The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-13
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Saturday M ming, July l3, 1867.
REPUBLICAN NOMINATION.
FOR GOvERNOR,
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN
i OF BRUNSWICK.
The Tennessee Election.

On the first day OF next month will occur the
first general election in a reconstructed state.
Tennessee will then electh State officers and
members OF Congress by vote of all her eiti-
zens, black and white, who have not been dis
franchised for participate ON in the rebellion
The result will be looked for with more than
ordinary interest, since the freedmen will par
ticipate in State election for the first time.
There Is natural curiosity also respecting
the success of rebel State in its first effort to
ego alone"
TO persons not making Tennessee politics a
special study, the strife Of parties and strug-
giles of classes in that State usually seem not
much different in importance and interest
from the battles of the kites and crows, which
have been made by an eminent historian to
symbolic the interminable warfare of the
Saxon Heptarchy. dispatch from Nash
vile or Memphis is generally about as intel
ligible and satisfactory as choice bit Of Mex
lean intelligence, transmitted to the N. Y.
Herald via New Orleans. But in the coming
election deep interest will be felt because it
will be the first fair test ofrepublicdn insti-
t,.tions in the South. Just now, too, have
a sensation telegram, which ordinary sagacity
will receive with at least two grains Of salt,
announcing that matters are in very critical
state and that general outbreak is anticipa-
ted on the first Of August. There are two
excellent reasons for questioning the proba-
bility of the anticipated disturbance. 1t is a
matter of common observation that riots and
revolutions that are foreseen never happen.
Besides this general improbabiity, there is an
other weighty consideration. The terrible
old gentleman of clerical antecedents, who
lies ON his lounge in the sanctum of tie
Knox, lille Whig, holds all the trumps in his
trempling hands. Brownlow has encounter
ed and overcome more formidable opposi-
tion than that which now threatens alike the
peace of Tennessee and his own tenure OF
plwer.
Our conclusion from careful comparison
of the statement of both parties is that the
situation is not calculated to inspire any
doubt of the complete triumph of the loyal
lists and the reelection of the present State
officials by an overwhelming majority. The
whole number of persons of voting age in the
State is 10000. OF these $4,000 whites are
disfranchised. The freedmen number so 900.
Brownlow's friends confidently expect that
he will receive the support of three-fourths Of
the colored and one half of the white vot-
ers. There is margin enough here for heavy
losses without endangering the success OF the
ticket. or the freelmen's fidelity to the par
ty that gave them both liberty and the ballot
there can be no doubt; but the Confederate'
are making frantic efforts to conciliate them
Etheridge, who is the opposition candidat'
for governor, offers to remove the disability
to sit on juries and to hold ofic
which now rests upon them.-
But that is trick he has borrowed from Dis
raeli. This Is only one of the points tn
Democratic candidate makes in his joint can
vass with Gen. Stokes, who represents tn
Governor in the discussion. He charge
the "Brownlow despotism" with gross maj
feasance in office-with tyrannicai oppression
of the people-with stealing the school funds
and with the Illegal organization of Stat
militia The last named charge is suppose
by many even of our Northern people to hav
some foundation. The rebel newspapers hav
circulated so many highly imaginative ac
counts of these myrmidons of the militia tina
the Thugs and Danites, who used to b.
thought tolerably close approximations to tn
| great enemy of our race, seem in comparison
humane and polished gentlemen. That the
have in few cases committed outrages is no
denied, but many correspondents OF the pres
| declare that no election would be possible
| it were not for Brownlow's militia. Judg
Mills of Tennessee also made the same state
ment to the Loyal League Club of New Yorl
a few days ago. The rebels want to set a
naught the franchise law, and the existenc
of military force in their midst renders it
matter of some difficulty to do so. BY tn
| terms of this Law the Governor appoints
commissioner of registration In each county
| This officer is authorized to withhold certiti
Gates of registration from all persons who d.
not prove to his satisfaction that they nevel
have given voluntary support to the rebellion
| VI uciu OAlCSo uuuCA oAhJ ACUSi 6o'SAAAeAA~A'
and who do not take the prescribed oath-al
oath, by the way, which ranks very his
among its kind in this oath-devising genera
tion. IF any oath could daunt a sweariDgly
inclined rebel this might well have that effee
in view solely of the enormous expenditure {
breath required in taking it. But the confed
crates would easily evade these provisions,
the commissioners of registration were not a
so empowered to appoint the judges and clerk
| of election. There's the rub. The count
courts claim that the appointment of these Of
| fcers is vested in them, and the chairman G
the Conservative Executive Committee ha
issued circular advising them to assume ju
risdiction in the premises. The Governo
thereupon issues a proclamation stating Il
substance that it will give him uncommon
| pleasure to see them undertake it, and order
ing the attendance of his militia at the poll
to sustain the authority of his own appoin
tees. As Brownlows skill in Jirectin
the forked lightning of executive power
generally acknowledged in Tennessee, it !
| questionable If the county courts viii run tn
risk Of inviting visitation of his power.