Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-28

1
Tennessee that are trading in the raj
road interests of the State and doir
their best to ruin them 1 was ais
pledged to break up other rings cor,
nected with the school fund of Il
State. This might have interfered wit
the Brownlows a little; [ don't kno,
any other reason they could have i
opposing my election. But their oppc
sition did not amount to much. Til
people of Tennessee mean, of cours,
the loyal Union q men - don't folio,
Brownlow as they did. They under.
stood that he has fallen into the hand
interested parties.
3Ila4 THE sENAToRsHIP. Il IIly.t
Correspondent-Who do you thinl
will be elected Senator, Colonel? .i..
Stokes-Well, that is hard to tell. TIL,
Legislature will be. good deal nike,
on that subject. / suppose Andy John
son stands as good q chance as any o
them. There is several candidates be.
sides johnson. There is Bale Peyton
for instance, but / don't think they will
take him up. He is an old fossil Whig
and is really outside of politics now. Ii
Andy chooses to make the fight there il
none of that school that can beat him
He's got prestige on his side, but there's
a good many of the old Rebels who hate
him for his past record. They have old
scores to settle with him, and now that
they are in power they may take occasion
to do it. The general impression in Tens
nessee is that they will take up some
new man, one who has not been identi,
fed with politics much. J f
Correspondent-Don't you think the
old Rebels have forgiven Andy by this
time? He has psrdoned good many Of
them, you know. lrr.a-yrl
Stokes-Yes, so he has. But you don't
know those men. They never forgive.
If you lived in Tennessee you would find
that out. Besides, Andy was pretty
hard on them when he was Military
Governor. He kept tight rein on them,
| tell you. But, as | said before, if Andy
wants to make fight it will take good
man to beat him. He understands the
ropes, having been through the mill be>
fore. .a....r.s w.. .....5..
HE WILL SHOW GRANT HIS SORES.
CorrespOndent--What do you propose
doing? t.a #.l0l.
Stokes-Thats just the question. /
am here to consult with the President
and the members of the cabinet as to
what is best to be done. Something
must be done or reconstruction in TEN
nessee and every other Southern State
is a failure. And if the administration
and Congress refuse to take cognizance
of the condition of affairs in Tennessee,
shall proclaim reconstruction farce and
a failure everywhere. -A8A tAt /
Correspondent-Whom have you seen
here ? "
Stokes-I haven't seen anybody yet
but Forney. They are all away but /
am going to stay here until the Presi-
dent and the cabinet get back. l shall
then lay the whole matter before them,
tell them how the election was carried,
and present the present condition of
affairs in Tennessee. .#EhteTE
Correspondent-What does Forney
say? .t.I..... f..sg.trr !
Stokes-Forney says it is "a terrible
outrage; but he does not see clearly
what the federal government can do to
mend the matter.
Correspondent-What are you going to
suggest to the President and cabinet?
Stokes-WeIl, of course the President
can do nothing without Congress. l
shall suggest that Congress be convened
in extra session-say about the Goth Of
September-to take the condition Of
affairs in Tennessee and Virginia into
consideration. You see the Legislature
of Tennessee meets on the first of Octo-
Der. As soon as they get in session, il
not interfered with by the federal gov~
eminent, they will go to work at once
to wipe out every thing that has been
done since Tennessee was reconstructed
and admitted to representation in Con-
gress. Every law enacted to restrain the
Rebels and protect the Union men of the
State will be rubbed off the statute book,
the DISTINGUISHING clauses of the State
constitution will be striker out and the
entire Union bulwark broken down.
HIS CONGRESSIONAL AXE.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Congress were
convened in extra session, what will you
ask it to DO?
Stokes-Tennessee is one Of the re-
constructed States, the same as Georgia
for instance. Now, then, what did Con-
gress do in the case Of Georgia? sac
was admitted to representation in Con-
gress the same as Tennessee, only her
Senators did not get in, and you know
the reason Of that. Georgia and TenneSN
see, it seems to me, are parallel cases
The Senate refused to admit the Georgia
Senators, and the House refused TO adj
NIT the Georgia Representatives 10 the
fortieth Congress. Why Because the
Georgia Legislature and State govern
ment violated faith with Congress, vio>
lated the reconstruction laws, and vic.
lated the State constitution under which
she was admitted to representation in
Congress. In Tennessee it is the
Governor, instead of the Legisia~
e
constitution under which the State was
reconstructed and admitted; he has al.
lowed persons to vote who it was ex-
pressly understood by Congress wher
the State got in should not be allowed
to vote; he has carried the State back
by revolutionary movement to the po'
sition she occupied before she was re-
constructed; he has caused Tennessee Il
break faith with Congress just as muct
as Georgia did. Now then, why should
not Congress interfere in Tennessee, a:
well as in Georgia? If Congress was il
session l would move the first thing fol
the appointment of special committee
to investigate the Tennessee election
with power to visit every county in tn
State. By this means it could b.
proven that Senter, the acting Cover
of the State, had not only carried the
election by stupendous frauds, but haC
set the constitution at defiance, and an
nuled its most important provisions.
Corrnspondent-Do you think the Presi
dent will convene Congress. and, if con
vened, do you think it would interfere il
the Tennessee election?
Stokes-I don't know. If the admins.
tration and the Republican party propose
to stand by and witness the slaughte
without doing anything, then all I have t
say is the sooner the Union men of Ten
nessee know it the better. We will know
what to do then. Every man will hav
to take care of himself, and 80 will th
administration, 80 far as the Union men G
Tennessee are concerned. If there
nothing done, and this Rebel Legislator
is allowed to go on and undo everythin
that has been done by the Union mer
then you will see such an emigration {
Unionists from Tennessee as will aston is
you. 1t will be equal to 1861, when W
few from before the Rebels. . q.