Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-10
CHATTANOOGA.
The Conspiracy to Overthrow
the State Government.
A Convention to be Defeated If
Stokes Is not Elected.

A CUHttHtlOH W ut DClCdtCu III
Stokes Is not Elected.
The Boast Of His Partisans.
Whittier are We Drifting ?
Correspondence of the Union and American.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, July s, 1862
In my last / gave you some informa-
tion as to conspiracy upon the part of
Stokes and his followers to overthrow
the State government. The statement Of
Stokes that he had written to Grant,
Boutwell, and others, etc., was not made
publicly in either of his speeches, but in
conversation, and with an emphasis
that convinced all present that he was
in earnest, and it is approved by his
very few political friends here. They
are in hopeless minority here, and are
trying to force people to vote for Stokes
through fear that he may be able to car
ry his threats Of military government
into execution, and l have no doubt he is
now, and every willing tool of his from
Carter to Shelby county, busily at work
to accomplish that end. The Stokes Or
gan here, published this morning, sub
stantially admits the charges to be true,
and shows plainly that it is party to
the nefarious plat.
1t is the duty of every good citizen o
see that good and true men, who are in
favor of free ballot and none others,
are chosen for the Legislature, and l
hope you will still advocate this in your
columns from now until the day of the
election. urge this course from the fact
thata combination is now being formed,
if not already completed, between the
Stokes candidates in the different counties
throughout the State knowing that
Stokes will be overwhelmingly defeated,
to block all legislation that is intended
to relieve the disabilities of the tax
payers and disfranchised citizens. A
leading Stokes man in East Tennessee
said to me, that if Stokes was defeated,
and he could see no hope for him now,
we would have no convention, and the
people who are now disfranchised
would be disfranchised for two years
longer. / asked him how that could be
as great many Stokes candidates were,
for removing the disabilities of the dis
franchised. He said that if Stokes and
majority Of the Legislature, being his
political friends, were elected they would
call convention, and if not, they did not
intend to allow Senter and his friends to
do so. In other words, they would block
all legislation Of the kind.
Stokes friends here declare that if
Hamilton county, and the counties along
the Tennessee river, vote against him for
Governor, he (Stokes) will prevent any
other appropriations being made by Com
gress for improving the navigation OF said
river. They undoubtedly represent the
Bald Eagle correctly upon that question.
1t is said by some Of our best citizens
that he did make such a threat as that
while here.
As far back as October, 1869, this can,
didate for Governor, for his own personal
and political advancement, at the dead
hours of the night, planned the political
assassination of his rival. Now, because
the citizens of the Tennessee valley pres
fer Senter and universal suffrage, to
Stokes and gradual enfranchisement (O,
he will attempt to destroy the great en-
terprise known as the Improvement Of
the Tennessee River; - an enterprise
that interests directly, and will influence
to very great extent, the commerce of
fourteen States of this Union an enter
prise which representative men, agricu.S
tural, political, manufacturing and cOm-
mercial, have pledged themselves to
support until free and uninterrupted
water communication can be had with
all the Western rivers.
Nor is that all. His henchmen under
his Instructions are combining to defeat
all liberal legislation, because forsooth
he will not be chosen by the people of
Tennessee to rule over them.
Does he propose to stop there No!
He declares he has power at the "other
end of the line" and he intends to use it.
How? By overthrowing your State
government, abolishing legislatures and
courts and trampling upon the civil
rights of the people, destroying all civil
government and establishing a military
despotism, with himself or some enc no
better as the military satrap to govern
the people of Tennessee. Rather than
lose his hold on political force, he would
by the rude hand of force, enter the
citadel of our liberties and destroy the
few remaining privileges that We now
enjoy. He sscribes to government no
higher object than to furnish support to
him and his malignant partizans, and
when that fails, he appeals to arbitrary
force to sustain him in mean attempt
to enslave the people! Remember!
Tyranny is later born than Freedom
HAMILTON.
STRANGE ACcIDENTs-.Mr. Jacob
Burnhard, residing on the edge Of Henry