Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-28
FALsIFYING THE RECORD.

lNN nEsAOAAGs
Stokes; in his speech on saturday,
charged that Mr.. Etheridge Introduced
resolutions in Congress, providing that
Congress should nave no power to inter-
fere with slavery in any of the States of
the Union" etc Etheridge denounced
this allegation as a deliberate falsehood,
and 30 1t Is
The facts are as follows In January,
1861, an election was pending in Ten
nessee for a convention and delegates TO
it, to consider the course this State should
take on the subject then uppermost in the
public mind The delegation from Ten
nessee ia Congress were anxious that the
election at that time should show our
people friendly to the Union All the
border States were ia the same frame of
mind, and resolutions had been prepared
by the delegation from Maryland and
other States looking to compromise.
They went to Etheridge, as a man who
had never secured the strength Of all the
Southern members, by his opposition to
the Southern extremists, and who had
the greatest influence with the Northern
members, and asked him to present the
resolutions to the House, not only as a
compromise, but to obtain vote which
should hold ont hope that the differences
could be adjusted, and thus uphold the
hands Of the friends of the Union 70
save the lives of more than a million of
men since sacrificed, Etheridge consent
ed to ask the House to Gllolo the intro
ductioR Of the resolutions He asked
| the unanimous consent which was neces-
sary. Objection was made by Mr. Banks
dale, Of Mississippi, who was appraised of
the object and who wanted no such com
promise Etherdge then moved a sus-
pension Of the rules, which failed for
want ola two thirds vOte-Mr Stokes and
Mr. Maynard voting to suspend the rules.
A majority did vote to suspend the rules,
and the fact was telegraphed and pubs
lished in the Tennessee papers, and had
a powerful effect in rolling up the $4,000
Union majority a few weeks afterwards
The resolutions Were not icritteR by Eth
eridge, and mere neoer introduced By him
and all that was done, was done at the
instance Of Stokes and others for the
purpose above stated These are the
facts, and Stokes and Maynard cannot
deny them.
But to show how Etheridge stood
towards the Union at that time and to
contrast his record with his present
yilifers on that same day, January eth,
1861 Mr.. Adrian introduced the follow
ing resolution.
Resolved, That we fully approve the bold
and patriotic act Of Maj. Anderson in with
drawing from Fort Moultrie TO Fort Sum-
ter, and of the determination of the Presi-
dent TO maintain that fearless officer in his
present position; and that we will support
the President in all constitutional measures
to enforce the laws and preserve the
Union"
This resolution also required suspen-
sion of the rules to be introduced
They were suspended against the recorded
vote Of Stokes and Maynard Etheridge
voting in the affirmative The vote on
the adoption of the resolution showed
Etheridge for it and Stokes and Maynard
against it. These self-laudatory cham,
pions Of the Union, at this trying time,
refused to approve the course of Major
Anderson, and refused 10 support the
President ia constitutional measures to
enforce the la5os and preSerce the
Union" while Etheridge, whom they
now traduce, then voted for the Union
and so continued to vote till the end of
his official term, and was never heard to
utter a sentiment against it throughout
the struggle, or since
What opinion should an honest COM
munity hold Of two such hypocritical
Brownlow pimps, as this Stokes and this
Maynard