the South can
stand upon the floor of the United States
Congress as the peer of any from the North
ern States and can look to the material de-
velopment of his own section, to the en-
largement of commercial relations and
make the Southern people more prosperous. !
With fraternity and harmony restored, this
great country can march on TO more
glorious and illustrious future than has been |
seen in the past. l trust, fellow citizOnS, /
that such will be the result.
Gentlemen of the convention, in the few |
desultOry and unprecedented remarks l |
have had the honor to submit to you, wish /
merely to return my thanks for the honor |
done me, and pledge to you, in the future, |
that whatever ability may possess shall be /
eXerted in your interest.
/ regret very much. fellOw-citizens, that /
nave DeSn SllCn as l)FSN6 liI
a more thorough canvass than / have been |
permitted to make. | have been quite I'M |
well. Whatever strength | may have be- /
tween now and the election, 1 shall give to |
the canvass, and whatever 1 am unable to /
do, on account of physical disability, must /
ask your fOrbearance.
My competitor and myself had canvasSed |
the greater portion of the district, and l wish !
to say, in justice to him, that We have gone |
through the canvass without anything that /
ever approXimated haJd feeling or any un--
pleasantneSs whatever. lApplanSe.l give /
my testimony, to-day, to his high and chiy
alrous bearing, his devotion to the Demo-
cratic party. Applause.
Fellow-citiZen Accept my thanks for the |
honor you have conferred upon me, and /
with the assurance that l shall ever cherish /
with proud and grateful remembrance the
and the Partially which the people
Of this district have always shown me
l have asked Office at their hands.
Again, gentlemen, thank you. Loud and
applause.
r. III. Wilson, of Davidson, moved
that the convention adjourn sine die.
S. a. Duling asked that before
hat motion was put the convention
the Chair to appoint a
Committee for the
leXt two years. This suggestion
was adopted.
The convention then adjourned
'i7e die.