Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-02-18

leId on the 4th OF March, 1900.
The right of such voters toreceiveli
certificate, authorizing them to
exercise the right of suffrage, was
and is full and ample and perfect.
Under the law of 1865, the Clerk
Of the County Court was charged
with the registration. In this
county the Clerk of that Court
was OF undoubted loyalty-he was
elected in March, 1864, during the
war, was placed on the legislative
ticket by the reconstruction con-
vention in Nashville in January,
in 1865, for the Senate from Lin
coin and Franklin. He had the con-
6dence of the Federal officers and
Union men of Tennessee. In 1866
the Legislature passed an amended
franchise law, but without altera-
ton as to the right Of all persons
| to vote who had voted at the three
elections designated above.
By this second franchise law,
the authority of the County Court
Clerk to register votes was repeal
led and the registrations made by
that officer were annulled and de-
cleared void. The Governor was
authorised to appoint a Commits.
sioner of Registration for each
county. Brownlow appointed
Capt. Z. P. Reynolds, late a Cap
tain in the United States army
Commissioners Of Registration fol
this county in 1866. The Clerk
Iof the County Court delivered to
Registrar Reynolds the proper
poll-books he proceeded to regis
ter and issue certificates, to a mum
Der of citizens. He determined
however. to resign his commission
Just before starting to Nashville
for that purpose he returned OF
sent the poll-books back to the
County Court Clerk, by a young
man, as it is understood here
Registrar Reynolds resigned, anc
Gov. Brownlow appointed as sue
lcessor, Captain Fl. N. t. Ship
late of the United States army
When Registrar Ship desired
THE poll-books to enable him tc
discharge his duty, they could moi
| be found, but had been spirited
away all but about one page, of
the poll-book of the Fayetteville
box. Re, yistrar Ship proceeded
as we'll as he could in the absence
of the poIl-booI<, hearing proof and
granting a few certificates. This
continued, if we mistake not, until
the Spring of 1867, when it was
time to make arrangeme. 1tS tor the
approaching State elections when
BrownIow removed Mr.. Ship and
appointed John Carey, who was
then or soon after, the nominee OF
the Radical Loyal League, to rep
resent this county in the General
Assembly. He accepted the office
and held it up to the day of cleo
ton, when, by means of his partial
and unjust registration, he was
elected a member of the Legisla-
ture where he now holds q seat.
In one instance, if not more, he re-
fused to issue certificates upon.
what was fully and perfectly au-
thenticated as a poll-book, which
even he was constrained to admit
was the poll-book and OF the
1884 white-men who voted at the
February election, 1865, he regis
tered but very few over 500 whites
and 700 negroes.
After Carey's election to the
Legislature and the consequent va
cation OF the Registrars Office, in
August, 1867, there was no Com
missioner of Registration in this
county, until sometime in 1868,
when Gov. Brownlow appointed
A. H. Russell as Registrar, who
issued few or no certificates prior
to the March election for county
officers in 1868. During the sum-
mer and fall of 1868, and proceed