Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-02

sweet TO the LaSle, CdiIleS MISERY anu
death wherever it goes.
Q-DO you think the loss Of slaves
justifiee the Reputation of the debt?
A.-Most assuredly / do not All
the property that l owned before the
war was in slaves, and because / lost
them by the fortunes of war 1 never
thought ther people who never had
anything 10 do with my taking the
Southern side Of the question
should be made TO pay me for
those slaves. [ knew, and SO did
every other Southern man that had
any sense, that our title to our slave
property depended upon the success of
our movement. We made the venture,
as we believed, in behalf of right, and
no Southern man, of any manliness,
will whine and complain because his
slaves were made free, and make that
an excuse for not paying debts which
ne owe as individuals or as States.
The fact is, many make this an excuse
who never owned any negroes. The
productions of Tennessee, out of which
taxes are paid, are greater now than
they were when we owned slaves. Let
this be denied, and | will prove it.
Q.-What do you think of the va
lidity OF the debt, and how much
should we pay?
A.-The debt has been recognized as
legal by all Governors, by all parties,
by every department of the govern
ment, and il is simply ridiculous, if
not worse, now to be talking about
the validity of the debt. Ii is worse
than school boy nonsense. Whilst 1
thiuk we legally owe every dollar of
| the debt, yet, on account OF the in
creased value of money, and the fact
| that our net income is much less tAan
il was some years ago, and the losses
We sustained on railroads, that we
should be willing to accept such a
diminution of the debt as our creditors
are willing 10 cOncede to us. We not
only have a large State debt,
but large national debt,
large county, corporation and individ-
ual debts, and therefore am glad that
they are willing TO reduce our debt
and this / think they will do, both
principal and interest, if we approach
them properly. If however, we att
tempt TO force them, there is danger
that eventually we may have it all to
pay with accumulated interest and
This might be ruinous. To escape this
danger am for making fair and just
settlement now.
Q.-What do you think of it as
a party question?
Al do not wish TO look at it
in that light. 1t is to every true len
nesseean above party. Democrats and
Republicans should cooperate in saw
iHg the State from ruin and disgrace.
1 had no sympathy with these attacks
upon Gov. BrOWnlOw, and his wife,
after he had been years in his
grave. If you wish to attack
r,anIS nhaFaRfRr attack him hen
he is alive and able to defend himself.
Bonds may have been, and perhaps
were, issued improperly when
Brownlow and Senter were Governors,
and so they were according TO the
State debt committee, when Polk,
TrOusdale, Johnson and Harris, all
Democratic Governors, were in office;
but these questions belong to the past,
aud these bonds have all been recog-
niZed. The Radicals" as they were
called, issued the bOnds-DemOcrats
and Democratic politiciOns procured
their issuance and received them after
they were Issued. To be candid with
you, we Democrats have been .appre-
hensive that the Republicans in West
Tennessee would unite with the re-
pudiationists under the name of IN
dependents" and defeat State credit
Democrats; but we think that danger
is now past. No Republican who has
any regard for his personal honor, or
any self-respect, after the speeches
made in our Legislature, and
after the report of that State
debt committee, can, under any Cir
cumstances, unite with those men,
even to defeat what some are pleased
to call Bourbon Democrats who ad-
vocate State credit. My own views on
these questions, in regard to your
party, are frankly expressed in my
Knoxville and Columbia speeches,
made last year, and L have seen no
cause to change them. If you Repub-
licans who favor State credit will act
with the State credit Democrats, three
fourths or four-fifths of the State will
be in favor of an honorable, fair and
just settlement.
Q.-What do you say about Gov.
Marks?
Maj. 81 do not wish to- say much.
| differed very radically from the SEN
timents expressed in his message. l
like him, personally, very much. L
believe he now earnestly desires set
clement, and, So L said yesterday
in a speech to the State credit Demo.
Gratis " if Gov. Marks will be instru-
mental in settling this trouble, ONE
question, so as to save our honor and
relieve our Stale, L am for browning
him with laurel wreath"
Q.-Do you expect to take any part
In the canvass on this subject which
seems to be approaching
Al DO not. L have done all /
could, aud l must now leave it to
younger aud ADLER men who hold high
positions and who owe q duty TO the
State that has again and again hOnOred
them.
We thanked the Major for this can
ing.
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