Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-10-05
Thoughts on the Old State. and
Ringing Advice about
the State Debt.

l am honored, greatly honored, in hav-
ing been invited to attend these exercises,
and to take part in them. It gives me
heartfelt pleasure to unite with you in the
celebration of the centennial anniversary
of the settlement of Jonesboro'. My an
cestoFs came into this neighborhood along |
with the early pioneers of this State. My |
great.grandfather and grandfather are
buried in an adjoining county. My father, |
my mother and myself were born in that |
county, SO that I feel, in some sense, au-
thorized to consider shis celebration as |
mine as well as yours. have right by |
inheritance to be here, and glory in this |
right. Those who found a State il which |
. free people are to live, 8 State whose |
laws are just and wholesome, the liberties |
of whose citizens are assured, their free |
dom of conscience guaranteed. and their |
persons and property protected, perform |
mans best work. They provide home in
which succeeding generations of freemen
will find shelter, temple in which the
children of these succeeding generations
may securely worship. They give to the
rich and the poor, the strong and the weak
the blessings of good government. The
men whose deeds we celebrate to- day were
the founders eff the State Of Tennessee.
They drove from it the wild beast and the
wilder savage, and made it home for free
men and free women. Our experience has
given US no actual knowledge of the priva-
tions they have endured, the dangers they
risked in plishing this work. We
occupy in peace and security the heritage
they carved out and have handed down
to Us.
To them the wilderness was every where
full of lurking dangers, but they destroy ed
the Wilderness, and we find in its stead
fruitful fields rewarding the industry OF
the husbandman with bounteoug crops.
Churches, colleges and school houses stand
where the wild beasts had their lair and,
and busy villages are found where once
the savage had his rude wigwau1. Right
gloriously have our fathers builded. Their
deeds are pictured all around US in beauti-
full and immortal colors. ALI honor TO
those noble menl Their graves are I'm.
marked and unknown, but they have q
more glorious and enduring monument in
the State whose foundations they estab-
lished than in any that might be framed
out of brass or marble. Their duty has
been we'll performed, their labor is done,
and they are at their rest. What OF theiI
children What is our duty, and how ara
we performing it2 This is vital question
and should give US serious concern. The
world has moved a long way in the last one
hundred years. and we are called upon t.
grapple with questions and solve problem
of which the old pioneer never dreamed
These we should calmly, bravely, patient
~ and periodically consider. AS the rev
olutions of the last century have boeI
marked upon the cycles Of the past, grea
and good men have been found who hay
erected, beautfed, adorned and preserves
our State. Sewer, Upton and Jackson
and their compeers and immediate sue
cessors are gone, and our time has come
and the care of the State is upon us. Wha
are we doing, and what do we intend to do
Shall this grand temple of liberty, thi
abode Of freemen be banded down to on
children in untarnished besuty as when "
received it? or shall we profane It's altaTi
blacken its walls and besmear it with slim
and filth from 'turret to foundation stone
and thus hand it DOWN. The choice
upon US, and we must make it. Men {
Tennessee, which will you choose to do
Women of Tennessee, help your father
your brothers and your sons to choose 18th
moro excellent way" The great and VIII
question for Tennessee and one whic
can not be blinked or avoided, is the settl
ment of our State debt I shall enter I'M
no argument as to your duty in regard
it. l have not the time or inclination to
so, nor is the occasion appropriate. \
man who earnestly desires to maintain Il
honor of his State needs an argument
excite him to his duty, aud there is lit
hope for him who doubts as to the prop
course in regard to this matter. I wish
be understood as casting no reflection upt
the honesty Of our people. l believe tn
Tennesseans are as honest as other me
But will say that be who thinks that o
State would be justified in repudiating t
bonds which have been issued by its OF
GERS, under laws enacted by our Legislatu1
has such want of discrimination betwe
what is right and what is wrong as to d
qualify him for being safe custodian
public trusts. Public faith and pub
honor are not safe in his keeping.
knowledge of the boundary line betwe
good faith and bad faith is too much
volved in confusion and uncertainty