Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-26
LIE NENAEVAAkAAI EAEVIfU1,
Letter from Col. John Nj.
Fleming, Representative
from knOX.
How and Why Johnson was
Defeated.
The Coalition with the
Radicals.


Henry Cooper of the county of Davidson
is the lucky individual who is to wear, fo
the next term in the Senate, the mantle {
Mr. Fowler The vexed question is no
settled and after the establishment of tn
moment has passed off, it may not b
uninteresting to glance at some of tn
causes that have eonspired to produce MI
| Johnson's defeat.
To say that his defeat has astounded hi
| friends here, would be at once true ant
| untrue-that is to say, it had not been an
ticipated that such combinations could b
| made against him as would defeat him
| while, at the same time, after the combina
tons of last night became known, it wa
| quite apparent that the election of Cooper
on the first ballot, was a foregone conclu
sion. When the convention adjourned
| yesterday, MIR. Johnson's strength deyel
| oped AZ Fights votes-in fact 40, with ont
paired off-and he yet had a reserv,
of at least eight votes that could b.
counted upon. That he would be elected
upon the first or second ballot, this morn
ing, was publicly conceded fact, and none
of his enthusiastic personal opponents
could be found who were rash enough to
wager against his election. His friends hat
stood faithful upon every ballot, and, OF
yesterday, with every call of the roll, hi
showed an increased strength. Upon thC
adjournment, every resource of the oppo
sition was taxed. No stone was to be lef
unturned to defeat Andrew johnson. Mem
bers were piled with all the arts known tC
politicians. They were cornered in the
public halls. They we're sought out il
their rooms. They were stopped on the
street. They were offered-Til not say
what inducements were not offered a
caucus was called into which all who de.
sired to defeat Andrew johnson were ad.
mitted 1t met and there, in cOnclave as.
sembled, was a blending of spirits that
Shakespeare oft quoted ''mingling' would
fail to describe. There were the Radicals
of East Tennessee-the FLETCHER men" -
there were the rebels Of deepest dye.
y = , There, too, was Emerson
Etheridge-I blush to write it-hand and
glove with the rebels of the West and the
Radicals Of the East, sacrificing him
self and conspiring with his new
born fellows to strike down Andrew
Johnson. The motives of all these parties
can well be understood The
Radicals, thus assembled, could very natu-
rally resolve to vote for any man against
Andrew Johnson, for no man alive has
done more to cripple the Radical party in
its aggressive and oppressive policy than
Andrew Johnson. ! say these motives are
easily understood. But how Emerson Eth
eridge-the gifted, brilliant and daring
leader of 1S67-must have felt when he
found himself yielding his own claims,
(Which no one has disputed to the de-
mands or wishes of twelve or fourteen East
Tennessee Radicals, I confess l can not
imagine / wonder if the thoughts of that
terrible campaign of his, in East Tennessee,
when pistols, bludgeons and knives, were
the arguments with which he was met,
did not cross his mind as he made a
surrender of himself for the pur-
pose of joining these Radicels in their
cherished purpose of defeating An
drew johnson. Yet So it was. A cOali-
ton was formed-nOt "a murdered coali-
ton but a mUrderOus coaition-by
which the fourteen or fifteen Radicals of the
House were enabled to enjoy theirrevenge,
in the overthrow of Mr.. johnson and his
friends Much can be allowed to the feel
ingS of personal resentment naturally felt
by Mr.. Etheridge, but in thus calling upon
Radical aid TO PROSTATE his adversary, he
has done that which his people will not
soon forget Though defeated himself. he
may nevertheless feel a melancholy salts
faction in the defeat of his opponent. This
Is natural. but after this Radical coalition
to accomplish the result, then comes the
deluge: and / am much mistaken if this
new alliance with Radicalism does not meet
a severer rebuke than was given to pro
scriptive Radicalism last August / say
this more in sorrow than in anger, for
of Emerson Etheridge l can tTGly say
love him, and in his defeat l sympathise
with him. | regret that he should have
deemed such q coalition as that l have de
scribed, proper for this or any other occa-
sion
But now comes a sadder tale. l said be
fore that last night the election of Mr. John
son was a fixed fact. I mean that enough
votes were assured to elect him; but, of
course, it was not expected that those who
had been leaders in organizing his forces
should desert him when the hour of battle
arrived Foremost and most Trustworthy of
Mr. JOhnsOn's friends was Edmund Cooper,
a gentleman upon whom Mr.. johnson had
bestowed many fayors, and who, take
pleasure in stating, had shown himself
worthy of such consideration. Now, in all
the combinations attempted against Mr..
Johnson, it was found necessary to make a
breach in the line of vOteTswhO had already
enrolled themselves for him. This neither
Brown, Ewing, Stephens, Peyton, nor any
one else that had been tried, could do. The
vulnerable point of Achilles was found.
Henry Cooper was taken up, and Henry
being the brother of Ed, the leader Of the
column gave way. With him went
three or four of Mr. Johnsons friends,
and his defeat was sealed arjtt
tie aid Of tie Radical gotes,
which was readily granted as a matter of
course. That Mr.. Edmund Cooper should
have voted for his brother, under ordinary
circumstances, was to have been expected.
But that he. knowing as he must have done,
that coalition had been. ,r was to be
formed with the Radical element Of the
House, and that the object of that coalition
was the defeat of Mr. johnson, no matter
who might be selected as the instrument.
it was more than Mr. CoOper's friends cy-
pected that he should feel called upon 10
aid the combination, simply because his
brother was selected as the instrument
and selected t0r tile purpose of
gaining his personal support and influence
This may be fraternal duty, but it seems to
me that there are times when such consid-
erations should be lost in devotion to those
higher duties which should always command
a patriots attention. | do not wish to
write unkindly about Ed. Cooper
certainly have no reason to do so, and |
only wish / could say that the censures
now being heaped upon him were unde-
served.
But the die is cast. and Henry Cooper is
our Senator While write, the personal
enemies of Andrew johnson land Nashville
abounds witt, them are tipping and clink-
ing their glasses, and making their souls
merry over what they call his everlasting
death Such Civilizations signify nothing
beyond mere personal qualification
There Is no real rejoicing over the
fact, or the pretended fact, that
We have q Senator whose elevation
the people desired Much rather had |
that Emerson Etheridge was elected. And
the friends of Mr. Etheridge find nothing
to occasion rejoicing in the result If
Andrew Johnson has fallen, so, too. has
their loved chieftain. All parties are in
deed, defeated, and the rejoicing that may
be spoken OF, in the Geographic dispatches,
is simply of the character | have men
toned.
Of Henry Cooper, the Senator elect, |
have not a word to say in derogation, as a
man. He is gentleman of amiable dispo-
sition, of agreeable manners, of fair intel
lect. of good culture, and is. by profession.
a LAWYER He was made a Judge by An
drew johnson, while Military Governor.
and hence is better known as Judge Cooper.
The decision most notable among his judi
cial acts was that in the case Of Ridley as.
Sherbrook, in which he not only decided
the franchise law unconstitutional, but
held that the Legislature which passed it
was an unconstitutional body. He may