The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-08-13
The Press on the Eiecf{oh.

The Press on the Election.
The following paragraph is from the
Louisville Courier-Jcusnoi Of the 7th
two days after the election:
The election in Tennessee presents to
the country the very best hope of n B.
toration of peace and order at the Sd kh
which has been afforded by the pre- ut
year. Although the result of it m
braces a complete and perhaps al
defeat of the Radical organization. it
cannot, with perfect sincerity, be called
a Democratic victory. 1t is, in truth. n
singular triumph of popular opinion
over partisan discipline and passion.
Tennessee was the last State to go out
of the Union. She went reluctantly.
She was the first TO come back. She
came back joy0usly. Had generous
policy prevailcdthere in 1865, strong,
liberal, and progressive organization
would have come into existence, and
four years of political wranglc aud ma
terial rctrOgadc have been averted. Ii
is not now profitable to recall the expe-
rience or to discuss the possibilities OF
n different course of affairs. Earlier
than thoughtful men anticipated dcs-
potic system, which was expected to Sc
cure a permancncy in Office to certain
circle, has broken down, and its des-
truction was effected by those very APP
| planes which were considered its Sc
curity and its power.
The following from the Chicago 1ri-
bnae, Republican, was written day or
two before the ecction.-and in refer
encc to Stokes threat to appeal from
the people to the General Government I:
at Essays the Chicago iournal-too
large an enterprise for the times. Elec-
tons for Governor are very common
thing in the United States, and the pub
lie will not listen with any favor to the
proposition that the defeated candidates
shall declare themselves Governors, and
get up civil war in their States to get
into Office. The result of the election
as disclosed at the polls will be accepted
by the American people as final, and, if
necessary, will be upheld as such against
all forcible contestants, whether it be in
favor of or against Mr.. Stokes. We
have already referred 10 the case of
Virginia, where the Governor in office,
who has been voted out by the people,
proposes to hold on, and expects the
Republican party in Congress to keep
him in office. The Republican party
has higher aims and ends than the mere
keeping of one set of men in office to
the exclusion of others, particularly
when those proposed to be kept out
have been duly elected by the people.
The Republican party will insist that
the President shall exercise all constitu-
tional powers to sustain Colonel Stokes
as the duly elected Governor of Ten
nessce, provided Colonel Stokes be
elected. For the same reason. If Gov
crnor Senter be elected, it will expect
the President to sustain Senter against
all attempts by force TO disturb him.
The fact is, that men are apt to ovcr-cs-
innate their personal importance. Mel
Their the Republican party nor the peo-
pie at large care much whether A or Is
or G holds office; and there has been
entirely too much civil war, rebellion,
and strife for them to tolerate for mo-
ment any such thing as an appeal to
arms, or to force in any shape
The first named paper remarks upon
the above: a.
This is very well. The peopi of
Tennessee have nothing to do but 70 go
forward prudently to overhaul the bad
legislation or the last four years, revise
their constitution and put themselves
in the way of obtaining some of the
physical advantages of the period. They
need not fear the intcrposition of out
side pressure. They have most to APP
prehend from the incongruity of the
elements which are thrown together
and from the indiscretion of thOughtless
persons and designing politicians who
are always found in the front ranks of
successful enterprises after success has
been secured. But, as we said, the
masses of the people of Tennessee are
eminently conservative and violence is
less likely to come from them than from
any community in the South.
In strictly partisan sense we see
nothing that we consider very jubilant
in the result of Thursday but as re-
action against Radicalism and assertion
of popular liberty it is truly splendid.
sak