The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-08-17
THURsDAA AUeusr Z. lsss.
DO Elecn0n IN lle serenth DlsIrle..


THURSDAE AUGUST Il, 1865. 9
TIE Election In tie Seventh District.
The Cincinnati Inquirer says the /
Congressional electioai in this State was I
3 " mockery.a and cites the c,se Of I'm
erson Etheridge as an nIsstration. The
Enquiries chen detaiss what il seems to
regard rs the facts toucbing the arrest
of Mr.. Etheridge, and the manner in
which the election was mansged IN LIS
district How much reliance can be
placed upon the Enquirers factA the
rsader can judge after pernsing thefol-
lowing extract:
Not one-fourth Of the voters Of the
district we're poiled The LIST Regi-
ment (Tenn) were mustered cut 18th
July, but voted on the 3lst Of July 81
Nashville, three Gays before the cleo
tion, fc< which there was nc law.
1t viii be seen, BY reference to the
returns from the district that y full
vote vas polled A larger vote could
not have been expected under the PR
visions Of the Franchise Law. No such
regiment as the LIST Tennessee voted.
The Enquirer has reference totbe 7th
Regiment, which wasnot mustered out
ofseryice until lastweek, and in which
al tEJormaigote was taken previous TO
the election. The formal legal vote
was taken at the camp on the third Of
August ss provided for By Law.
The arrest and imprisonment of Mr.
Etheridge was not the cause Of his de-
feat Col Hawkins, his competitor, is
the most popular Union man in the
district BE would have beaten Eth.
eridge, had the latter been at large, and
c-anvassed the district TO The last The
people know the two men, and kppre-
ciate them accordingly. Previous TO
the war, Col Hawkins devoted him
self exclusively to the practice Of his
profession. He was no politician, but
his love of wing principles caused him
occasionally TO take the stump in their
behalf, and at .one time he served on
the Presidential Electoral Ticket He
gave his services voluntarily, and gra-
t~uitously, from love Of principle. Once
he ran for Office. In 1861, when the
Legislature submitted the question q
a Stale Convention to the people Of
Tennessee and ordered an election OF
delegates On the ever memorable ninth
Of February, the Union men of his dis
trict, knowing bis name 70 be q tower
OF strength, called him into the field
a. a candidate for a seat in the pro
posed fConvention. His competition
was the Honorable Mr.. Totten,
of she Supreme Bench. Gel Hawkins
made but one speech during the can.
vass. he defeated Totten by a msjori
ty Of three thousand uoteE. At the time
The election came of.he was absent from
home, st Washington, as 8 member o
the Peace Conference, assembled Il
see if some plan could not be deyises
10 adjust the sectional difficulties theI
approaching elimination.
Later, Col. Hawkins threw the weigh
Of hisinauence against @SepsratiOn,
and carried his county, Carroll, agains
il But the State having decided {,
take part in the rebellion against til.
General Government edetsrmined t
stand by his union principles and hi
country at all hazards. He did 30, ant
in 1862, raised q regiment of Tennes
scans, went with them into service, an
remained there with them, until las
weelt, when they were mustered out @
the service. He was called out for Cor
gresi whilst eway from home, at Oh
head Of bis noble regiment, and wa
elected without an effort on his part I
secure success. His great worth, tn
confidence the people have in his abil
ty and integrity. and his personal pop
ularity. elected him. s Hwfru
Il Is moi surprising that tie Unio
men Of the District should prefer
gentleman Of this character to Emerso
Etheridge They knew Eiheridg
equally well. he had frequently bee
before them as q stump speaker; bu
always for Office. They knew him IS
a wing; but as an EtAeridse man, undo
any and all circumstances. And the
could not have failed 70 note the fac
that, instead Of following the ezampl
Of Colonel Hawkins, and entering III
military service in his State, he went I
Washington after a share of the rloave
and fishes" and got It; and that s
soon as he was driven from the publ
crib, he became discontented and faul
finding, and ultimately degenerate
into q sore-headed d~isorganizer.