Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-14


At ten o'clock yesterday morning til,
Radical State Convention re-assembled in
the Hall Of Representatives at the Capitol
with President Maynard in the chair
Opened by prayer from Judge Gillen-
waters.
The President stated that the first bust.
ness before the convention was action upon
the motion Of Capt. Hudson, made the eve
ming previous, TO proceed with the election
Of candidate for Congress for the State at
large.
Mr.. Williams nominated Gen. John 3.
Rodgers, Of East Tennessee, az one of the
candidates. Carried unanimously.
Jas. II. Sumner, eolored, moved that the
name Of Thos. A. Hamilton, Of Memphis,
be put in nomination as the other csndi-
date.
Col. ]. NJ. Tomeny, of Memphis, arose
and said
MT. President and gentlemen Of the con-
venLiop; impelled by a sense Of duly TO
the Republican party Of Tennessee, and Of
the Union, rise TO state TO this convention
certain facts relative to one Of the candi-
dates who has been put in nomination for
member of Congress for the State at large.
Mr.. Williams of Smith county, said:
Mr.. President, / rise to point Of order.
The Chair: The gentleman from Smith
will please state his point Of order.
Mr.. Williams: The remarks Of the gen.
tleman from Shelby indicate that he is
about TO make personal attack upon one
Of the candidates, and suggest that he is
noti order.
The President: The Chair has decided
that any remarks respecting the candidates
placed ia nomination are in order, and I'M
less the gentlemen from Shelby yields the
floor he will be allowed TO proceed.
Mr. Tomeny: Mr.. President, ] am about
10 perform what 10 nae is painful duty,
but can not shrink from it because of OBJ
lection on the part of my friends in the
convention. / shall state only facts, and
however disagreeable they may be TO my
political friends, / pledge my honor and
and my reputation TO sustain them by proof
il they are denied. / shall state nothing
except what know and believe TO be true,
however painful it may be TO me to
make such charges against man claiming
TO be a Republican, ] shall, nevertheless,
utter them fllly, freely and frankly
in his presence, as he is on the
floor Of this convention, and let him deny
them If he can.
1t is doubtless known to every member
OF this convention who read the dispsiches
published yesterday morning, that Mr..
Thomas A. Hamilton, of my county, who
has been placed in nomination for member
Of Congress for the State at large, has been
indicted by the grand jury of the Criminal
Court Of Memphis for the crime of perjury.
And, Sir, ] believe that a jury of his coun-
trymen and his peers, upon hearing the
evidence and ascertaining the facts, will
pronounce him guilty Of the charge. Cen
tlemen of the convention, / want you 10
understand the facts before proceeding 20
give your votes for such a nomination.
Slra, IL IL a notorious fact 10 Hose who
have lived in Memphis throughout The re-
bellioD, that in 1862 Mr.. Hamilton did
accept aud exercise the functions of the
office OF Sub Provost Marshal, under Col.
Mckissick that he sliced sugar in the
hands Of loyal and disloyal men
alike, and caused the same to be
moved out to the bluff and piled
up ready 10 be destroyed on the approach
of the Union army. |, sirs, lived in Mem
phis all through the war; have known
Mr.. Hamilton for eightor ten years, and
know what / state to be true. As Il Con
federate Sub-Provost Marshal, with the
rank Of Lieutenant Colonel he seized gu
gar in stores, warehouses and cellars had
il moved out to the bluff and piled up to
be burned, to prevent its falling into the
hands of the Federal army This he con-
tinued to do without regard 20 the loyalty
or disloyalty Of the owners up to the occu-
patton Of Memphis by our troops For his
official acts, gentlemen of this convention,
/ would not eensure him, but, sirs, after
the capture Of Memphis 10y our troops, lie
deserted from the Confederacy, skulked
behind Federal Notifications and bayo-
nets, sold the same sugar, seized for the
Confederate States as his private property
and put the proceeds into his pocket.
l know, gentlemen, you will be skeptical,
but remember pledge my honor and my
concerning the truth Of all say.
! know the facts. Every man who has
lived at Memphis during the rebellion
knows them. A suit was brought in the
United States Court at Memphis, against
Mr.. Hamilton, by DIR. A. J. Park, of Chi
cage, for the value of sugar taken from
him, and the proof on the trial showed
that Mr.. Hamilton, after the
fall Of Memphis, had sold the sugar seized
from Park, and had appropriated the pro-
ceeds 10 his own use.
The proof l say was clear and conclu-
sive A judgment was rendered against
Mr.. Hamilton, and he compromised with
DIR. Park by paying $4,000 two thousand
dollars, and, sirs, the gentleman who ar
ranged that compromise between the parties
is on the floor Of this convention. The
record of that proceeding cannot be erased
and is open to the inspection of all who are
skeptical. This is but one Of many cases.
Sirs, the Republican party of Tennessee is
strong; il is powerful, but it cannot afford
10 carry such load as this. In
West Tennessee it has already been
degraded and weakened by placing
such men forward and inscribing their
names on its banners. In Shelby county
we do not number more than seven hun
dred white votes, where once we pelled
sixteen hundred, and, sirs, the colored
men are beginning to so over TO the Cop
perhead Democracy, disguised with some
Of our would-be leaders who force their
names upon the party for nominations.
warn, gentlemen, that if this course is al
lowed, the days Of our party in West Ten
nessee are numbered. We are now max
ing a spasmodic effort 10 throw Of the riff
raH Of the party, and put forward our best
men, men who command the respect alike
of cur opponents and our friends.
Andi sirs, who ever heard Of Mr. HamiI-
ton as a Union man until the party had
secured an unquestioned ascendency.
When the battle was fought aRd the vic
tory won. When the eolored men were en-
franehised and we had an undoUbied ma
jority. Why, sirs, in 1866, Mr.. Hamilton
was nominated for the Legislature and de-
clined. lie said even at that late day he
could NOT be candidate unless he was
chosen by the PEOPLE, He could not accept
the nomination of ihe party, because, sirs,
he expected 10 be defeated, and our nomi-
nee was defeated. Why, sirs, nobody in
Memphis ever heard of him as a Union
man an 1861. y. 3 or 4 when We fopghf