Year: 1872

His Views on the Political Situation,


At one o'clock, the hour announced for the
speaking, the crowd began to assemble at the
grove in front of the Female Institute, and short
ly afterwards the notes of the Turn verein Band
were heard approaching, followed by citizens
on foot and in carriages.


Shortly afterwards the distinguished speaker
arrived, accompanied by Col. John Williams,
bearing package containing the constitution
and other documents for reference ominous in
their bulk. He was met by Hon, Thomas A. X.
Nelson and escorted to the stand where he stood
few moments surveying the crowd, all too
small for the momentous occasion. ...


THE STAND


Was q hastily improvised structure, made of
new material though every plank in the plat
form could not have been considered sound" !"
though draped with the national colors, as be-
fore commencing it was deemed advisable to
have the speech from the portico of the lnsti-
tute. Accordingly the crowd about faced, and
by right and left reverse, counter-marched in
that direction.


After music by the band, the speaker was in
troduced by Hon. Thomas \. X. Nelson. as the
great exponent of constitutional liberty, in a
speech highly eulogstic Of his ability. He took
pleasure in calling before them the old popular
favorite by the name he was often called by,


ANDY JOHNSON"


He did not come before the people of Knox
county in the character of an otfice-seekcr. He
hoped they would not expect too much from
him on the present occasion, and though his su-
dience was not as large as some he had address
ed in time past yet he would make an effort TO
enlighten them on public affairs, and in order to
do so it would be necessary to refer to the first
and fundamental principles of the government


The constitution was his guide and the public
good his aim, and if that venerated instrument
had been preserved we would have had no eff
fort to have another free government and an
Nlnn sN,,NsA DV.NN 81
contained had been abandoned and we behold
our present condition. We hear q great deal of
Democracy and Republicanism-many were di-
yided in name and yet agreed in principle-the
constitutional Democrat and the true Republi-
can were synonymous, and in what he had to
say he was talking for his country, the fortunes
of which swayed like the pendulum of clock
from tyranny TO anarchy, between which ex-
tremes were aristocracy and theocracy.


THE CONSTITUTION.


The speaker seemed to consider this almost
sacred, the voice of the people being the voice
Of God" and it being an emanation from the
people This provided for three Department.
the executive, legislative and judicary-but
Congress was aggressive and one OF the depart
ments was trying TO swallow the other. 1t
might be the last time he would have an oppor-
tunity of addressing the people and he urged
them TO stand up for constitutional liberty, for
without that, he said, where are you p per-
haps in the sense the freedman asked when giv-
ing his preference for riding on the old fashion,
stage coach against the steamboat, "If you 5
ridin' on de stage and it breaks down, dar you
is but if on de boat when dc bier busts, aohGr
is you 2"


He construed the Interpretation of the con-
stitution to be as much against public officers
receiving presents from a millionaire as titles
from a foreign Prince. He then referred to the
charges of gift-taking against the President and
repeated the exploded stories about their
| crime


Since 1871, be said the population of the coun.
try had increased between 500 and 800 per cent
only while, he said, the increase in expendi.
| lures had been over G,000 per cent. The tax
per capita then was only about one dollar
while now it amounted to more than nine dol
lars. 1t was necessary to recur to the past il
order to guard against the future, and whilt
abuses were tolerated during the war, yet they
would not be now.


Abiding TO Mr., Sumner, who had been one
of the prime movers in his impeachment, tha
| gentleman had now become so disgusted with
the party he belonged to as to declare asaiDs