Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-07-08

4
| widows and orphans in the State.
The truth is, these gentlemen who
are so abusive OF Roderick Random
Butler have adopted his policy OF
making platform simply to catch
votes.
But their convention and plat
form are failures. What do we see
to-day? The American scratches
the platform but votes for Bate /;
the Shelbyville Commercial, the
organ of the Savage party, scratches
the platform and Bate too; Mr..
Wallace, chairman of the Indepen-
| dent party, scratches the platform
but votes for Bate. So from one
end of the State to the other the
platform is repudiated by men OF
all sides, and yet we are told seri-
ously by these gentlemen that they
| intend to settle the State debt.
They are together for the purpose
of breaking down the present settle
ment, and after that is done they
will be more divided than ever. /
am no prophet, but venture to say
that, il in the wise providence of
God all of the men in Tennessee
should be laid low in the dust ex-
cept the majority party in Nash
vile, this debt would not be settled
in 90 years. have no hope of liv-
ing to see the day when they will
settleit.
Our duty then is plain-let US
struggle on as we have in the past,
always holding fast to the princi-
pies for which we have eontended.
| (Applause.(
If in the end we shall fall and the
flag bearing upon its folds "the
honor and credit of the State" shall
trail in the dust, We can endure it
with fOrtitude as we did i'm the past,
when the flag of our beloved South
was folded forever at Appomattox,
because we will feel that we have
faithfully and honestly discharged
our duty to ourselves, to our chill
dren, and to our country. loud
applause.)
Thanking you, gentlemen. for
i the honor conferred III calling upon
lne 10 preside over 50 large and res
I pectable convention of men who
value principle above party, now
call the convention to order.
Mr.. W. 0. Brandon, Of the Leaf,
and Ed. G., Campbell, of the Chron-
i'ie, were chosen Secretaries.
Mr.. Henry C. Merritt moved that
ii committee of eight be appointed
to select delegates to attend the
State Convention. The chairman
appointed the following committee:
Henry G. Merritt, Ch'm'n.; r. Y.
Johnson, r. III. Burney. John P.
Manson, E. B. Ross, T. F. Henry,
DIR. w. B. Fentress and Hatcher
Neblett.
The following committee on reso-
lutions was next appointed by the
chair: d. N. Kennedy, ,Ch'm'n.;
Henry Frech, DIR. n. l.. Northing-
ton, III. II. Lurton, w. p. johnson,
DR.. ID. f. Wright, DR.. j. r. Payne.
The mass-meeting, upon motion,
then took recess to await the re-
ports of committees.
During this interim, Major Thos.
F. Henry was loudly called for,
and taking the rOstrum made the
convention an eloquent and forcibIe
address on the duty of the State
Credit Democracy. We regret that
space viii not permit us to give his
stirring appeal in full.
Major Henry is brilliant orator
and his speech reminded all who
heard ii OF the magnificent bursts
Of eloqucnce that used TO fall from
the lips of his honorcd and re-
vered father,S that grand old Eagle
Orator" of Tennessee, the Hon. G.
y. Henry.
Major Henry said: ale left his
fields, not Ike Cincinnatus of old to
save his country, but To do what |
little he could To save Tennessee.
Never isbefufe had TenneSSeanS |
been called upon TO deliberate upon |
Il more mOmentOus crisis in the af-
fairs OF the State. The good name,
the honor, the credit, the future of |
Tennessee for veal or for woe was |
the subject matter before us. What |
must we do? Where the sover- |
eighty and plighted faith of their
State WAS concerned what ought |
they to do ? He need not answer |
for them. He then went on to re-
late how Tennessee made the debt, !
how she went abroad in the world |
and borrowed money to develop her !
boundleSs resources and make in
ternal improvements. What col |
Lateral did she offer for the loan of
this money? She pledged her SOW
ereignty, her sacred honor as secu-
rity, how could she now refuse to
pay? 1t would be downright rob- |
berry. He would not say the masses
were regulators, he did not believe
it, but the moving spirits were and
the whole thing tended toward re-
pudiation. He went to the late
convention in spirit of harmony,
willing to sacrifice much for united
Democracy. This same spirit
moved such gentlemen as Luke
Wright, Mr.. Ingersoll, Col. Bailey
and Gen. Jackson. They labored
hard and earnestly for that end,
they begged for place on the plat
form, they plead that they might
be allowed to go into this fight
against the common enemy under
the pure white banner Of peace.
But no, all overtures were spurned.
They were snubbed and ho0ted at.
1t was disgrace. He wished he
had their platform here, he would
like to read it. 1t was fashioned by
Wilson and his crowd. They be-
lieved the settlement unjust, I'M
wise, illegal. Why illegal, was it
not enacted by legally elected
Legislature 1t may be unwise,
but how illegal? Why should they
insult US with such assertions? To
submit to it would not only be hu-
initiation but degradation. He
would go 10 almost any distance for
harmony, but he could not forget ,
principle. Party ties were dear,
but there was something above all
these, and that was plighted faith.
No nation or State could afford to
lose it. He eloquently referred to
France. She had kept hers amid
all her wars and political throes.
She was always true to her obliga- ;
tons, and see where she stands
to-day. !
His word picture of the grand
old ship OF honest Democracy cut. !