Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-01-21
WHOLE NO. 2,4O6.

rate as any State in the South pays.
AS the State advances and increases
in population and wealth, which
we may reasonably expect, the bur-
den will grow lighter and lighter
and be finally removed entirely. If
In the future we strive as hard TO
settle the debt as we have In the
past to defer it, apprehend il will
not be so hard to meet after all. AT
any rate it is question which must
be met. Dodging and evasion can
accomplish nothing. True man
hood and craftsmanship demand
that it be met in "A spirit of candor,
fairness and honesty. The State
either owes the debt or she does
not. If she does not, then one cent
of it ought not to be paid. III she
does owe it then she must either
compromise it with the creditors
with their consent (for it takes two
to make a bragain,) pay ii all, or
repudiate it out and out and take
the consequences. There are few h.
men who value their names, their
families or their State, bold enough
TO avow the latter, and yet when
that is abandoned the other tyo
propositions are absolutely unan-
swerable. Every Democratic con-
vention and legislature, and every
Governor OF the State have admit
ted the validity of the debt, and no
party organization of any kind has
ever denied it. The creditors hold
the notes of the State, signed by the
Governors, with the great seal of
the State attached, as evidence of
Indebtedness, and until we can
show that they were obtained
either by fraud, accident or mistake,
we would make a poor showing
before any legal tribunal on earth,
or before any honest people in the
world in denying their validity.
There may be circumstances which
in morals would justify us before
the world in expecting and even in
soliciting reduction and L think
there are and have declared a thous-
and times. But we have been
offered reductions time and again
and they have been refused, and
the present settlement is of itself as
L have stated, alreadya reduction
of seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars per annum. These consid-
erations seem to me sufficient at
least to induce us to meet the ques-
tion fairly and in spirit of candor.
Men ought to be governed in all
things by reason and argument, and
especially when they come to act
on the affairs of State in free
country. There are men, however,
who when they cannot answer an
argument, fall to- abusing, SANDER
ing the man who makes the argu-
ment. Such conduct is mean and
cowardly and should excite only
scorn and contempt.
There is another class who seek
ing to get into power or who being
in desire to remain and in order to
accomplish such ends, either follow
what seems to be the popular side,
or remaining silent, daring not to
speak even when they see danger
and disgrace pending over the
State. Any man who for purposes
of self promotion does either OF
these things is moral, political and
personal coward and sooner or later
the people will regret that they
ever trusted him. There is right
side and a wrong side to this as to
all other questions, and surely rea-
son and argument can point out
which is right and which is wrong.
1t is true that bold. and candid
man may lose place and power,
even by advocating the right when
the judgements of men are tempo
rarily blinded by prejudice. But
though fearless advocate OF the
truth may die, he will often be the
cause of the death OF many a dema-
gogue and trickster before his light
goes out.
/ have made this letter much
longer than / intended to do. I
would have preferred to remain
IaaS.e' aS,e LoeD H,,t ditpaeyy tPpaye th0Hght that
misrepresented, and felt it not
improper TO set myself right. i
have no ambition to again enter the
field of political discussion. am
more than willing that every man
may enjoy to the fullest extent his
own opinions on this and all other
questions. l shall neither fall out
with him nor abuse him about it.
Respectfully, your friend,
JNo. V. WRIGHT.