Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-29
And, Fitting Finale, EndeavOrs to
Saddle the Honorable Ex-COn-
federate Soldiers with the
acts of the Outlaws of
his NeighbOrhO0d.
Bad, Vicious, Impudent but De.
feated Stokes!

: WASHINGTON, August 20, lSG9--Tht
presence of Col. William Il. Stokes il
this city, as has already been stated
is Immediately connected with the re-
suit Of the recent election in Tennes-
see. With a view OF aScertainine
what he proposes doing and what he
has TO say about the canvass in which
he was defeated, your correspond
ent called upon him this morning,
HOW THE BALD EAGLE looks.
Col. Stokes bears all the marks OF
having gone through a hard fight.
He has lost in flesh somewhat, is as
bronZed with the sun as a harvest
hand, and hisVoice is still husky with
constant labors upon the stump in the
open air. | found him in his room
quietly smoking a cigar, and appar-
! emily musing on what course he had
best pursue to retrieve the late diSas-
ter TO his party. Stokes, though not
a great man nor a man of learning,
POSSESSES many ufthe qualities Ofa pO-
iitical leader, especially of the class
| found in the Southwestern and West
ern States. He is Of medium height,
! rather spare, but we'll knit, and capa-
bic of much fatigue and endurance.
His features are aquiline, well defined,
| and Ofa bold, aggressive cast. He has
| a clear blue eye, singularly full, and,
when he is engaged in conversation,
| bright and expressive. You are not
| disappointed, after looking at Stokes,
| at the wonderful huency OF his speech
and at.his easy command of language,
which, though not always the most
classic i generally fnrCi blp
TENNESSEE REPUBLICANIsAI GONE TO
HE'LL.
How about the election In Tennes-
| zee, Colonel? | asked, after the
usual salutatiOns.
Stokes Qaughing)-Well, we are
whipped, badly whipped, but not
lairly.
Correspondent-What is going 10 be
| the result of the whole matter?
StOkes-In the first place the Re
publican party in Tennessee has gone
to hell; there's no question about
that What the other result will be,
if any, is for the administration and
Congress to say.
THE UNION MEN WANT L. :. PROTEC-
TION.
Correspondent suppose YOU came
here, Colonel, to look after "A solution
| of the latter prqpOsitinn2
Stukes-I didn't want to come here;
[ occupy a rather delicate position.
But the Union men of Tennessee
came to me and said / muEt come and
do what / could to get the Federal
Government To interfere for their pro-
lection. They are in position now
similar TO what they were in 1861, and
the worst has not come vet.
THE REPUGICANs or TENNESSEE a
INIT,
COrrespOndent-H came the Re
publican party To be divided i'm Ten
neSSce; what was the real cause of it?|
Stokes-The Republican party was
not divided at all. That's lust where
you people in the North here
make a mistake. The Republi-
can party of Tennessee, with eXcep-
ton 80 few that il cannot be called
diyisiOn, voted solid iof me and the
regular candidate.
HOW sENTER DEFEATED HIM-A MEL
ANCHoLY STORY.
COrrespOudent-Well, then, how
came YOU 10 be defeated?
StOkes-I will tell YOU as briefly as
can. In the first place i didn't want
to make the race, because knowing
Senter as we'll rs | did and Knowing
that lac by his position had the power
To do Just what has been done. / didn't
want TO give any occasion for a posi-
bic defeat OF the Republican party.
At the onset | was the liberal man.
Senter said that TO enfranchiSp the old
rebels would be to break up the Repul !
| lican party in the State. aud he would
never do that, Ny plan was to carry
the election for our party and after
ward allow the Legislature gradually
to remove the disabilities of such as
should show themselves deserving of
il. 1 Thought the eX-rebels would APP
preciate the thing better Ia this way.
| told my friends tlat | did not care
to be a candidate, and | sent a COM
mittce TO Senter to say that if he would
manage his side Of the Convention
would manage mine and we could 60
in together and nominate some good
man who would command the votes
| Of the Union men OF the state. SEN
ter refused, and my friends said there
were siXty-fiVe counties in the Con-
vention instructed to vote for me, and
| that / must be a candidate. / had no
choice. Senter's friends subsequently,
came TO me and wanted to bargain.
| If / would withdraw, they said, in
| favor Of Senter, they would insure me
a seat in the United States Senate in
place of Fowler. / said, "Gentle-
| men, can make no such bargain. II
have no authority to do it. ! am like
a rider on a borrowed horse, and / am
not at liberty to trade him. | am in
| the hands of my friends" Well, the
nomination was made, and / saw at
once that Senter would be a candidate.
My friends said if they were going to
have treaehery and political Villainy
/ to meet they would as soon meet il
now as at any other time, and so they
| said let the fight come nn. Senter be-
ing Governor, or acting Governor, had
| the appointment Of the registers of
election. He put in just such men as
he knew would do his bidding. They
at once opened the fiOOd-gates and let
in everybody. The disfranchising
clauses Of the State Constitution We're
trodden under foot, entirely disregard
ed. Certificates of qualification as
voters were issued TO disfranchised
rebels, and even boys of sixteen and
eighteen were allowed to vote. Be
sides this, there was q course of intim-
idatiOn pursued, all under the instruc-
Senter, which prevented hundreds,
and ! may say thousands, of Repub-
licans from voting. You see, Senter
was Governor. He had the militia,
and lac intended TO use them, if neces-
sary, to elect himself. Orders were is