Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-07-12
THE COMPROMISE CANVASS Ar
NASHVILLE AND ELSE
WHERE.

Col. Colyar and Col. Savage had
a controversy at Trenton upon the
compromise act shortly to be voted
upon by the people of Tennessee.
Col. Savage maintained his usual
position that the debt was not due,
that the people were higher than the
courtsa and had a right to be their own
judges in their own cases whether
they should pay or not. He said
that paying would increase the taxes
five-fold. and Il large part of his
speech was occupied with unlimited
abuse of the gentlemen who held
the compromise meeting at the
Maxwell House just after the adj
journment of the Legislature.
Col. Colyar said that Savage had
given a sad account of Legislatures,
judges, editors and a variety of
other people in authority; he asked
whether this was not a reason for
the people to settle the debt while
they can do so at 50 reasonable a
rate, rather than remand it back
into the hands of such d set Of men,
But the strong point of Col. Colyar's
speech was that refusing this COM
promise would not be settling the
debt. 1t would still be due, and it
is by no means certain that the dog
ma of State sovereignty could be
interposed to prevent its collection.
We here insert the report Of Col,
Colyar's argument from the Nash
Vile American:
According TO Col. Savage, We are In az
much danger from the courts as from the
Legislature. He assumes broadly that mo
court, Stale or Federal, has jurisdiction to
enforce any right the bOndhOlders may
claim, or TO repair any wrong that he may
think he sHstains, for the reason that he is
ViOiateF Of the laws OF God and man and
has no rights to protect"
But ! ask the pertinent question Suppose
the Supreme Court OF the United States shall
differ with Col. Savage, ana shall not agree
to the doctrine that to lend money TO q
State, upon its own application, is a crime
and makes man a violator of the laws of
God and man. suppose the supreme Court
OF the United States shall believe that he is
entitled to protection, and instead of giving
way TO the logic of the new doctrine, they
shall adhere TO the doctrine announced in
tue case of Murray VS.. CharleStan, in 9th
Otto, that estates and cities when they Dor
row money and contract to pay it, with in
tereSt, are not acting as sQYGretgnties; they
come down TO the level OF ordinary indiYiq-
uals their contracts have the same mean=
ing ~ That OF similar contracts between
Or suppose the Supreme Court of the
United States shall disregard this new doG-
trine, and say they prefer to adopt the
teachings of the Supreme Court OF TenneS-
see in the case OF Dibrell in 3D. Sneed, when
ii is said by one of our most eminent jur1Sts,
the Hon. RObt l.. CarutheTs, that:
1.-The doctrine that when a State becomes
a common carrier by means OF railroads
owned by itself or otherwise, or bankers or
aHO-atiQns of citizens, orprivate companies,
or corporations, that it throws off its SOW
ereignty, has become too yell established to
allow of argument at this day.
"In such cases the same rules Of liability
apply and no superior advantages are en-
Suppose the Supreme Court Of the United
States shall adhere to thi, well established
doctrine, and shall hold us TO account, as
they would an individual, then the perth
nent question is, how are we going to help
ourselves? The answer is we can only do II
by lighting, by resisting United States Mar
Shais, backed by the military IN executing
process.
This is no more than we con-
tended for three years ago; we have
long warned our people that the
principle of State sovereignty is not
is strqng as it was; not strong
enough, fGF instance, to shield a
State from the consequences Of de-
linquency in regard to its liabilities,
On the whole, it appears that the !
State is awake to the emergency |
now upon her, and that the few |
persistent repudiators who have so
long spoken as if they were going
to carry the whole State before
them are now reduced to an abjectiy
defensive position. The Hon. +. T.
and eX-Gov. John C.
Brown have been speaking with
great effect in favor of the comprO-
mise at Pulaski, in Giles comfy,
and everywhere the determination
is manifested no longer to let the
disorganizers and Fepudiators haYe
their own way. Let not MOntgom=
cry, who has so long been in the
front ranks as a State credit county,
be left behind. Just to carry the