Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-07-22
WHOLE NO. 2,432..

I OF partial reputation. III Is a set
. Element alike honorable to the State
and acceptable to the bondholders,
and therefore there Is notithe slight.
est taint OF repudiation in 1t. But
. the most eXceptionable part of this
, article is the insinuation made by
the columbia correspondent" "and
. published by the C0urier-J Journal
with an equivocal and unmanly
qualification. eff our correspond
cut is wrong in his Surmise, we
, shall be glad to hear OF it," That
, is to say, we make the charge, pub
|; lish libel TO the world against "A
, distinguished citizen OF Tennessee,
!, and an eX-United States Senator,
but will be glad TO "hear of it," il
we are wrong in making 1t And
what is this charge? Let the ed
) itor speak for himself. "a CORES.
pondent writing TO us from Colum-
bal, tells us that ex-senator Bailey,
of Clarksville, is the real eat in the
meal tub, and that his idea is to Sc
cure half dozen indepndent Dem
ocrats in the next Legislature who
may unite with the Republicans TO
return him to the seat in the United
States Senate which he lost two
years ago. There is nothing in the
character and antecedents of Col.
Bailey to contradict the plausibility
OF this story, although, to achieve
success, he would have to displace
his old friend and patron, Gov.
Harris" We should like en- pas
SAINT to be informed when Gov. Har-
ris became Col Bailey's patron =?
He is the peer of Gov. Harris or
even of the distinguished editor of
the Courier Journal, (however eX-
allied may be the compliment in the
conception of the latter gentleman)
not only in ability, but personal in
tegrity is unSurl .aSsed by any mod
ern politician. The seat in the SEN
ate which she lost two years ago."
was lost by his manly devotion to
principle and his selfsacrificing pat
riotism, for he told the writer before
he entered on the memorable cam
vass to save the honor OF the State,
that he expected it would beat him
for the United States Senate, but
said he could not hesitate between
his own personal individual ambi-
tiOn and the duty he owed to his
State and party. And no sane man
doubts that If he had played mum,
or pandered to the mistakes and
prejudices of large wing of the
Democratic party, ne would have
certainly been returned to the
United States Senate. a degree of
patriotic, self sacrifice, and devotion
to principle that might well be
commended even to his pdtr'O1, Gov.
| Harris.
His course in connection with tins
State debt question has been so can
did and manly as to win for him
| the respect OF even the most fair
minded of his political adversaries.
! No man has labored more faithfully
to prevent departure of the Ten
nessee Democracy from the line of
precedent both State and national
and no man strove harder to pre-
vent the unhappy breach in the
| Democratic convention than Col.
Bailey. He stood at his post Sin
the eminent deadly breach" as a
delegate from Montgomery county,
and his spotle3s white plume wav-
ed at the front in the thick
est of the fight to harmonize on
principle, and save the party and
the State from the stain of repudia-
| tion. And the manhood of TenneS-
see, even if they differ with him,
honor him for it. His voice on the
duty and obligation of Tennessee TO
meet her pllghted engagements
with her creditors ''gives forth no
uncertain sound" 1t has been
heard from Carter to Shelby ring
ing out clear and distinct for State
credit. Rising young Democrats of
| Tennessee, and not old fogie7 and
fossil politicians, will never cease,
whatever their opinions may be on
the State debt question, to honor
Col. Bailey for his manline7S and
frankness in dealing with public
questions. Tennesseans, since the
days of Old Hickory, love an honest,
open, brave and outspoken states
men like Bailey and Senator How
ell e. Jackson. We have too few
of such politicians, and too many
men that will for the sake OF eXpe-
diency or temporary party succC .,
sacrifice their own honest convic-
tions like Senator Harris, because
"Uie people" are the other way. 1t
is to such men that the people look
as the leaders and eXpounder5 of
great principles, and they will have
sovereign and wholesome con-
tempt in the long run, for that class
of time serving statesmen who are
always in the rear and always set
ting their sails to catch the popular
breeze. If not appreciated in their
day and generation, they can afford
to await the verdict of enlightened
public opinion of impartial history.