Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-02
The speech % ZION. Jas. .. IA


FRANKLIN, July Is, 1879. The
event of the day for Franklin has
been the discussion between Senator
james IL. Bailey and Col. John II.
Savage, pro and con, upon the sub
ject Of the State debt.
1t was raining in the morning
and the weather continued threat
ening throughout the forenoon.
Upon such a day the "honest yeo-
manry" prefer to sit in their door
and watch the earth gladly drink
the rain drops to going forth to hear
discourses upon financial questions.
Nevertheless, the American had
notified the people that Senator
Bailey was to speak, and they were
here in force to hear him. i know
! am right in saying this, for it was
not known that anyone would re-
ply.
Senator Bailey's speech was a fine
plea for the honor, credit and dig
nifty of the State and its people.
will not attempt TO give a compen-
dunn of the whole of his argument,
but the following is the substance OF
a portion of it in reference to a pos
si6te mode that might be taken by
the bondhoIders for the collection
of their claims against the State,
which ] think may be new and
interesting to some of your readers:
He said the Egyptian Covert
ment had become indebted to the
inhabitants of certain European
countries, and the Khedive falling
to meet the interest thereon, the
nations holding the Egyptian bonds
demanded of the Porte to remove
the Khedive. The Porte yielded
and overturned the Government.
This was a kind of precedent and a
mode, whether legal or otherwise,
in which one nation had collected a
debt from another. Now, he con-
tinued, both branches of Congress
are in the hands of the Democrats,
but it is possible, even probable,
that they may fall some day into
the hands of the Republicans. The
Republicans, or a large class of that
party, believe in the sacrifice and
destruction of all States rights and
interests for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
the general Government, and regard
the Government as almost a nation,
and would so have foreign powers
look upon her. Hence, what is
done by part of the nation or State
should be looked upon as affecting
the whole. Some of the bonds are
held by Her Majesty Queen Victo-
pudiate and England should de-
mand payment? The result would
be an official correspondence. What
then? What if the United States
Government should then undertake
to collect the debt? How could she
proceed +? Col. Bailey here read the
fourteenth amendment and called
attention to the enforcement act,
and said that they would proceed
upon the idea that the State cannot
destroy the property of anyone and
must make all persons secure in the
enjoyment of the same under the
United States Constitution. This,
he said, he believed to be unconsti-
tutional and illegal. But had moth
ing unconstitutional and illegal
been done hitherto? He had seen
many things done that, when he
was a boy, he did not expect ever
to see. He had seen the negroes set
free, he had seen freemen marched
about and tyraniZed over with bay
onets, and he-had seen of late bills
for the good of the country uncon-
stitutionally vetoed by the Presi-
dent and he placed little confidence
in a question Of constitutionaIity
under the circumstances and in a
case involving so much, and it was
in the bounds of possibility that
we might see Federal tax-gatherers
sent down who would collect one
hundred cents on the dollar, with
six per cent. interest, to the last
farthing.
Col. Savage scarcely attempted to
answer one of the arguments made
by Col. Bailey, making pretty much
his usual speech. His attack upon
Col. Bailey's record was highly
amusing. M.