Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-07
Card from John L. Murphy.
KNoxvI1LE Tenn, Sept. 2sth, 1869.

Il my duty, connected, as i ana, with the Eepub bli
can party organization OF this Dstric' 10 maze th
following atements respecting said convention, 70
the consideration Of the people and for no oihe
Ipurpese than that thsro may be fair understand
/. ing and harmony among the members Of taa paI y
The convention, as all doubtieCs kROw, mel IN ca,
Court House at Knoxville on the 26h ult pllrsuan
70 sh0 regular call Of the District Reoubhclr Exec
utiye Committee. After the CouTs House clc tx haG
struck one, She hour d ignated for assembling be
ing regular delegate, and at the request Of ths
Chairman OF The Executive Committed, cal I'D thG
convention 10 order read the call and teirg on the
floor, and simply for temporary organization nomi
mated Andrew Hutsel Esq OF McMinn county, for
temporary chairman, which was seconded, s.IestiOE
put and decided in the Affirmative, without Dis
senting vote that heard; and 10 complete the or
ganization, nominated Col. II. T. Git on, Of C8mT
Dell, Tor temporary secretary WI ch YVES likewise
seconded, question put and resulted as before Esq.
Hutsell being inducted into the chair and still be-
Ing in possession Of the floor, moved the aDI )nt
ment Of committee on permanent organization,
20 be composed Of ono from each county which we 8
seconded, and while pending before the convention,
delegate and leader Of Juae Houks friends in the
convention, proceed 10 address tho same, but not
speaking TO the question before The convention end
stating no point Of order question Of privilege
that heard, and being out of order according 10
the rules OF all deliberatiye bodies, called him TO
order. He refused and persisted he was called TO
order second, and perhaps q third time, but still
refused; when about the time the Chairman rose to
put Che question, he gave the word, and he, with
the remainder Of Houks friends, hastily left the
court room, following boistrously for Houk," and
rushed the street 20 the franklin House Not
being present, know nothing Of the proceedings
! there, except from information.
As they were going out, called upon all dele
gates who favOrea peace and order TO remain in the
! convention, and as far Is ] know the friends of
Messrs Maynard, Cooper and Williams did remain.
Order being restoreo ], as also the other friends
| Of Mr.. Maynard, favored the appointment of COM
mittee Of conference, TO meet like committee of
| Houks friends, and If possible arrange terms upon
which they would resume their places in the con-
vention. The committee being appOintel with
Col ID. NJ Nelson at is head, retired, and soon re-
ported in favor of admitting them back upon their
own terms, viz; by ignoring the then temporary
organization and proceeding 10 reorganize tho
vention temporarily. This proposition supported,
as did all the frenos of Mr.. Maynard for the sake
of harmony in the convention bat by no means for
reason of any doubt to the legality and fairness
OF the then existing organization. Meanwhile a
committee Yves appointed upon my motion, with the
i Hon. M. ID. Bearden at IFS head, 10 wait upon the
several candidates and invite them 20 come in and
state 20 the delegat'a whether or not they would
/ abide by the decision of the convention. Accord
ingly Messrs. Maynard, Cooper aud Williams came
in and each said for himself in substance in a very
few mild words, that he recognized the right of the
people 10 assemble in such convention, and that he
would submit TO and support the nominee of the
/ convention, whoever he might be- AS to Judge
Hop the committed first reported that he refused 10
come, but after waiting uDon him second time he
likewise came in, and in the course of his remarks
made some Of personal character against one Of
the other candidate Mr.. Maynard. A.ter proceed
ing at some length, and upon my own re ponsibili-
| ty, / respectfully entered my prote It against any
| personal remarks being made by one candidate
against another at that particular time and place,
the candidates bad only b IN called in TO simply
state whether or not they would as above abide by
| of tan nd fort tbo 4
reason that the convention at that time was at a
very high pitch of excitement and il such remarks
were continued 70 be INDUCED in by the Csndda,es
| one toward another, the probSOiliti, weTe that
| collision would ensue between some Of the ardent
friends Of the opposing candidates, and finally lead
70 tho breaking up Of tho convention without
1 Compshing tho end for which It had assembled
which, as all certainly will admit would have bee
not only disgra 10 the pal.y whose convention
| il was, out 10 the community at largo in which il
occurred. Now don't mean 10 say that Judge
Houk intended this, bat under the pt uliar circum
stances such WIS the tendency Of such remarks, and
if tolerated in ono il was license TO all others who
chanced 10 feel so inclined and tempero by the &C.
easion, and there was no telling where and how
such would end Ho finally concluded by saying,
ia substance that he had always said that he would
abide 10y the decision Of fair convention, &c and
leaving tho decided and satisfactory impre sion,
upon which the convention acted if he did not say
so in so many words that he too would submit TO
The convention now proceeded TO reorgsnize, Col.
