Year: 1872

The Candidates for Governor at Mur-
freesbOrO-G Gov. RrOyvn Master OF
the Situation.


Correspondence Of the Union and American.


MURFREEsBoRo, Sept. 10, lS72.-TO-day
the candidates for Governor addressed in
the courthouse a crowd Of about four
hundred persons. Hon. A. A. Freeman
opened the discussion in a speech of ore
hour, deVoting his time chiefly to defense
of his own party and their acts during the
last ten years. Mr.. Freeman impressed
this community as fair, well meaning ad-
Tocate, who had mistaken his cause and
who was compelled to defend party which
he could not justify. bis defense OF Grant
and his administration was lame III the ex-
treme; and yet it was doubtless as good as
any candid, honest man could make. We
were very much surprised at the fact that
Mr.. Freeman had no State policy mapped
out for his guide. He laid down no
financial scheme for the relief Of the Gre
ditors Of the State or Of the tax payer.
he had no feasible plan to suggest in COZ
nection with the question OF education and
common schools, and in fact no measure
to relieve or advance the material or educa-
tional interests of the State. Mr.. Free
mans positions struck us as being entirely
and radically negdtire in their tendency.
The much discussed question of the PenI-
ientiary lease WAS touched upon by him,
but lot one word of hearty and frank con-
demuation was heard during the whole Of
his speech. 1t was evident that while pre-
tending to find fault with the lease, because
required 50 to do by his party and plat
form, be was compelled to acknowledge it
as happy solution Of one of the most diff
ficult questions of State policy.


Gov. Browns reply was, as we expected,
crushing. There was no child's play with
him, no dealing in technicalities, no eva
sions of important issues. His
vindication of his own admin
istratiOn was convincing and over
whelming, while his review of the corrup-
ton and weakness of the present Federal
administration was searching and scathing.
HIS plans for The future were faIu open
boldly and freely. His showing of the
finalc was plan an j simIle, and yet such
as to convince his hearers that he was mas
ter of The situation. The tax-paying, hard
working honest sons of toll who heard him
reioiced that at last Tennessee was favored
with an Executive who had the capacity TO
handle and the honesty to grapple with the





The success which has attended his effort
to make the Pententiary selfsussaining,
yea, even a source of income, when for
forty years it had been almost continually a
drain upon the Treasury, assures US that
his is the mind to command and his the
will to effect the deliverance Of our beloved
State from its bondage of debt. More
especially were we plelsed with his plan
OF providing a fund for the education
of our children. The plan advocated By
him is the division of the public lands be-
longing to the general government, when
the share to which Tennessee would be
entitled, even at N moderate estimate, would
be sufficient to raise fund by which the
common school system of Tennessee would
be made not only a thing of promise, but q
glorious practical SUCCESS. Upon all these
questions, as well as Others, Gov. Brown
was not only plain but be was practical.


VIII you be so kind as to tell us what
Mr.. Co!yar is for in this canvass, and why
he is going around with the candidates for
Governor? 5.