Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-07-17
mANoOoK.s CIVIL mEooI.n.
4 MfssissippI Denocrat's EIoquent
Review OF ir.

1 Mississippi Democrats EIOqueut
Review OF it.
AT barbecue and ratification
meeting at Macon, Miss, on the 81
inst, the principal speaker, Col.
Beverly Matthews, said:
"The civil record of Gen. Han
cock Is formed of his famous order
No. 40, issued 10 the people OF Lou
isiana and Texas, and his letter to
Gov, Pease of the FLone Star"
state.
These two papers contain the fol-
lowing sentiments:
"The true and proper use OF the
military power, besides defending
the national honor against foreign
nations, Is to uphold The laws and
civil government, and to secure tO
every person residing among us the
enjoyment Of life, liberty and prop
erty. ...-...
"The great principles of Ameri-
can liberty still are the inheritance
of this people and ever should be.
"Power may destroy the forms,
but not the principles OF justice.
These will live in spite even of the
sword.
"Nothing can intimidate me from
doing what l believe to be hOnlast
and right.
"The right of trial by jury, the
writ of hd6e0S corpus, the liberty of
the press, the freedom of speech,
the natural rights of persons and
the rights Of property must be pre-
served.
This civil record Is said by rcpnb-
licans TO be Il very narrow fOun,la-
tion for presidential hOnors.
II is brief but not narrow. Ii Is
the distillatiOn Of every attribute OF
American citizenship. IL N a CONF
pend OF American liberty regulated
by law. A mental power that pos
sesses such an alemblc Is not nn-
worthy the chief magistracy of this
Union and will respond 10 the de-
mands OF any crisis.
The decalOgue Is brief, and yet IL
answers in every hemisphere every
want in life or in death. lIc who
inscribes il upon his heart and
makes his daily walk and cOnvcr-
satiOn a beautiful conformity he
comes 1T for the companiOnship Oi
the angels and his God.
Power Is grasping and Unsuitable
and hung like ripe fruit ready TO
fall into the hands Of our great and
noble chief, and yet he turned away
from ii as did another great histOr-
ical character from crown.
His soul was surfcitcd with strife
and blood and the pagcantry OF tho
god of war.
lie did not sigh for the continued
domination Of military power, nor
wish for the brOOding spirit Of con-
fusion and anarchy In order that
plumber might thrive and fatten.
lie knelt reverently at the shrine
Of civil authority and law, and
opened the folds Of the white flag
of peace and gave IL 20 the fettcr-
less winds.
Compare him with the era and
the circumstances In which this
splendid civil record was made up,
compare him with any or all of his
cOmrade military district cOnman-
ders-cOmpare him with any priV-
ate citizen or official, aud you will
listen in vain for any voice save his
that said 10 the waves of passion,
"Peace, be STILL" You will look
In vain TO the million Of men In
uniform and under arms To find any
other name save that Of Gen. w. y.
Hancock who confined the military
power TO the maintenance Of the
federal union, and that accom-
plished, proclaimed "iho great
principles Of American liberty still
are the inheritance Of this people
and ever should be-"
Hampden in tho gorgeous vest
ments of Macaulay's rhetoric Is not
"A nObleT or more commanding fig
ure than is the peoples candidate
for the presidency.