Gibson nominating Col. j. Nj. Melton, of Morgan,
ard J. Theodore Richmond, ESQ, of MeMinn, for
temporary chairman, upon which the vote was Go
ken and resulted in the election Of Mr.. Richmond,
who Immediately took the chair secretary having
been chosen.
On motion Of myself q committee on permanent
organization and credentials wss then appointed,
upon whose report, Mr.. Richmond, Of McMinn and
0ept j. r. Evans, of Claiborne, were respe ,tively
elected permanent chairman and 81 ;retary together
with other subordinate officers. Upon the same re-
port rule WIS adopt that where there were con-
testing delegations from any countless the first APP
pointed should be accepted and all subsequent ones
rejected. This messure was put forward end car
ried, principally, If not entirely in the committee
by Houk's frieldS. In the committee l oppose /
the adoption of such arbitrary rr'o without in
vestigation, let it might work an injury to some
county and prevent tne true sentimen- of its peo-
pie from beng repre- ented. But a. er dissenting
from it in the repoi5 Of z 10 Committee, which
made as chairman l. together with the other friends
Of Mr. MAYNARD, suppo- / it in the convention for
the sake OI peace
Col Gibson then offered his 'prorata" re solution,
relating 20 asting the yo.l of the countie-, &c.,
which was Afterwards adopted, Icing ST md by
myself and Maynards friends, for the same re on
above J. at the same time, Withholding nv 'mG
iority resolution on the same point. Nominations
now being IN order the claims Of Messrs. Maynard,
Eouk, Cooper and Williams were severally placed
before the convention.
On the q { ballot the vo' , annov1C, ON the
chair stood, Maynard 81, HOak 30 COoper Is, Will
liams o total ~ necessary 10 a choice 80. No nom
nation being made the balloting continued with but
little variation save 70 Maynard by the dropping
Of Williams, until the lfth ballot, when May y1a-d
received 39l votes Houk 231, Cooper l33, upon
which the chair declared Hon. Horace Maynard
nominated.
It is unnecessary, in this connection, 20 refer 20
the fu-ther pre- seedlings of the Convention than
that they were concluced in quiet aud order. Suf-
fee il 60 say that isom the rcoygaR-otoA up 70 the
close of the Convention the friends and supporters
cf Judge Houk remained and took an active part
| in sll its proceedings.
And now, without comment or argdment sub
init il 70 the calm anG honest Judgment of the people
| TO say whether or not it YVES fair convention in
which the friends Of Judge Houk participated /
have thus simply endeavOrcd to state only the fac
/ as and how thoy urr ], with no unkind ie slngs,
with no personal motive, but solely for tho good of
the party and the pr ncplc- it epr. ems l went
into the convention, as have reason 30 believe did
| = Mr Maynards -.ionds, with no other desire and
M anton than that we might have fair and
| peaoeful convention.
For the pU pose Of Tia. convention friend Of
| Mr.. Maynard but rot enemy Of any Of the
! other candidates. FOR my limited Acquaintance with
them all has always been Of please lt character
among other reasons, and without intend i 60
paragemont 20 the other &C ldidatc', / support,
Mr. Maynard, beoause felt then and feel nov, that
! The State and General Government at this cri cal
period IN our countr' history, COT not well -
ford % lose iao benefit of "a large eSpssioucoNnd
great inhuenoe 20 say nothinT Of hi tall 'ts and
wisdem in the National C0uaclls
And take this occasion 10 say that ], and ne
| friends OF Mr. Maynard 10 general, went into the
con invention with no other intention lan TO support
the nominee, whoever he might be And now
call upon al Republican, and other citizens who
have the interests Of the country at heart IN the
I -, r~f Inrfr1 81 ~ nd