Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-25
THE CANVASS.
The Discussion at GaIIatim-The Bald
Eagle ROOsts Low.

Special Correspondence Of the Union and |
American.
GALLATIE, July 24.-The people of |
Sumner turned out in goodly numbers to |
hear the candidates for Governor to-day.
The speaking took place on the public
square, on the east side Of the Court House.
Gen. Stokes led of, making his usual
speech, in which he admitted that be did
not expect the votes of the Sumner county
people, but claimed their respect for the
reason that he had driven Governor Sem
| ter to avOw his suffrage doctrines. While.
| he claimed to be better suffrage man
| than Senter, and a better Republican, be
did not seem to satisfy the people on
either point. The most effective part
of his speech was that he
had the negroes "tied up in a rag" and
would get all their votes. That class ap-
plauded this assertion, and it may be par
tally true. The reply of Governor Senter
wac calm, deliberate and impressive. He
disappointed our expectations by his clear,
logical and eloquent reply. He made many
new friends, and inspired his previous ones
with greater confidence and enthusiasm.
His review of General Stokes military
and civil record was msrciless. 1t was a
common remark in the audience that Stok, 8
ought to crawl out of the canvass
through the smalest hole he could
, find. The Duncan letter, the Cate
/ conspiracy, the congressional test-oatb,
the fact that Gen. Stokes was never 10 a
battle, that he was court-martialed for
cowardice, were presented with an effect
$ that made us feel a genuine pity for the
n poor creature that is called the "Bald
Eagle" Some said that Senter ought to be
, sent to the penitentiary for cruelty to
j animals. 1t were needless to dwell upon
+ a discussion, which is partially familiar to
!. the public through the press; but which il
is impossible to fnd words in which L
picture the reality.
One passage was new which | will give
If | Gen. Stokes denied that he had ever giver
Is money to aid the Rebels, except when they
were prisoners, and as a loan. In his re
ply, Gov. Senter stated, that he had tn,
written statement of Col. Jno. F. Goodner
of the 7th Tenn. Confederate Infantry
which he read as follows:
u Sol. w. b. Stokes on the l9lh day o
st May, 1861, went with my company from
is Alexandria to Cherry Valley, seven mile
=. from Alexandria, on the Lebanon an,
Sparta turnpike. At that place he re
III quested me to stop my company, as h
y, wanted to make a speech TO them. II
ID encouraged them in that speech; told then
ia they were in a good cause. At the clos
of his speech he told them, if they had n
u money, he would divide with them; an
3. several of them went forward and too
in | from five to ten dollars ahead-amountin
a in all TO sixty five dollars.
:. "James Newson, a citizen Of this plac,
10 and Thomas SGeed, his own nephew, wer
I'd two of the men. He told me to tell Hal
r ton, Howard and Anderson, to keep th
20 regiment open one week, as he would
there with his company by that time {
Ut he had already forty or fifty men recruited
at Among come of there recruits were th
re same men that afterwards went with hi
- into the Union army.
"JoHN f. GooDNER,
" Col 9Th Tenn. Confederate Infantry.
Col. Goodner was personally know
TO a large portion of the crowd, and b
written statement as above given, col
nc tradicling the statement of Gen. Stoke
Ill was received as implicit truth, and W;
We damaging in the extreme TO the Genera
No The result of the days work was alt
gether in faVer Of Senter. The crowd wa
oy eight to one for the Governor that is, an