The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-20
DisloyaI Candidates for Oifice.

DenBiOn OF ltB operations W thc iVb'I
lion, the safety Of the people will de-
mand that the ballot box shall be closed
as far as possible against the suilrages
Of the disloysl, and Of those whose folly
and wickedness involved the common
wealth in civil war. DisloyaI citizlns
mus, not be Uoters. In restoring civil
authority to the State, decency and hon
est penitence will prompt them not to
thrust themselves forward in the work
Of restoration. Surely we may, without
arrogance or insult, ask those TO be 81
lent, for = time al least, who robbed us
of law, order, and the ballot box togeth-
er. And perhaps ii is even more inn
pOrtant that disloyaI citizens shall not be
candidates for office. Better let two loyal
candidates be voted for by disloyal voters,
than two disloyal, or loyal and a disloyal
candidate be voted for by loyal voters.
We fear disloyal candidates far more than
we do the disloyay people. The crime OF
this rebellion rests upon the heads Of
corrupt and pro6igate politicians, who
deceived and misIed the people from
motives of self-interest and sOrdid am
bition. Would it be amiss to lay it
down as an innexible rule that no
man who took part IN this rebellion shall
be suffered TO stand before he people
as candidate for office IN tie re-
storatiOn9 And if by inAdvertance such
q candidate should be elected to Office,
that no certificate of election shall be
given himP We believe that il it should
be understood that any man, who aided
and abetted the rebellion will lay him
self liable TO be arrested and imprisoned,
by becoming candidate for office. The
disunion politicians will trouble us very
little at the first election in recognizing
the State. They would take the alarm,
and stink sffrighted to their hiding
places. The restoration should be en-
phAtically tie ,OOrk Of the people, without
the help Of the old party-plsce hunters,
who robbed them Of the right of suffrage,
and every other right, by melting them
10 rebellion. And the people should
make these political jugglers stand aloof.
and feel their own diminutivenesg. Give
us plain, honest, liberal-minded men,
who love free government, are passionate
ly attached to the Union, and whose
brains are not .bewildered in regard TO
Southern Rights" Lst time serving
politicians be dumb, and let the honest
yeomen speak out. Let us have brave
men, honest men, new men fresh from the
people, and Of The people, and let trading
office hunters not come again with new
stock of political merchandise, to fleece
the unsuspecting and credulous.
In the Summer of 1862 Union man
announced himself a candidate for the
Office of Circuit Judge of this Judicial
district. The sympathizers with the re-
bellion and the rebels believing that
Governor johnson and the Federal troops
would soon be driven out of Nashville,
brought out Mr.. Foster, who was Secre-
tary Of the Vigilance committee in this
city during the reign of the rebellion.
The election was held without any au-
thority whatever, Governor johnson
neither having issued a proclamation 10
hold such an election, nor recognizing il
in any way whatever, being fully salts
fed in his own mind, that an election at
that time would be premature, and pro-
ductive Of no good whatever The Sc
cession candidate received a majority of
the votes cast, but of course received no
commission. Ii such thing was done
in Nashville under the very eye of the
Federal authorities, what may net be ex-
pected in localities where there are no
Federal troops, and where the rebel lead
era have bad full sway? And yet such
candidates. must strike every one as be-
ing high handed challenge 10 the gov.
ernment, and one which the public safe.
ty demands shall go unnoticed. To
our minds II is clear that il will be the
duty Of the Government and its agents
to AIrest all such candidates for treason.
Their very candidacy is p,ima facie ev-
idence Of their disloyalty, and of a con-
spiracy Ggainst the public peace. What
If Meredith p. Gentry, alth ough profes
sing profound repentance, were TO be-
come q candidate for the Legislature
What II John Marshall or T. A. r Nell
son, were to become aspirAnts for official
position in the great work of restora-
tong Shall the people trust the very
politicians, who lacked either the courage
or the patriotism to stand by the Gov
eminent at time when that courage and
patriotism would have saved Tennessee
$4,000 lives, and more than two yearS Of
the bloodshed, ravAges and desolation Of
civil WARP If the judgments Of these
politicians were so unsettled, and be-
clouded then by the fumes of passion, is
II probAble that their brains will be very
clear when the headache of returning
soberness is upon them? If A pilot has
not ekill enough to prevent his vessel
from being involved among the breakers
is il likely that he will have ooolness and
skill sufficient to enable him to extrieato
IL? Men who are muddle-headed in