The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-09-15
MEXICAN WAR.
An Open Letter to the Editor of
the Newport Reporter.
SEWER COUNTY, Tenn,
sCaat q gan

~ COOGNAAB =
- -r Sept. 6, 1880.
We see in your paper, OF SspLem-
Der I'd, the following editorial:
j. ftThe Rebels and d emocrats are going
to give Bob Taylor sword. The time
set to present it is the gath of Septem-
I Der. Some one asked what are they
going to do this forP The only correct
answer is because Bob, while in Con-
,gress, voted to pension Jeff Davis"
The above stalepeat BY you is
not true. The presentation of that
sword on the Gath Of September will
not be made by Rebels and Demo
arata as8yoa have etated, bot wilibe
made By the Veterans of the War.
against Mexico. Nearly every one
Of them are Republicans aad not a
Rebel can be found in their ranks.
Besides we wish to inform you that
the war against the Rebels is said
to have ended more than fifteen
years ago; and to remind you OF the
old maxim which reads thus: wise
men look forward and fools look
back and become terribly alarmed
about evils that are long since past"
As early as May last. it was agreed
among us TO present the sword to
Mr. Taylor as suitable token of
oqr high esteem for bin. on account
Or his very brilliant effort in cur be-
half. when the Mexican soldiers
pension bill was pending in Con-
gress at Che last session.
For this you are pleased 10 call
The, Fair. Garden Association of
Veterans agafnst the War of Next
CO" Rebels and Democrats i
Hold on, young man, your shak.
ing the tail of the bloody shirt cam
not possibly alarm the old soldiers
in our organization-most of whom
have not only fought through the
Mexican War but also fought
through the late war iu the United
States army, and have been in mere
than sixty battles against both Mex
leans and Rebels. Twas one Of the |
first in making the move in this mat
ter, and you may call me therefore
one ofths ring leaders in the case.
In this. the I'd District OF Tsnnes-
zee, We are for lie. Houk for re-
election to Congress. because he
voted as Mr.. Taylor did for the Mex
lean soldiers pension bill. We are
free white citizens, and wish to vote
for the.best interest of our country
according to. our unbiased Judgment.
We are caring nothing about Jeffer-
son Davis be has written aletter to
q member Of Congress. requesting
bis claims for pension to be omit
ted in the passage of the bill. In
other words, he declines to receive
said pension and there was no bill
in Congress to give him a pension +;
hence BobfTaylor did not vote as
you have stated. In effect you
might as web Say that the Hon. L.
c. Houk, Of this district, voted TO
pension JEFF Davis, which we all
know he did not do neither did Mr..
Taylor.
We prefer to vote for men whose
position on the question is known
and wen defined in our favor. We
intend to keep 8 sharp look out af.
ter all those who have voted against
Us in the past, or who may chance
to do SO in the future.
We fought to make our country
great aud strong, long before you
we're born. and we hope you will
not let the thoughts OF the Bloody
Shirt make you go reckless that you
will feel yourself constrained to fight
the late war over again at every
election long years after it Is ended.
Slavery and secession are both dead
and buried long since, young man,
and this great "scare crow" OF JEFF
ferson Davis may alarm some sap
heads but it is perfectly worthless
among men Of sense. Keep cool,
young man, we veterans will come
up to see you and Bob on Friday
the twenty fourth OF September. We
will bring along q veteran of the
war 90 1912, the only survivor in
our ceunty. Yours truly,
JAMES d. McCLoUD.
Ex.soIdier Company X, 9th Ten
.nessee Infantry. Mexican War; also
Company X, I'd Tennessee Cavalry,
IT. S. A.
We regret 40 hear that cur young