Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-18
Temporary Chairman HceonneiPs Let
ter 10 Colonel A. b Coiyar.


In your issue of yesterday an article aP-
pears in which / am referred to in way
that feel requires at my hands a short
notice, and trust that you will do me the
justice to give this place in your coiunsns-
Speaking of the policy pursued by the
Am mriean on the debt question, and OF the
results that would have been realized from
such policy, you use this language:
"This wssdefestsd mainly BY man being
who, taking advantage OF his sltuataas.- ->ss4-z
cussed quest89a ~ nae nj beloHEed 10 =.
committee and then the convention. This
led to adopting platform which is imprac-
ticable, because it cannot be carried out"
Waving discussion as to the remainder of
the article, / desire to address myself only to
that part of the same referring to my action
"a temporary chairman OF the convention.
At the time of the delivery of the address |
had no doubt whatever of the appropriate
ness of discussing briefly the question Of all
others to come most prominently before the
convention; nor had my ideas changed
until / read your article on the subject.
Becoming from its perusal, to some extent,
"a doubling Thomas" / began at once TO
investigate, with firm determination, if
found myself in the wrong, "of taking it
all back" but the further went in my in
vestigations "the more / couldn't find" any
well~established laws, rules or regulations
directing the temporary chairman to care
fully avoid all mention of questions in
which the assembly addressed had any inter-
est, and thus give 10 committees a "fair
show for their white alley" Finding the
question without rules or regulations, and
thus forced to look to precedent, my own
recollection is very distinct that / have
known several gentlemen of al least fairly
respectable ability, when occupying sicnilar
positions to that / had the honor to hold,
discuss the policy of their party on various
questions of interest to il, while others,
in the main, pursued n different course.
Finding, as before stated, no rules
on the subject, and precedents badly
mixed, l return to my first opinion, that
what 1 did was right and proper, although
your opinion is to the contrary. The ques-
tion resolves itself into simple differ
ence of opinion, and 1 confess am at a loss
to know just how we can adjust it. Cour-
teonsly deferring to your opinion, | feel that
ought not to say anything, until after the
appointment of a committee, while you, per-
haps, with equal courtesy to meet my views,
would allow discussion in advance. We
might arrive at a solution OF this difficult
and vexed question in this way (if | am per-
mitted to suggest before the commit
tee is appointed): You appoint commit
tee and when they report 81 will sub
NIT 10 the people" and abide their decision,
whatever it may be. Admitting, for the
sake of argument, that your opinion is cor
rect, it strikes me very forcibly that you
give my brief aliusion 10 the State debt un-
due importance. Indeed. the facts, when
fairly examined, rather aknock the pins
from updersSonr assumption- A eenspsifte,s
was appointed, and out-of the seventeen
signing the majority report not one gave
the slightest indication of having been
Influenced by what L said. Their
report was solid against me. For the
life Of me, can't see how l happened to
hit all the balance of the convention and
miss all the committee. Conscientiously be-
lieving that ffty-and-three was as high as we
ought to 60, aud that the sentiment of the
great body of the convention coincided with
mine offered an amendment to the report
on platform striking out 6fty-and-four aud
inserting fifty three, and discussed the
question at this time at much greater length
than On the former occasion, and on the vote
being .aken the amendment was adopted by
about two to one II my conduct had any in
huence in shaping the action of the con-
yeniioa-and / cannot hatter myself that it
did-nly irst effort being dead failure, the
second, as shown by the vote on the amend
ment, must have been "a regular tenstrike."
Looking carefully over the ground, l am
forced 10 the conclusion that if your strict
uTts nave q pnduC VI yuotiSO III thCh yOu nave
undoubtedly hitched Your horses to the wrong
end of the wagon. You should by all means
have devoted your condemnation TO the last
speech, because it is never "right to hit the
wrong man, This attack perhaps could
have been Justly made, on the theory that
it is not justi6sble in any one to offer an
amendment without at first advising with
the managers, and really ] did not consult
anyone, except the united sentiment of the
L g IL
this united sentiment L am always proud to
stand, well satisfied that the united wisdom
of my party steads unmessurably higher
than the opinion of any one man. Respect
fully, II. M. MCCONNELL.
COLONEL CoLYAR-I send this manuscript
direct to yourself, understanding that you
are the author of the article referred TO, be-
lieviDg that you will do me the justice 10
see that it is inserted in the american, but
should you decline to do 30, please do me
the favor to return the same. Yours, very
truly, T. NJ. MCCONNELL.