The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-10-17
SPEECH OF
Hon. W. Whitthorne,
DeltUered at Columbia, Tennessee, Non
day, October Z, 1873.

OF my own actions in regard thereto,
and TO show you, as L believe | am able
to do, that | have made every sacrifice
that ought to have been asked or de-
manded at my hands to secure the
! peace and harmony of our party. Hold
ing as L do that no man is worth the
harmony of his party, or is essential to
It's existence, am ready now, as L have
been in the past, and will be in the flu
ture, to do whatsoever you may require
of me. You have been my friends
throughout the period of my life. For
all that l have | am indebted to you.
would not consciously sacrifice your
fliendshiplor forfeit your good opinion.
After all, citizens, whilst accu-
INFLATED property may bring ease and
| comfort, and position may be followed
with pride and distinction, yet the es-
| TEEN and love of good men, with the
consciousness of having persued the
right, is far higher estate, and one
that, above all others, | have sought.
| I ears ago l came in your midst, a boy
! student, poorer than almost any one |
now address-my tuition was a gift.
! The great body of those | then knew
have Joined the hosts"beyond the flood
| Those that remain almost without ex-
ception, are my friends. Let me hurry
]
State were enfranchised, their political
disabilities were removed, and their
| rights as rulers in their own Govern
/ ment was again asserted and recog-
| nized. L was then in the successful
| practice of my profession. doing a very
| full share of legal business in your
| county, and realizing from it an income
that paid me better than any salary L
have since received from the Govern
ment. And when you hear it remarked
that L have for years received large
amount OF salary, will you do me the
| justice to remember that in this time
have yielded up my profession, and Civ
| en- my labor, skill and energy to your
| service. Again, fellOw-citizens, do you
remember the condition of public af-
fairs in 1870? Have you forgotten that
an effort was being made in Congress
to remand you to the rule of military
| government, and that this was the"rule
and rOd' existing over large number of
your sister States? Certainly it has
| not escaped your recollection that you
were then threatened with the renewal
of the baYonet. And as you remember
all this, permit me to say that it was
then many of you, stating your belief
and confidence in my prudence, energy
| and ability, came to me and urged it as
|
if could, in the councils OF the nation.
L believed then it was duty upon my
| part to do so, l yielded up my profess
| sion, made the race, was successful, and
since that time have been your repre-
| sentative i'm Congress.
| Recently, and prior to the adjourn
| ment of Congress, was debating in my
own mind, and in view of solicitations
upon the part of my friends, whether l
| should be a candidate for reelection,
making inquiries. &c, but postponing
any final decision until 1 had returned
into your midst. Pending this, and be-
| fore my return, my adversaries were
busy in prejudicing the public mind
against me. In various ways l was as
| sailed, not now necessary to refer to,
| but with which you are all familiar.
a journal of this city in labored edito-
rails attacked the integrity of my record
| as your representative, the motives and
purposes OF my public life, and if not
/ the fidelity, the value of my public la
bOrs. The terms on which it was done,
| as well as the manner, is known to you.
| | was surprised, bat so far as my pub
! lie record was concerned, | neither
| then or now had "A right to object. But
| this course of my enemies left me no al
| tentative They challenged me to the
contest. They made the war. They
| threw down the gage of battle. They
were bent upon the work of destruction.
| Thus assaulted and assailed, fellow-citi-
zens, during my absence, what other
course was lett for me than to come be-
fore you and take up the gage of battle q?
! What honorable man among you would
| have advised me to have then declined ?
! And now, fellow-citizens no matter
what may happen in the future. Re
Numbering that 1 was assailed before j
had reached my home, will you now ac-
4 cept it as fact that the Congressional
| Executive Committee for this district
was called 90 meet for the purpose OF
designating the time and place of hold
! ing a Congressional Convention before
my feet had touched the soil of this dis
| trict. Accept my assurance that L had
no knowledge directly or indirectly
that 1t would be called. Nor do l know
that any of my competitors did. ] only
state the facts in regard to myself, with
| view of impressing upon you that |
had no agency direct or indirect in fix
| ing up anything in connection with
the Pulaski convention. Your atten-
ton is called to the composition of this
EXECUTIVE committee. 1t was composed,
as | am Informed, of the following gem
tlemen: Capt. X. &. Mitchell, of Giles
Mr.. Stewart, of Lawrence; Mr.. Tally,
of Wayne; Mr.. Flanagan, OF Lewis;
Mr.. johnson, of Hickman Mr.. FOWlkes,
of Williamson; and Mr.. Williamson, of
this county. In this committee so con-
stituted, four of the gentlemen, accOr-
ding to nay Information, were friends OF
Col. j. II. Moore, one was the friend Of
Col. Bond, and two only supposed to be
friendly to nae. But only five of the
enT raafff nn or in Of oil
referred to. These were Messrs. Mitch |
ell, Williamson, johnson, Fowlkes and
NiXon-NiXon being substituted by
election of the committee for Mr.. Stew
art, of Lawrence. OF this committee so
organized whilst J believe all are my
personal friends-there was but one
who could be supposed to be the adhGr-
cnt of my cause, that was Mai. William |
son. Mr.. johnson is a brother-in-law of |
Col. Moore. Mr.. NiXonIs con-
nected or related TO the family Of Col. |
Moore, Mr.. FOwlkes was the partner /
of Col. Bond. l mention these facts, |
fellow-citizens, rot for the purpose OF |
having you believe for one moment |
thai these gentlemen did anything |
wrong, buS with the view of showing |
you that could nOt. Allow me i'm this |
connection to say that ] DID rot make |
to this committee directly or indirectly !
any suggestion as to what should or
should not be done, that expressly re- /
trained from it. l now call your atten-
ton to the result of that meeting of the |
committees. 1t is in the following card |
of the chairman, published at the time
il all of the papers of this district:
CONGRESSTONALC CONVENTION.
Columbis, July II, 1873.
Pursuant to the action OF the CoDgres-
cional Executive Committee, this day,
in the town of Columbia, the commit
teemen of the Seventh Congressional
District, composed Of the counties of
Giles, Maury, Williamson, Hickman,
Lewis, Lawrence and Wayne, are here
by instructed 10 call = convention in
their respective counties, to select dele
gates to meet I'm Pull ski on the 18th day
OF Septem Der, 1873, for the purpose Of
= candidate for Congress.
X. A. MITCHELL, Chairman.
You will note il is dated July -, 1873,
and that the convention is to meet on ;
The 15th of September thereafter-near- f.,
" period OF Two months and half off. ,
Why so long delay? Was it the inter I
at OF the party that iemanded il? The J
alleged reason was to give full OppOFtu- y
lity for a canvass by the candidates be- I
ore the selection OF delegates. made {