Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-06-16
A CHARACTERISTIC LETTER



with but slight change the follow.
ing letter, published in the Jonesboro
Whig and Independent Journal, of No.
vember 10, 1S47, might be, addressed
quite appropriately to any session of
the Legislature Of this State.
TO THE WHIG MEMBERS OF THE TENNEs.
SEE LEGISLATURE.
Gentlemen: l nm Whig-never
have been anything else-never can
be. l am, however, an independent
Whig, and conduct an independent
journal; one not controlled by any
clique, unbought by patronage, and
unawed by wealth, or aristocracy. So
long as l am thus free, will denounce
corruption whenever l meet with it,
and when l cease to be thus unbiased,
| will cease my connection with the
public press of this State,
| must repeat, by way of introduc.
tion to what am going to say in this
communication, that l am not soured
at any of you, because of any i'll treat
ment | have received at your hands.
was not before you for office-I did not
ask you for any portion of the public
printing, and never did, at any former
time; | never expect to do SO. gave
no man a letter of recommendation
to any one OF you, since the August
election, or before that. | never ad
dressed line to any of you, upon the
subject of the elections to come before
you, for the different State offices, or
for any one office. l never wrote a
line to any other citizen, to engage your
influence in behalf of any candidate,
though some have become offended at
me, for writing divers letter to Nash.
vile, as they say, in favor of others,
and against them. Such accusers of
mine, can enjoy their surmises. l shall
not dignity them " ith contradiction,
further than this sta tement goes, which
is quite sufficient, as you will readily
perceive. With one individual of your
body, | have corresponded, as have
done for years, but in confidence, about
matters and things in general, my let
ters to that gentleman, have done no
one any harm, or the least injustice.
To the balance of You l have written
nothing. If lie in this. you are the
witness against me, and you are hereby
authorized to correct me.
Gentlemen, you have majority of
your party, in both branches of the
Legislature, and are therefore respon-
sible for all that is done, or left un
done. Nearly six weeks of your session
has elansed, and scarcely any progress
has been made in doing the regular
business of the session. Toe elections
OF State officers, which you should
have gone through with in a week, are
not yet completed; and l am sorry to
say, that little else than drunkenness,
profane swearing, lewdness, log roll
ings, and downright corruption, has
been attended to, by a majority of
both political parties. There are some
honorable exceptions to this rule. in
the ranks of both parties, but a ma
jority of each party are time serving,
selfish and unprincipled demagogues,
unworthy Of the confidence of those
who sent you to Nashville, to make
laws for them. These are the honest
convictions Of an honest mind, formed
NOT hastily, but after the most ma .
ture deliberation.
1t is no use to complain that the Lo.
cofoco party do all they can to retard
your onward movements-tot throw diff.
fculties in your way-and to prevent
elections. 1t is useless for you to say
that your opponents too, are immoral
that they log roll it-and show evl.
dent signs of corruption. All this is a
part and parcel of their political creed
they are expected to act out their
principles-the world makes allow
ances for them; but you profess to be
honest, and decent, and to have the
good OF the country at heart.
Your conduct thus far, gentlemen,
tends fast to engender corruption in
the public counsels, and to bring into
disrepute the constitutional provision
for holding elections in the Legisla.
ture. Bargain and sale," judging
from the public journals, from private
letters, common report, and from the
result of your conventions of both
houses, is the order of the day, with at
least good portion OF you. How diff
ferent thing now, is politics, with
what it was quarter of century go.
Gentlemen then, at least professed
honesty of purpose-but now, they
openly confess that "sll is fair in poll
tics" In those days, men would have
been expelled from our Legislative
Hall, for what is now deemed smart.
ness. When and where will this sys.
tenn of traffic endY What public trust
is safe against its influencey Shame
on set of men, who will thus trifie
with the public time and money, and
with the solemn obligations of their
ostbs, administered upon the Holy
Evangelist of Almighty God.
Some of you openly venture the opin
ion, that your disgraceful system of
bargain and sale, y is necessary evil,
/ A. . l.