Year: 1876

The following letter, addressed to one
OF the editors Of the APPEAL, on the
subject of Lsmar's candidacy for the po.
sitiOn Of United States senator from


Mississippi, is from the pen o. one Of the


most distinguished statesmen in Ten
! nessee, a gentleman beloved in his own
district Of country aud honored wherever


DE is known. What he says of Colonel
Lamsr will be echoed by every citizen
Of that State, ard will. we hope, have
| the effect it ought to of convincing the


members Of the legislature Of Mississip-
pi that he is the man above all Others
for the honorable and distinguished
place he sspires to:


WASHINGTON, December 22.-Excuss
me for asking moment Of your time.
1 am about to approach subject that
perhaps the world will say does not con-
Germ me or, indeed, you. The senatori-
! al contest now pending in the State of
Mississippi is attracting great attention
among III parties in this capitol, from
! the fact that the hope is INDUCED that
Lamar will be chosen senator. Leaving
| out OF view his transcendent genius, his


learning, versatile, profound and thor
| Ough, whether in scieLce, literature,
| philosophy or government, which, of
| course belong to the senatorial charac-
| ter, there is yet another reason just at
this juncture OF public affairs which
more pre-. eminently fits him for that
exalted station than all these. l allude
to the fact that be more particularly has
the ear OF the people of the northern
States than any other southern states
man. Having been upon the ground,
and an eyewitness Of the desperate at
tempts and wicked machinStiOns Of
the extreme fanatics Of the Republican
party in the forty-third congress, to over
throw several OF the southern States,
backed up, a3 they were, by the entire
Republican delegation from the south,
and led by President Grant, himself
daring and unscrupulous leader, | think
/ do but record the truth when l say
that believe that it was the influence
and power which Lamar eXerted upon
the wiser, better and more patriotic por-
ton of the party, by his moderation and
fairness, and by his manly but respectful
presentation of the cause of his people,
and, indeed, of the whole people,
Auu IhCtE
tees, which eventuated in the
utter overthrow of the mad scheme of
mad men, burning with hate and en-
ragged by their defeat in the preceding
elections. Amidst the widest and most
exciting scenes, whenever Lamar ap-
peared upon the floor, the Instantaneous
effect was to calm all sides and dis
pose every one patiently to
hear what re had to say; and al
though the sentiments he chose to utter
were at variance with the opposition,
yet all believed they emRDated from an
honest heart, and were stimulated by
sincere wish to subserve the cause of
truth and right. No wonGer, then, he
appe aled successfully to the wiser and
more patriotic element of the Republi-
can party in te1alf of the great cause of
constitutional liberty; and in house of
which more than twO-thirds were Re-
publican, those destructive measures
were defeated. l am sincere in saying
to you, colonel, that should regard the
electiOn Of Lamar at this time 10 the
United States senate as 3 declaration of
peace and justice to all by the State of
Mississippi, which would do more to
convince the Republicans of the north
that there is real peace and just govern
ment in that unhappy State, than any
other formal declaration she could make.


Lamar has boldly defended the rights
OF the southern people, but it has been
done in admirable temper and with con-
summate skill. His service to our peo-
pie is simply incalculable; for had the
administration not been foiled in its re-
cent efforts to embroil the southern
States in still further reconstruction
complications, no prophet could have
foretold the ruin which it would have
entailed upon our people, simply for the
selfish and unholy purpose of perpetual
ing its power. II the voice Of the De-
paoeraey, north, east and west, and may
a 5ot - ysSoGth, could rssel1 The lAgislar
,tnre. of that noble State, it would be-
seeeh and urge his elevation to the
American senate, as it is theater COM
mensuate with his splendid talents and
unimpeached integrity. His election
would indeed be national Democratic
triumph.