Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-06

Dnlteu Ot8tee aruif. tubt so MI. 6entef
was an officer ia the Confederate States. |
resigned on the day for casting the votes
and John w. Bowen, of my district, cast |
The vote. This, l commended, Mr. Senter |
could do, and then there would be no VIC. |
Iation of the constitution, and Tennessee |
whole vote would be counted.
say here, with truth, that If one word |
was said, or any person present desired or |
wished TO ipjure Mr.. Senter. i did not
know it. her do | believe such was The
case. This was the only time converted
with Capt Gale about the matter, Hell
stated that, As Chairman Of the State Gem
trail Committee, he felt it to be his duty to
look after the electoral vote of the State.
We had no further conversation about the
matter, and l did not know that he was
going TO otier resolution in the Senate in
regard to the matter. Time has proved,
however, that those facts have existed, and
that Mr.. Senier did apply, and Congress
did, by two-thirds vote, relieve him Of
his disabilities. Now, / want to know,
where ia this great mIidaigh conspiracy :
There was none, and could not be, unless
Mr.. Senter has been misrepresented. :
He then referred 10 Sharp, and said
that he had received letter from him
which be had also published, in which he
proposed that in the event that he procur-
ed the appointment Of postmaster for his
friend A A Pearson, quarters salary was
at bis command to pay the expense Of his
next campaign. The speaker continued
10 read from his letter as follows:
You zee in this letter enough to for
ever damn a man in the eyes of an hon
est people. He requests me to have him
(the Mayor of Chattanooga appointed
postmaster, and that he would turn it over
TO A. A. Pearson; and, further, that one
quarter of the salary should be at my dis
posal! This ! spurned with indignation,
and did not appoint him or Pearson post
master. He Sharp came to Washing
ton, and in the presence of Col. Tom.
Waters | read this letter to him. be said
he would call TO see me again, before lesv-
ing for Tennessee, but did not. /
"You further discover in this letter that
he states that Judge Trewhitt has come
out against Senter, and that they cannot
expect anything from the Governor; and
further, that while the postofice would
enable them TO do more in the canvass,
yet if did not matter whether they got It
or not, they were square out for me, and
that he could not support man who was
afraid Of water, (refecting upon Senter
for failing TO fulfill some of his appoint
ments as elector on account OF high
water.)
THUS You see The only idea in the brain
Of Capt. Sharp was Office, OFFICE. hold
that a man who will offer a bride will
take one, and that 10 either case he is
totally unworthy and unfit TO hold an
Office among honest men," .-..
Gen. Stokes referred TO the fact that
Gov. Senter instead Of going to his home
after the Legislature left this city, that he
followed Harris 10 Memphis but notwith-
standing this, he as member of Congress
had him relieved of his political disabili-
ties. Nobody doubted his loyalty, or COM
planned of his not being Union man, but
these were stubborn facts in his history,
and he had to refer to them. " lille IN
that Rebel Legislature his competitor had
supported 3 resolution to convert the Legis
lature into a military company to resist
the Yankee hordes; but Gov. Senter had
been relieved from these disabilities, and
was now entitled to all the rights and
privileges Of an American citizen.
Gen. Stokes then touched upon the charge
made against him that he had opposed
Northern men. He was surprised to see
such charge. He never had made any
distinction, and never would. He invited
all to come to his State--it was the great
est country in the world. There was plen-
ty of territory for all, and we wanted I'M
migration in this direction, We wanted
their capital, their machinery and their
labor. But he didn't want that class Of
men who had but one idea, and that was
office. They were the men who created
these disturbances in conventions; they
wanted all the Offices, and if they failed,
then they were determined TO create an ex-
citement. For him, all such might pick
up their little budgets and leave. He
wanted men to build up the State, and de-
sired that all creation should come here to
sell, trade, to till the soil, etc, but, great
God, deliver US from that class that want
nothing but Office. He never would give
his bond for such a set TO fill all the offices.
He had received letter at Washington
about appointments at Nashville, but he
replied, refusing to interfere. He was
tired Of the cry which had been heralded
all over the country, that Stokes was down
on the Northern men. Hoped the North
ern men and home folks would get along
quietly.
He was struck with series OF letters
that he had seen published in one Of the
city papers, giving the condition Of things
throughout the State. Out of the thou
sand letters received, he ventured TO say
that there was no intimation that he had
ever said he wanted to be candidate for
Governor. From the very beginning he
had counseled harmony, and in every case
referred to the fact that he had position.
But he had been placed on the track, and
he was here to-day to open his office and
commence business. f|E
He then referred TO the letter of Judge
Houck to a Knoxville meeting, charging
him with arraigning the white against
the colored people In his speech at
the capitol, be said that he would
start out with forty thousand colOred
voters, and thirteen thousand Federal sol
diers. This was the origin of the charge.
He could give his reasons why the colOIed
men would support him. He found
proposition in 1859 on the record, to drive
free negroes out of the State, which was
warmly supported by Gov. Senter while
member Of the Legislature. At that time
old men and old women had come TO him,
asking him to use his influence 10 prevent
the passage of suCh a bill. o. shame,
where is thy blush. to send q free man
from his native home. He had the
honor to have a colOred regiment
under his command during the war,
and braver men 10 face the enemy,
or men of more discipline, he never
saw. He was also the first man 10 make a
speech at JOnesboro in favor of colored
suffrage. He also made speeches at
Greeneyille and other points, taking the
same ground, and telling the people that
it would have TO be done, or the Rebels
would get lifetime hold on loyal men.
The ball was started and rolled on his
worthy competitor was rather slow, but be
finally Joined in the popular movement;
but when the question came upon the four.
teenth amendment, he found his friend |
Senter voting no. After taking all these |
things into consideration, he thought be
could say that the colored people ought TO |
stand by him. A voicc-"Yon've got |
them all"
He then referred TO the federal soldiers,
with whom be had fought for the liberties |
of the people for four long year,, and
said he had reason 10 known that they |
were for him. He did not think that |
any one could infer from his remarks that
he was attempting TO array the whites
against the blacks. ..
He had another charge to answer, and