Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-08-19
Speech of Col. Tillman.

Speech of Col. Tillman.
Lincoln county was compli-
by the selection Of one
its citizens as Chairman of the
State Democratic Convention.
On being introduced by the
Temporary Chairman, Col. TIL
man said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONvENTIoN:-Know-
ing that there are differences of opinion
among you, and feeling assured that my
opinions are not unknown 10 many of you,
it would be vanity in ME not TO acknOwl
edge and ingratitude not to thank you for
the honor conferred in selecting me to pre-
side over your deliberations. You have
come together as the representatives of the
Democratic party Of Tennessee TO indicate
a policy for that party TO nominate can
didate for Governor. You have assem-
bled at a critical period in the history of
the party, and each and every member of
this convention ought, in the true spirit of
Democracy, TO abide the action of the ma
jurity. The representatives of the Demo-
cratic party of the whole country, recently
assembled at Cincinnati, adopted plat
form of principles, declaring in favor of a
sound currency, the subserviency of the
military to civil authority and the strict
maintenance of public crecit, State and
National, and on this platform there was
nominated a Union soldier, whose military
record was so closely allied with the histO-
ga h. ,.f
Grant, that had there been 10 Hancock
there would have been no Heio of Apo
mattOX TO have been balloted for at Chica-
go. The military record of w. S. Hancock
furnishes not a single instance of timidity,
of disobedience TO military law or of I'M
faithfulness 10 his superiOrs, and his cor
respOndence and utterances, public and
private, have been searched in vain for eva
sion or equivOcation in any public matter,
where it was his duty or his privilege TO
speak. Commanding an army, fresh from
victorious battlefelds, supreme ruler over a
territory larger than all Germany, he pro-
claimed the superiority of law over the
bayOnet. Honored by every American pa
triot for his military exploits from the Halls
of the MOnteZumas to the heights of Get
tysburg, we stand amazed that one bred in
camp should so thoroughly understand our
theory of government and so clearly eX
pound the principles of personal and pO-
litical liberty At the close of the great
civil war, in the same letter, in which he
asserted the supremacy of the civil oy er
the military authority, and that the right
of trial by jury, the hdbedS corpus and the
| freedom of the press should be preserved,
he expressed the hope that no Southern
man would. if he could, revive the institu-
| ton of slavery. Nothing" he said, "can
! intimidate me from doing what believe TO
be right and honest" and by strict adhe-
renee TO right and justice, he has at last re-
ceived the nomination Of the great party
for the highest place in the gift of the
! American people. Tennessee is secure,
for whether we are high-tax or lowtax,
State credit or reputation, we are for Han
cock and English; but their success in 9TH
err States depends not little upon the ac-
ton of this convention. The great States
north of us, jealous of the rights of prop
erty as well as the rights of persons,
are watching with anxious interest our &C
ton upon a great question, which sooner OF
/ later may in its influence reach the halls
Of Congress and the Legislatures and peO-
ple of other States. My faith in republi-
can institutions is based upon an honest
and sincere confidence i'll the integrity OF
the people, for if there is anything of which
feel assured, it is that the people will try
70 do right, and if questions are fairly pre-
sented they will i'll nine cases i'll ten reach
correct conclusion. The people demand
an honest, candid declaration, which a
wayfaring man, though a fool, may under
stand. Ten years ago, l expressed the be-
lief, that the Democracy of this State wa:
uacOns, iously dallying with reputation
dressed in disguise fair TO look upon, bu
whose footsteps led TO destruction, bu
confidently predicted that the party
would return TO the paths of virtue troddeI
by jackson, by Polk, by Grundy, by The
Browns, Jones, and other illustrious lead
eIs of both the old dnte-6ellum parties
We have coquetted long enough with The
harlot OF reputation, and a virtuOus peO
pie demand that we shall boldly wed The
nymph, or by our conduct prove TO the
world that we have left her TO the blandish
ments of those who regard neither the fan
name of the State, nor the sacredness Of
public obligations, nor the inviolability Of
private contracts. That harmony which
we all profess TO desire can be best secur-
ed by clearly declaring for what we believe
TO be right, and by steadfastly pursuing it
by adhering TO the practices of republican
form of government, bequeathed to us by
our fathers; by graceful submission by
the minority to the majority; and by let
ting the dead past bury the dead. Let
him who is without fault cast the first
stone, 60 and sin no more. As the depths
of evil are not reached at one leap, so the
ascent is not easy, and all men do not
make the firm resolve 20 choose and pur-
sue the right at the same moment. Great
public questions ought TO be discussed
calmly, and | ask you by dispas sionate
language and cool counsel to aid me in
deciding correctly and impartially, remem-
bering that every error is not a crime.