Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-12
BRISTOL, Jan. 8, 1866.

What a sac retrospect The mulallons Oh
the past twelve months present. OF them
say nothing, as retrospections, OF to-day, tend
more or less to roaninlate the dying aninos-
titles Of other days; and he who would wit
tingly stir up those prejudices to the disin-
tegration of the organism of society, aggra-
yate the healing wounds Of the country at
large, is a knaue and villain, and deserves
the execration Of all those who appreciate
law and virtue. Did we not have an aver
sion to such barbarity from the effects Of ma
ternal influences or that arising from the
ameliorating influences Of Christianity, the
practical workings, in our midst, of such
localized villainy-legalized by the "new
order Of thingsg--mobocracy should dictate
to us the base depravity Of those who con-
tribute to such ends.
Heaven forbid that Tennessee should auf
fer in the future what she has within the
past few months from such Jacobine jour-
nalism. egf# 9eaFfaB
With the dawn of a new year dawns a
new era in the history Of the American Re-
public, especially that portion lately in rev.
olution, and with which our interest as
people is more directly associated. OF this
we should not be unmindful, as the genera
ton that shall give shape and give charac-
ter TO the new age, as data, upon which
shall be predicated the destinies Of subse-,
quent generations, but should be awake to
the grave responsibilities obligatory. The
festivities celebrating the Christmas holt
days have been unusually gay. One con-
linued round of parties and socials" have
marked the past week, notwithstanding the
inclemency of the weather, which has been
unusually wet The enthusiasm was height
4 L. ia -, he anti
of the advent of the new year adding addi-
tional interest to their already fourishing
town by the removal of the county seat
from Blountyille 10 this point. But in this
they were sadly disappointed. Ii will be
remembered that during the recent sitting Of
the Legislature, that Mr.. Welch, the Repre-
sentative from this county, Sullivan, intro
duced bill 10 have the county seat changed
from Blountville TO this place, granting to
Kingsport the privilege Of having specific
number OF courts, such as the litigation of
the locality might demand. (Kingsport is
in the extreme western portion Of the coun-
ty.)
The Legislature granted to the county the
privilege of voting on the removal THE
LIST inst, being designated as the day Of the
election, which resulted in a majority Of
some 20 votes in favor of Blountville. glia
The most infamous frauds were practiced
in order to defeat the change in contempla-
ton. as IN illustration, take the following
Last summer but nine loyal voters could be
found in the Blountville precinct, and yet
one hundred and forty votes were polled at
the recent election. AT Moore's precinct
only two voters could be found at that time
and vet forty were cast on the LIST inst
The query naturally arises. how this was
A..
with certificates Of loyalty by the county
court clerk, not because he felt that they had
repented OF their political sins and were
worthy Of the new brotherhood of loyalists,
but TO consummate the design Of a certain
clique. These poor rebels" were not worthy
the privilege of the ballot-box in the sum-
mer elections, when men were TO be selected
to make laws-legislate for them-but. so
soon as the question of money-real estate
lis brought into question, the arms of
petty official clemency are thrown wide
open, and all who are eager for participa-
ton in such wonderful privileges are urged
forward. Such base demagoguism
Large numbers of blanks were signed, be-
fore the election, by the clerk, and placed so
as to fall into the hands of designing men,
who distributed them among the whilom
citizens-ex-rebels-pr omiscuously, observ-
ing however, that the votes were TO be cast,
and for Blountyille. Men who had been Off
GERS in the Confeperate service and had not
been pardoned, were granted the privilege
Of voting at Blountville.
Such Is the manner in which Office Is pros
tituted when in the hands of those who hold
their positions by virtue of chance or when
extorted from the people by intimidation.
Here is an opportunity. for ventilation by the
Governors Journal.
The vote will not be submitted to- but the
Governor will be notified of the frauds prac-
ticed before any further actien can be taken
looking 10 the confirmation Of the election.
The citizens Of the eastern and western
portion Of the county are very indignant at
the conduct Ct their county official, and if in
dictments will amount TO anything, he will
not feel himself very richly remunerated for
the part which he played in the game, by the
time the sitting of the next Court is over.
Notwithstanding the disappointment of the
citizens in the removal of the county seat
still they are by no means dispondent as TO
the future of their town.. Their prospects
are truly fiattering. Each succeeding day
but adds additional interest 10 her social and
commercial relations. Blountyille is at the
zenith OF her fame whilst this place al an
early day Will assume the dimensions Of a
city. Her trade amounts TO such almost now
and is on the increase.
The streets are crowded daily with per-
sons who came as far as one hundred miles
who bring with them wagons loaded with
produce, the productions Of their respective
localities. Many come from the vicinity of
Cumberland Gap whilst others come from
the mountains of North Carolina-from
even beyond the Blue RIDGE
She has 1S mercantile y dyY,o, 4 cor
DICTIONARY, , tin stores, all doing an active
and prosperous business. One might think
that the place was crowded. But not SO.
Other firms viii open in a few DAYS. The
great boundary of country on the Northwest
and Southeast that has no market for its
produce only here will always make this one
of no mean commercial interest. Bills from
$500 10 $500 arc sold often by the mer-
chants Of Bristol to the merchants from the
more remote counties, as Lee and Wise on
the Northeast and Ashe county ON the |
Southeast. Two splendid hotels furnish the |
travelling public with every luxury and |
comfort. The Exchange" is kept by Mr.. |
Marshall, All accomplished old gentleman
from Eastern Virginia The Lancaster
House" is kept by Mr.. Lancaster who is well |
known to the travelingpublie as n gentleman.
The Bristol Nc,uS weekly journal, estab-
lshcd since the close OF the war. edited bv
Mr.. Jno. Slack, formerly of the Jonesboro
Telegraph, has very respectable patronage.
As 10 the merits of the journal, Il speaks for
ITSELF Mr.. Slack has but recently admitted |
Rev. w. w Neal 10 partnership, which