The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-09-16
OUR BOB.
He Fires Off the First Great
Gun.
His Incompatible Speech in Full
Stirs Enthusiasm all Over
Tennessee.

principles. FoE twenty long weary
wears these principles were trampied
under foot and the party that chung
to them and preachl them met de-
feat aud disaster in every quadren-
NAL contest. But we never lost
heart, for we knew that those prin-
ciples were true, that they were as
eternal as God, that they would live
when the stars were old, when the
sun is cold and the leaves OF the
| Judgment book unfold. In the year
of our Lord 1884, those principles
triumphed, and the party Of Jetter-
son and jackson and Johnson and
Polk and Cleveland assumed con-
troll of the government. Notwwith-
standing the prophecies of republi-
cans, the country is still safe, the
colored citizens are still free, the
pensioners still receive their boun-
ty, the fields still yield, the sun still
shines, the rain still falls, the grass
| still grows, the stars still twinkle
and the old ship of state sweeps
proudly over smooth seas and not a
wave of trouble rolls across our
peaceful breast. The year of jubi-
lee has come.
But while we are yet in the hon
eymoon of our triumph, and before
we are thoroughly established In
the possession of the fruits of our
victory, the republican party comes
before the court, the great tribunal
of the people, and pleads for a new
trial. And in coming before the
court upon that new trial they are
IN the ridiculous attitude of pre-
senting the same old brief, every
point of which was decided against
them in 1884.
Now, it may be reasonably asked
why the democratic party is still
hammering away upon the carcass
of republicanism. will tell you
why. An old fellow in Georgia
killed a sheep-killlng dog. He de-
liberately cut a hickory club and
began to beat and maui the lifeless
body of the poor old dog, A neigh
Dor passing by stopped and said,
"Ain't that dog deadY' EYES," re-
piled the farmer. swell, what in
the name of reason are you beating
dead dog forp' The farmer never
stopped, but said, 81 want to teach
him that there is a little hell after
death"
Now, the republican party comes
before the courts with the same old
threadbare declarations that it is
the party of constitutional govern
ment, of honest government, OF pro-
lection to labor and of free educa-
ton. In 1884 upon these same
declarations it heard the verdict of
100000 sovereigns, Chou art
weighed in the balance and found
wanting" But let US examine the
old record again and see if that was
good and true verdict. Its first
declaration is that it is the party of
constitutional government. In the
dark days succeeding the war, when
this party of constitutional govern
ment had two-thirds of both houses
OF congress, and while it was in full
control of the Judicial department,
drunk with power and passion, it
began the work of reckless riot and
debauchery of the government, and
when the great, grand spirit of dem
ocrscy, in the person of Andrew
johnson, confronted it, crazy with
rage this republicf / party convert
ed itself into a political mob. 1t
ran rough-shod over the powers OF
the. executive. It was in his cabi-
net, and when he undertook to re-
move it in the exercise of his con-
stitutional power, it arbitrarily en-
acted law in the face of the con-
stitution, compelling him to retain
Mr.. Stanton, and all other officers
under the government, no matter
how obnoxious and Objectionable
they were to the executive. This
party of constitutional government |
declared that the states were con-
quered provinces, while the presi-
dent declared that as the attempt to
secede had failed the states were
still in the Union. And so the con-
fict ran high, until in their deter
mInation to rule or ruin the govern
ment, with absolute disregard and
recklessness of constitutional law,
they impeached the president of the
United States and brought him be
fore the bar of the senate to answer
to the charge of high crimes and
misdemeanors. And when they did
that they struck blow at the con-
stitution of this country, which de-
fines the powers of the executive as
clearly as the powers of the legisla-
tive and judicial departments of
They struck deadly
blow at liberty itself, and had this
conspiracy of this constitutional
party succeeded the last vestige of
constitutional governm emit would
have been wrecked, the Union itself
would have been broken up and de
stroyed and the flag which had so
triumphed in war would
have ceased to be the flag Of consti
tutional union.
But thank God, Andrew johnson
was equal to the occasion. The
very elements of his native land,
the rocks and hills and mountains
had entered into his composition,
aud he stood like the rock of Gil
braltar, unmoved and mistaken by
The fury and lashing waves of this
raging constitutional party. An
drew Johnson sleeps amid the beau
tiful hills and mountains Of East
Tennessee, but his spirit lives, his
influence lives, and his noble deeds
shine in the world like star that
shines long after the star itself has
disappeared. Sleep on, Andrew
Johnson, wrapped in thy country's
lag and pillowed upon the coun-
RVS constitution. Unborn millions
Jet to be will revere thy name and
Keep thy memory sweet.
unfettered, unwAtched, uncon- /
fined,
30 my spirit like thee in the world of the {
mind, I
10 leaning for earth e'er to weary its fight, q
khu ,,;piona IN ra0iona l;Cbt I O