Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-05-09

American Candidate for Congress
the sth District.

American Candidate for Congress i'm
the sGh District.a -
Our neiehbor Of the Banner publishes
call, signed by a hundred names rom
Montgomery county, for Convention to
nominate an American candidate for Con-
gress in this district. We cannot but feel
regret at this movement One Convention
having already been held; an exciting con-
test having been passed through; there
being now but one name before our friends;
we do not see the necessity for, or the safe
ty in, inviting renewed contest, tending,
as all contests among political friends do,
to impair our general strength, in the face
of an ever vigilant aud restless enemy, who
are now preparing to place in the field one
of their very strongest men. Gen. Zolli-
Golfer, who has once submitted his name to
a Convention, has so satisfactorily repre-
sented the district that we have heard no
complaint against him-be is now a candi-
date for reelection, and is the only Ameri-
can candidate before the district. Why
bring out opposition? Questions arising
before the recent Convention hdring no con-
neotion acitA The names Of asPirdnts before 1t,
produced such apprehensions of danger,
should contest take place in it, that. be-
fore the Convention met, for the sake OF
unity and harmony, that contest was avoid
ed by the withdrawal of the names of can
didates for the nomination, and a nomina-
ton was made by acclamation-carefulIy
avoiding all contest. When that nominee
declined, it was believed, on all hands, that
there would be danger in calling second
convention before which the same exciting
questions, rendering the first imperative
and hazardous, were still unadjuSted. In
deed, a proposition to postpone that
Convention to later day, was, for that
reason, when made on the day Of its meet
ing, declined That danger, in our appre-
hension, is now greater than at first. If
the pending conflict could be otherwise re-
moved, was it not the safest course to ap-
ply to other meansY Another course has
been pursued. The other gentlemen, whose
names had been discussed, have declined,
and Gen. Zollicoffer rs the only candidate
in the field. Why should another, at this
late day, be brought out, and renewed
struggle and division commenced? No
doubt a portion Of our friends prefer an
other, or Others, to Gen. ZOllicOfer; bnt
there is no man in the district of whom this
might not be said. Gen. Zolicoffer'S friends
once yielded their preferences for the sake
of harmony to favorte son of Montgom-
ery-they also yielded, in a spirit of COM
promise, upon those questions connected
with the basis of representation which rem
dered the first Convention imperative.
They had asked that basis, almost identi-
cal with that since adopted by the Ameri-
can State Convention, be adopted; and it
was refused. They then agreed to assent
to any basis which might be designated,
provided it was made uniform in the differ
ent counties of the district; which was also
refused. They then proposed that each
county should have votes in Convention in
proportion either to the number of its whole
voting population, or its whole American
vote, giving to Montgomery, and other
counties, one vote for erery hundred uoterS,
and to Davidson county one vote for every
hundred and taOentyfre voterS,-in other
words, giving to Montgomery twenty-five
votes advantage in every hundred. This
also was refused! When told that Others
desired that the vote should be taken by
civil districts, Gen. ZoIIicof fers friends as
sented cheerfully, only conditioning that
each civil district should be allowed to
vote its own known sentiments, as reflected
through its delegates, and that the eight
wards of Nashville (much more populous
than any eight civil districts, should be al
lowed to vote as civil districts-they al
WAYS heretofore having claimed it in all
conventions, whether-State, district or coun-
ty. These two conditions being also refused,
there could be no agreement; aud the con-
vention was therefore imperative. And
vet, it is now proposed to hold another
convention; all these details being unsettled.
We should certainly bear and forbear with
each other. There never was more i'm
portant struggle than is now commenced
in Tennessee. But, the facts before us
persuade us that it is great mistake to
renew the struggle among ourselves by
plunging into another convention contest.
We believe Gen. Zollicofer is the choice of
a large majority of our political friends,
and this belief is based upon careful inqui-
nv. The hearts Of the great masses are
with him. We will not venture to make
an assertion for Robertson, Dickson and
Stewart counties; but we may be INDUCED
in saying, in the language of our contempt
rary of the Banner, that ''our friends in
Davidson, with almost, if not entire una
nimity, are of the opinion that the most ef-
fectual way to get rid of the embarrass'
ments arising from the declination of Maj.
Henry, is to unite in giving to the distin-
guished gentleman now in the field a Wig
orous support" We can but trust that
such of our friends in Montgomery as ask
for convention, will carefully aud dispas-
sonately consider all the circumstances,
aud spare the party in this district an