Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-23

nature, then resigningin favor of Phillip
VINO on this election day, armed and en-
rolled his negro militia. and rallied Their
70 control that election man who
while Registrar was q candidate for Clerl
oil the Circuit Court of Sumner, and who
consequently issued certificates onlv I,
tnose loyal TO himself, to secure his cleo
| Inc proclamation is directed to Lowell
the Sheriff Of Sumner to hold his eIec,
ton, and he proceeded to DISCHARGE hi,
duty, appointed the judges and clerks
VINO were sworn under the franchise aci
by Justices of the Peace, and twelve
civil districts Of Sumner, outside o.
the Gallatin district vote at the
designated places of voting; the
Sheriff proceeds, in person. to hold the
election.at Gallatin; Gaines, the Registrar
o. the county, does not appear, no nos
tlce or advertisement was given that he
would hold the election in Sumner. no
judges or clerks appointed by him in the
nineteen precincts Of that county. Yet.
nall an hour before the polls at Gallatin
are opened the evil genius of that people
hlckinley, appears with blank deputas
ton to hold that election, which McKin-
ley nils up with the name Of strange
man, by the name of Rease, and he as
sumes command at the polls and holds
the election ut that precinct haxi as mai
ther time nor Inclination to appoint the
judges and clerks Of the other eighteen
precincts Of the county; for the order
went out to Lsueke's friends that they
must como to GalIatin to vote. for the
polls would not be opened elsewhere in
the county. To carry out the
programme in sitting the public
voice and trampling upon the
elective rights of the people, which had
been left them, wagon loads of negroes
are seen coming into Gallatin from Harts~
vile and other portions Of the county.
the morning of the election and the even
ing preceding it, and early in the morn
ing OF the election, Phillips and McKin,
ley armed from seventySfve to one hun.
dred negro fellows, the former assuming
the command in chief Mckinley and
Philips the evening before had procured
arms and ammunition to be transported
from Nashville On the railroad, which
were publicly distributed to a parcel Of
ignorant and deluded negroes, with the
aVowed purpose of controlling this elecS
ton. There had been no demonstration
on the part Of the people of Sumner no
people ever desired more a quiet and
peaeeable election, although nine-tenths
of them were disfranchised. Yet the
getters up Of this storm concluded it was
necessary to get up this Warlike de-
monstration over a dewntrodden people,
to embelden their own clansmen, and de-
ter and drive from the polls the peaceable
and conservative voter, and prevent
him from depositing his ballot ex-
pressing his choice in this important cleo.
ton. ~ .t
Upon the arrival Of arms and of the
large body Of negroes at Gallatin, the
citizens had a public meeting the night
before OF the most temperate character,
advising peace and order to be observed
on the election day. Upon the warlike
demonstrations being made by Phillips
and his armed negroes, Mr.. Wright, the
Mayor of Gallatin, called out, public
force of the citizens, solely for the pur>
pose of preserving the peace and to have
\ fair election.
Yet in consequence Of the armed and
hostile demonstrations of Phillips and his
leluded negroes, a collision was immi-
nent from the hour the pells were opened
until they were closed the effect: Of
which was to drive from the polls some
ESQ or 800 Conservative voters, as prov
ed by Wright, Turner, and Monday.
There are 1918 registered voters in
Sumner, yet all were either deprived OF |
voting, or their votes rejected, except
hose who voted at the Gallatin precinct, |
where Laucke's friends were ordered to |
and by those warlike demon
STATIONS those friendly to Barry were
lriven away.
There were five precincts of that
county where elections were not held, |
Ind there were twelve where they were |
held besides at Gallatid, and all OF which |
we're thrown out. Gaines says he was
advised to throw them out by Mckinley,
lad he only returned the vote taken at |
he Gallatin precinct, where his friend |
Laucke carried that precinct by fraud |
md system Of armed terror, if not got~ |
zen up by him, by his friends Mckinley |
Ind Phillips, who conducted the election,
making out the certificate alone for Gal
attn, rejecting all the other civil districts |
IF the county, sufficient Of themselves in |
/ fair election to have changed the result
Why were those twelve precincts thrown
,ut by Mckinley, and his action approved |
If by Gaines, the Deputy Sheriff of Da-
7idson For the obvious reason that |
he people of those precincts gave over
majorities for the contestant |
Barry. Why were the polls of the other
i've precincts Of the county not opened
For the like reason that the
'oters were Conservative and would |
nave cast their suffrage for Barry.
And yet this is urged as q fair
md equal election under the cons
! should feel myself debased
% hold an Office, tainted with such fraud
Ind corruption, sustained by such re>
urn as the defendant Lauek relies upon.
The English patriot has Warred for |
centuries against the rotten borough sys- |
.em of elections, which prevailed in that |
country, but which has almost entirely |
disappeared under the advance OF civiliza>
ion even in a monarchy. Yet the sys- |
em in it's worst and most corrupt days |
lad none of the base motives and warlike |
demonstrations, nor enlisted the base |
passions, nor affected their results by |
such vile fraud as was displayed in the
Sumner election of the 2Sth of March. |
The only peaceable remedy the people
AYE against usurpations of government
md its officials, is through the ballot box
II fair and equal elections to be held
lnder and in pursuance of the constitu-
ion, by which q virtuous public will
hall be diffused into all the departments
If our representative government. When
hat will is stifled by fraud, by igno-
ance or by neglect, by means Of which
he people are deprived Of the ex-
,rcise of the elective franchise, their only
'emedy is an appeal to the Judiciary;
md to make that remedy effectual, it is
# the highest importance to the people
hat the judicial ermine should be, and
'emain.- unblemished; and no one should
,e permitted to occupy this elevated pO
itiOn, who presents himself with the
Questionable authority relied upon by the
defendant Lauck. To demonstrate fur
her the animus and base fraud control
ne the election at Gallatin, it is proved,
~ Esquire Wallace and others, that the
Judges and clerks were duly sworn, and
leld the election at Salem Precinct,
where a majority was given for Barry,
,ut understanding that Mckinley might
lot return the voteof that precinct, because
r tease, whom he had appointed half amour
,efore the polls were opened at Gsllatin,
I'D not hold the election at that place. then