Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-06
CONSPIRACY TO OVERTHROW THE
STATE GOVERNMENT.

throw the State government. This
is nota "Rebel' conspiracy, neither
is it a Democratic conspiracy, but
is an emanation of the brain of a
whipped and cowed aspirant for
gubernatorial honors. Mr.. VIM. B.
Stokes went into this canvass labor
ing under the hallucination that he
was omnipotent. In little speech
in the Senate chamber, on the eve-
ming of the 21st of May, accepting
''the nomination" of "the Republi-
can convention" he declared that
he chad the dead wood on his cleo
ton for Governor. This remark
he more fully explained by saying,
as reported by the Press and Times,
then his organ, she believed he
would get forty thousand colored
votes at the election, would get
thirty thousand federal soldiers, and
as many more old men who staid
at home to take care Of the soldiers
families He boosted that this
was ga pretty good start" that ''he
used TO run quarter races and knew
by a long and varied experience in
that line the value of a good start"
Elated with this idea, he hied off to
East Tennessee in the confident
assurance of crushing his more
liberal opponent. Judge of his sur
prise and modification when he
found the people there shouting for
Senter and suffrage, where he eN-
pected loud peans to be sung TO
Stokes and "Rebel di5franchise-
ment" 1t was not long until it be-
came evident that Senter had
touched the popular pulse at the
right time and in the right way,
and that he was on the winning
tack. This maddened Stokes into
desperation, and under the ponder
Gus blows of his opponent, he so
completely lost his temper that
when they reached Clinton, he
challenged him to fight duel, but
prudently desired to put it off until
after the election. But it was re-
served for Chattanooga to witness
the browning act of this man Stokes,
in his blind rage under the intiic-
ton he has daily received at the
hands of Gov. Senter, and the con-
seriousness that suffrage as adgo-
Gated by the latter is growing in
popularity. Wrought up to tue
pitch of desperation by the evil
dences Of his own weakness, and of
the enthusiasm his opponent is
kindling wherever they go, our cor
respondent reports that he said in
Chattanooga Saturday night that
he had written to Grant, Boutwell,,
and others, and if things did not
go better, he would have Tennessee
remanded back to the position of a
territory, under the rule Of a mill
tary Governor and that his
friends had been boasting about 1t
Sunday, and declaring that they
would rather have a military gov.
eminent than allow Senter and his
friends to run the State govern
ment." From what our CORE
Epondent could learn, he believes
Stokes is in earnest, and that plot
is being matured between him and
his chief allies throughout the
State to carry out the military
programme in the event of his de-
feat. The chief conspiratOr in this
plot to overthrow the present State
government and have a military
satrap placed over us, is now ask
ing the people of Tennessee to elect
him Governor. Behold the man
What say you, citizens of Tennes
see, will you vote for a man who
threatens you with a military des-
potism if you elect his opponent ?
To such depths have we descended
| under Radical rule that freemen
are thus threatened If they exer-
| else their rights as treemen. Here
we have two men, members Of the
same political party, running
for Governor enc appears to feel
confident that he has the sympathy
of Congress and the President and
his cabinet, and if the majority of
the people of Tennessee do not
vote to please him, he will have the
State reduced to a provisional gov
eminent with a military satrap for
Governor. This game was played
successfully in Mississippi; it was
played with partial success ia Geor-
gia, and now we have a threat that
it will be tried on Tennessee. And
we ask the people of Tennessee,
and especially the honest, well
meaning men in the Radical party,
to remember that this threat is
made by VIM. B Stokes, as the pun
ishment he will visit upon them if
,bev do not elect him Governor.