Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-09
THE TENNESSEE CANVASS.
senter's Speech at TuIlahema The
"Bald Eagle" scalped.

s
We find in the Union and american,
of the 7th report of Governor Senter' q
speech at Tullahoms, last Tuesday, aa
follows: #
sENTER's SPEECH.
Twill begin to-day by stating that / am
q candidate for Governor--the highest of.
flee within the gift of the people in the
State Of Tennessee, directly with the bal.
lot-box. In making this announcement
do il with that diffidence that should
characterize such an important trust /
feel that if this canvass is to be compared
with others that have been in times gone
by, that so fer as am concerned, lack
that ability, that eloquence and that logic
which have characterized men whom you
have had before you in past times. There
is one thing promise you, that if we
don't give you an intellectual canvass we
will give you lively one, as we have had
in the other portion of the State. / am
pleased to meet you under circumstances
so favorable. 1t is the recollection of
every boy fifteen years Of age that we
have passed through war such as no
nation, either democratic, republican or
otherwise in its character, ever passed
through and survived-passed through
and retained in no great extent its regu-
lar form of government. | have always
acted with what is known as the Repub-
lican party of Tennessee, and of the
United States I claim to be acting with
that party to-day, progressive in its ma
ture and comprehensive in its views. /
claim to have acted with that party from
the beginning to the present, and stand
by the principles that it may have enun-
ciated in times goneby. You have passed
through war, your fields have been desc.
lated, your churches desecrsted, your
school-houses broken up; and scarce FIVE
years have passed since an attempt was
made TO reconstruct the State of Tennes-
see by the party in power. You have at
tanned asprosperity before unequalled in
your State. Your produce commands
high prices and your fields never
looked in better condition. Now we
claim nothing for this; we claim to
show that the people of the State of
Tennessee are as prosperous to-day In
their basket and store and as rich as they
ever were. But l have an opponent with
me here to-day who claims to be an advo.
cate of the Republican party of Tennes-
see, and claims that he was nominated a
candidate for Governor by the Republi-
can party. Well it is; but this great
Republican party, not of the United
States but of the State of Tennessee, had
introduced within its own limits an ele.
inent of discord, of rupture and an
element of destruction, but an element
like fire will purify, consolidate and run
together. / have just finished canvass
in East Tennessee with the g Bald Eagle
of the Mountains" and if you can find
any place where there is left scars upon
our political bodies he will point them
out to you. might say that he has never
found blood upon his paws in this can
vass. But you people called conven-
tion at Nashville for the nomination of q
candidate for Governor of this State.
The Governor then related what trans
pired in that convention, which have
been heretofore published.
The next morning after the convention,
said the speaker, / found the name of
William Stokes, the Bald Eagle of the
Mountains" floating at the masthead of
the Press and Times, at that time
Stokes organ. Governor Senter denied
the fact that sixty-four counties, repre-
sented by two hundred and thirty. three
delegates, voted for Stokes in that con-
vention.
was a member of the State Legsla-
ture in 1869, as we'll as in 1868. As a
member of that Senate, endeavored to
discharge my duty, but A. M. Cate, the
Senator from Hamilton, introduced a
series of resolutions in the Senate in
November, 1868, declaring that Senter
was both incompetent to hold a seat as a
member of the Senate or as Speaker of
theSenate The resolutions we're laid over |
one day according to the rules. The next |
morning the Banner came out in an
article and accused my competitor, VIM.
b. Stokes, who has a mono mania to be |
Governor of the State, of being connected |
in some manner with these resolutions.
The Speaker then read the para
graph referred to above, and said
that Stokes had promised Cate if
he would introduce these resolutions
in the Senate and disqualify Senter,
he (Stokes) would be elected Governor
and that be (Cate) could run for Con-
gresham for his district. BE has been
too prolific in bis promises. he prom
ised the same to Woodcock, Joe Black
burn and other men who had influence in
that district. / have asked this hero of
the calf-killer to send his resignation to
the Speaker of the House of Representa-
lives and enter upon the canvass fairly
and squarely. and not to hold on to an
office worth $4,000 year to run for one
which is less than that. Oh William,
here is more than one clever man in the
State of Tennessee; and Congressman
1t $4,000 year, and being Governor,
which is the stepping stone TO the Office
1f Senator, is swallowing things too fast.
The resolutions offered by Mr.. Cate we're
brought up and eighteen-nineteenths Of
he Senate voted against them. Mr..