Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-13
MERCER AND PROSSER.
Two Congressional Candidates.
Rich state of Affairs.
A Miniature Babel.
GO Il Boots while You Can. y

The Radical Fifth District Congressional
Convention, which assembled at the Capitol
yesterday, terminated just as we expected,
in a neat old first class row Of wrangling
and contention. One might have thought
as they caught sight Of the dear old starry
banner that foated from its staff over the
StatehOuse, and seemed TO kiss the blue
arch Of heaven, that it was the symbol of
harmony and unanimity, being typical as
it were of "the best government etc. But
alas, it was not 80, too too many hungry
mouthed aspirants for the loaves and fishes,
too many axes to grind, was too great
pressure for the great Republican party of
the fifth Congressional. district. Long be-
fore the appointed hour of assembly had
arrived, the Hobbies and stairways of the
Statehouse were crowded by the various
delegates from the various counties. Can
cussing and tall cussiEg met the ear on
every hand. The Mercerites feared the
Prosserites, and the Prosseriies feared the
Mercerites, both parties looked squint-eyed
at each other, and we say, without fear Of
contradiction, that but a slight feathers
weight of imposition from either side
would have precipitated genuine battle.
At the great hall door stood squad of the
dubbed and belted Metropolitans, evident
ly there to preserve peace and quiet With
in the doorway were posted Abe Smith,
(Mercerite,) and BoughtOn, (Prosserite,) to
L. of, Iu,sfKono, e
the different delegates.
At IL o'clock DIR. ID. Il. Clihe, Of Will
hanson, called the convention to order by
nominating Frank Hardeman, Esq, Of
Williamson, temporary Chairman.
j. A. Edmonson, of Williamson, was
made Secretary. 1sH r'-'aH'
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Nc
Kinney, that one member from each county
delegation Whose seats were not contested),
to be appointed a committee to examine
into the credentials Of delegates whose
seats were contested. ..u ..s.... 10.
The following persons were constituted
the committee: Judge Watson, Dr. Nc
Fall, II. G. Quithy, d. d. Holman and J.
l.. Bryan.
The Chair then instructed the commit
tee to retire and report the names Of dele
gates whose credentials were sound.
The committee retired at l24 o'clock and
remained out until 3 o'clock. at which time
they returned, and DIR. McFall reported for
the committee, as follows
| We have examined the credentials
| Of the contested delegations and find
that there are Irregularities on both
sides, and that they have held irregular
Il - aAv0snK Ill -,
| the convention, therefore decide that the
Davidson county delegation has no right
to seals in the convention until this body
shall take proper action upon the subject.
| This report Of the committee being an
nounced, the Chairman decided that both
| delegations should retire and allow the
other members of the convention 10 pro-
coed.
The delegations at this juncture began
| moving out, the MerCerites apparently salts
fed and the Prosserites grumbling and
swearing.
H. II. Thornberg requested the Mercer
| delegates to assemble on the outside Of the
Hall.
On the outside Of the Hall was a grand,
a sublime old spectacle. Such gibberish was
never before heard in Christendom, and we
doubt if the confusion at Babel presented
any more sick looking specimens OF the
genus homo than did the lobby Of the Stale
Capitol yesterday afternoon. What, had
all the drumming and fussing about the
streets for the past months resulted in fruit
less efforts? 1t really seemed so, for
during the withdrawal CD Of the Davidson
county delegates, Mr.. Morse, in pointed
argument, moved that the convention urge
upon the Hon. John Trimble to accept the
| nomination for reelection to Congress.
Col. Hardeman, at this time. signiiied
his intention Of resigning the Chair, and
suggested DIR. ID. Il. Ciiffe, Chairman Of the
Executive Committee, as his successor.
| Accepted.
Col. Hardeman having retired, DIR. Clife
appointed Messrs. Cason, of Wilson, Nc
Qaithy, of Sumner, and Jordan, Of Cheat
ham, Committee Of Conference, to see if
they would agree 10 an equal division Of
| delegates.
II ere, again, the hall was resonant with
the gibberish Of the partizans.
Ia a few moments the committee re-
turned, and Mr.. Jordan, OF Cheatham, re
ported the following as the opinion Of the
the Prosser party:
awe, the delegation, regularly ap-
| pointed by the regular convention Of the
| Radical Republican party Of Davidson
county, having listened to the proposition
! which has been most COurteously stated to
ne by the chairman Of the COMMITTEES
designated by the delegates Of the other
counties Of this Congressional District,
viz that We divide our delegation and al
low an equal number Of delegates from
those fayoring the nomination Of Mr.. 5. Z.
| Mercer. who we're irregularly and illegally
appointcd, most respectfully decline the
/ same, believing, in all honesty, that we
represent more than four-6iths Of the legal
voters OF this county, and that or objga-
tions 10 oar constituents would not be
honorably performed il We were 10 barter
! away our rights In the manner suggested