754 



TENNESSEE. 



tion as the interests of the party and the public wel- 

 fare may seem to require, do declare : 



1. Inasmuch as the administration of Governor 

 John C. Brown, by its prudence, moderation, and 

 wisdom, by the fidelity displayed in the discharge 

 of every trust or duty imposed by the constitution 

 or by legislative enactment upon the Executive, and 

 by the vigilant care with which the rights and inter- 

 ests of the people have been guarded and protected, 

 has fully vindicated the wisdom of the people of the 

 State in calling him to the gubernatorial chair ; and, 

 believing that such honesty, fidelity, and capacity in 

 a public trust, deserve, in these times, to be specially 

 recognized, and that the welfare of the State demands 

 the retention of Governor Brown in the Executive 

 office for another term ; we do therefore unanimously 

 present the name of Governor John C. Brown to the 

 people of Tennessee as our candidate for reelection 

 to the office of Governor ; and, in so doing, pledge 

 to him our united and most cheerful support. 



2. That, for the purpose of maintaining our organi- 

 zation, and the better promoting the general interests 

 of the party, the president of this convention is 

 hereby authorized and requested, at as early an hour 

 as practicable, to appoint and make known an Exec- 

 utive State Committee, to consist of eleven members 

 five from Middle, three from East, and three from 

 West Tennessee any six of whom shall constitute a 

 quorum to do business under the call of the chair- 

 man. 



3. That we recognize, among other things, as car- 

 dinal points in our political faith, the following : 



The preservation of our local State governments 

 against Federal encroachment and centralization of 

 power. 



The equality of all men before the law, and an 

 equal participation of all citizens in the rights and 

 benefits of government. 



The subordination of the military to' the civil au- 

 thority. 



The inviolability of the right of habeas corpus. 



The purification of the corrupt civil service of the 

 Government. 



A rigid economy in the expenditures of govern- 

 ment, and a faithful compliance with its obligations. 



The preservation of the national honor at home 

 and abroad. 



The union of the States, and all the guarantees of 

 the Constitution respected. 



And, for the purpose of securing the recognition 

 and _ faithful application of these principles in the 

 administration of our national Government, we are 

 ready and willing to cooperate with all good citizens 

 in the pending presidential contest, without regard 

 to other and minor differences of creed or policy, or 

 past political names or associations. 



4. That, inasmuch as the convention of Liberal 

 Kepublicans, held at Cincinnati, in the first and suc- 

 ceeding days of the present month, has presented to 

 the country the names of Horace Greeley, of New 

 York, and Benjamin Gratz Brown, of Missouri, as 

 candidates for President and Vice-President of the 

 United States, pledged to the maintenance and en- 

 forcement of the doctrines above enunciated, and 

 has invited the cooperation of all patriotic citizens 

 in their support, we deem it but the part of patriotic 

 duty to declare that, in the contest now wellnigh 

 upon us, said nominees deserve the support of 

 every patriot in the land as against a ticket repre- 

 senting the principles, policy^ and practices of the 

 present Federal Administration. And while reaf- 

 firming our purpose and desire to preserve the integ- 

 rity of the Democratic party, we do nevertheless 

 declare, in our behalf, and, as we are well satisfied, 

 in behalf of the people we here represent, that, in 

 our opinion, with the lights before us, the presenta- 

 tion of candidates for the presidency and vice-presi- 

 dency in the approaching contest, by the Democratic 

 party of the nation, would be unwise, unnecessary, 

 and exceedingly dangerous to the welfare of the 

 people at large. 



5. Inasmuch as a National Democratic Convention 

 has been called by the National Executive Committee, 

 to meet at Baltimore on the 9th day of July, 1872 ; 

 and inasmuch as it is desirable that the Democracy 

 of Tennessee, as well as of all the States, shall be 

 fully represented in said convention, we do hereby 

 appoint and authorize twenty-two delegates to said 

 National Democratic Convention, four from the State 

 at large, and two from each congressional district ; 

 the delegates from the congressional districts to be 

 selected by the representatives to this convention 

 from the respective congressional districts, and the 

 delegates from the State at large to be selected by a 

 committee of two from each congressional district, 

 to be appointed by the Chair. Said delegates to 

 appear and act in behalf of the Democratic party of 

 Tennessee, in said National Convention, with special 

 instruction to carry out the spirit of the foregoing 

 declarations, believing as we do that the election of 

 the ticket presented by the Liberal Kepublicans, and 

 the cooperation of the Northern and Southern people, 

 would go far toward a healing of the nation. 



Resolved, That this convention proceed to select 

 two electors for the State at large, for President and 

 Vice-President, and that the different congressional 

 districts shall, at the present, select local electors 

 for the same purpose. 



On the 21st of August, the Democracy again 

 assembled in convention, and, after an exciting 

 session of four hours, nominated General B. 

 F. Cheatham for Congressman at large, and 

 chose ex-Senator Joseph S. Fowler as elector 

 for the State at large. The nomination of 

 General Cheatham was stoutly contested hy 

 the friends of ex-President Johnson who sought 

 to secure the position for their candidate. Mr. 

 Johnson then announced himself an indepen- 

 dent candidate for Congressman. The reasons 

 for this action were given by him in a speech 

 at Columbia, September 6th. Referring to 

 the proceedings of the convention, he said : 



But after the nomination was made, there seemed 

 to be such a general dissatisfaction, such a thorough 

 conviction that the will of the people had been vio- 

 lated, trampled under foot, that, as it were, by spon- 

 taneous combustion, the people rose up en masse, and 

 ten or fifteen thousand made the most decided demon- 

 stration, without being manufactured. It was spon- 

 taneous. They adopted a preamble and resolutions, 

 nnd I was called upon to address them. These ten 

 or fifteen thousand people nominated me by accla- 

 mation. They adopted a resolution requesting me 

 to be their candidate for Congressman for the State 

 at large. I told them that 1 was no candidate, and, 

 in fact, did not desire to be one, but they insisted, 

 did this outburst of the masses,, this throbbing of the 

 popular heart, coming forth like a tidal-wave, and 

 eaid, " We want you to represent the industrial, tax- 

 paying, laboring classes of the country, the great 

 mass of the people in this State." I accepted their 

 nomination, and expect to carry their standard as 

 the people's candidate. I had rather receive the 

 popular nomination of the people assembled en masse 

 than be the nominee of forty such conventions, a 

 they now claim that the people shall obey and bo 

 to with bended knee. I come here as no " disorgar 

 izer," in the sense that the advocates of the t disrepu 

 table convention system are pleased to term it. Why, 

 you have got up a committee at Nashville, the mem- 

 bers of which are scattered promiscuously about the 

 State. " But you have committed a great offence 

 against the committee, Mr. Johnson ; you have had 

 the audacity to come out without having asked that 

 committee for its most gracious permission as to 

 whether you should or should not be a candidate," 

 which means without consulting this sham con- 

 vention. No, I come before you to-day bearing the 



