Year: 1874

CAMPBELL, ANDERSON, UNION,


JEFFERSON AND SEWER.


FeliOU. Citizens: For some time past.
/ have contemplated announcing my
self candidate TO represent the peo.
pie of the Second Congressional Dis
trict of Tennessee, In the Forty
Fourth Congress of the United States.
And now after mature consideration,
and in response to the written request
of great number of voters the YER
bal and personal solicitations of verv
many respectable and influential citi-
zens, these coming alike from every
county in the District, and no less in
conformity with my own wishes in
the premises, l hereby announce my
self as such candidate, and most re.
spectfullv solicit the confidence
and suffrages of the people. In
thus coming before the pub
lie, l trust no violence is
done to the rights, duties and prin-
ciples of American citizenship. In
this country the right to ask for and
be elected to Office is the prerogative of
no particular class, but belongs alike to
every citizen without exception, the
only distinction being that favor which
our institutions show to those whose
practical craftsmanship point them
out to the people as capable and worthy
to fill such positions as those to which
they may aspire.


Nothing better and more beautifully
illustrates the genius of our free insti-
tutions than the right of the very
humblest citizen of the Republic to as.
pire to any position of honor and trust
within the gift of the American people,
and known to our Constitution. And
having received so many and such
overwhelming evidences of general
desire, that L should be a candidate for
Congress In this district, | have,
after some hesitation, concluded
to enter the Congressional contest
without awaiting the formal endors>
ment of any clique or other assumed
source of dictation, of the character
that too often assays to tell the peopl
FOR whom they may vote.


That l am and have been Repub-
lican, somewhat after the manner of the
strictest Sect is well known, and " hile
/ would scorn to be the candidate of a
clique or faction headed by few syc.
ophants in pursuit of the ' lOaves aud
fishes that are accustomed TO be dis
tributed to personal favorites and par
ticular friends, yet | wish it distinctly
understood, that, A CONVENTION OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, gotten up
in the interest of the people, and in
which they are represented and their
voice heard, will command my re-
spect, and control my action, so far as
my candidacy is concerned.


Conventions are of doubtful proprie.
ty, and should only be resorted to and
tolerated in cases of party necessity.
They become intolerable when manip.
ulated in the interest of politicians,
and are managed by those who are
looking in expectancy for the official
crumbs that may fall froln the tables
of those who are successful! All pow
er is inherent in the people. This is
the fundamental principle upon which
our Government is based. Hence, |
will submit my claims only to con-
vention in which the masses of the
people are fairly represented.


There are many questions of practi-
cal concern, such as finance, invOlv-
ing the principles of banking, nations
al taxation, equalization of bounties,
granting pensions and otherwise do
ing Justice to the soldiers of the Re-
public; the abolition of the unjust,
oppressive and justly odious laws of
the United States which are enforced
for the alleged purpose of collecting
lilS llt QutSIlOu
of the Government making pay
ment to those loyal citizens in
the Southern States whose property
was taken and used by the Union
armies during the war; the Civil
Rights Billn and many other meas.
ures of practical importance, which
must of necessity aud from the very
nature of Representatives. duties, be
acted upon by him-all these questions
l shall take occasion to fully discuss
upon the stump between now and the
election, and personally present my
views upon them. And now in con-
clusion, l deem it proper to suggest to
my friends, and the fair minded peo-
pie of the District, that / have many
evidences of determination on the
part of some, to destroy the confidence
of the people in me, by free use of
falsehood, ii in no other way. Or the
22d, of May last, / wrote, Certain
fellows of the baser sort, whose names
can be given, have sought to blacken
my character in various ways, and
through different channels of false
hood and defamation. While inuendo
and insinuation have been used by
some, the sacred compact of secrecy
and private confidence has
been sought by others in the
propagation of their lies |" What was
true then has continued to exist since,
and the forked tongue of the Sian
has been and is still at work in order
to defeat my election.


| shall very soon make and fill list
of appointments, whereby | hope to
reach the ear of at least the vast ma
jority of the voters of the District, and
wherever, whenever and under what
ever circumstances, / shall be assailed
with falsehood, it will be my pleasure,
as it will certainly be my duty, to
meet and refute Its imputations.


And, l here promise my friends, that
no man, nor set OF men, shall make
any definite charge, in public way,
affecting my character as a man aud
citizen, without il being promptly
met and repelled. If such an accusa-
tion shall be made, and fail to fully
answer and explain my innocence, L
will of course expect the people to
adiudpe me guilty. However no man