The Portland daily press., 1867-08-06
The Teup.essee E,ection.

The New YORK LINES, in pursuance of a. pol
icy which it has adopted of oscillating be-
tween weakened radicalism and a monde
script sort of conservatism Of its own, follows
up its warm vindication of Sheridan with
an article of the dough-face stamp on the Ten
nessee election. 1t declares that there was on
~ the form of an election, and that nothing
was settled by it. Of course the copperhead
papers will applaud this Admission of "A Re-
publican paper" to the echo. But certain
things were settled by that election, neverthe-
less. 1t was settled that loyal mon and not
traitors are to control that commonwealth for
another year. 1t was settled that the freed
men have even at this early day, arrived at an
Intelligent comprehension of their rights and
duties as electors, and that they win exercise
an independent Judgment upon political ques-
lons. The most Of them voted the Brownlow
ticket rightly, concluding that by doing so
they were identify ing themselves with their
only true friends; yet it is estimated that from
one tenth to one eighth of the negro vote
was thrown for the conservative candidate.-
a correspondent of the New York Herald
IN speaking of this division in sentiment
among the freedmen says that the radicals were
not intolerant, but indicated their estimate of
their degraded fellow Ethiopians, who could
vote any other than rad" ticket by look
OF supreme contempt, but offered no violence.
1t was also settled that violence and bloodsbed
is not necessarily to follow the mineling of
blacks and whites at the polls The conduct
oil the newly-enfranchised was entirely peace
full and in all respects orderly. The scene is
thus graphically described by an eyewitness )
The newly made voters were I'D bright and
early IN the morning. TheyIthronged the streets
IN quest OF the polls long before they were
opened. When the balloting commenced thew
formed in long lines. and in an incessant
stream poured IN their tickets until their whole
vote was received. They were so prompt and
steady at this work that nearly lhe whole ne
gro vote was polled by two o'clock The whites
generally deferring voting until the afternoon
tne colored citizens had the polls almost en-
t snu'y W themselves during the forenoon A
lew Caucassians forced themselves into tho
figid Ethiopian tide, and were horne along To
and far between "''e 40"
:, NO child was ever more plased with a toy
t .nan 'ne negro with the ballot. Stoically pas
tent, he broiled for hours in the hot sim
awaiting his turn each face radiant with delight
and each hand nervously clutehipp the ballot
OF tue freedman. The race was represented
by all the ages of manhood, fir ,m the snrucest
city boy to the venerable white haired field
hand, who was barely able to hobble to the
polls, and who seemed as if about to deposit his
ballot for the first and last time of his life and
an SHADES were present, from the unmitigated
pa OF the Congo to the fair wilderness of
ly Caucasian 2 N-'---'' " "o WI
The challengers of the Conservatives acted
imparnaily In their duties. They did not seem
70 manifest any improper desire to impede the
voeiig Where they knew the voter to be
QudllueQ LQeV qlsiatod -
deposit OF his ballot. When it was necessary
" queseion the voter, the well-known igno.
rance rance OF the African as to dates and time was
a aaostrated.all were over twenty lone years of
age, according to what they were told by their
parents and relatives; but not one in a dozen
could name bis birthday. " 0'Non