The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1870-01-22
EsersonneI or the Conyention

AAo LH-udSluS eulIOF OF the 1OuiSNHlS
Courier Journal, thoroughly versed in Ten
nessee politics and posted as to our politi
clans, thus pictures the personnel of the
Convention He says:
The Constitutional Convention thus pro
vided for assembled in Nashville on Mon
day, and two days of its proceedings. en-
bracing among other things list of the
members and report of the organization,
lie before us. They are very suggestive );
and rs our readers may like to know some
thing about the personnel and spirit of the
affair, We propose to run it over at random
making such notes as occur to casual re-
| view of the kind. One thing arrests at &
glance the notice of any acquainted
| with Tennessee, and that is the weight and
character social, moral and inteIlectual-
of this body of citizens Everywhere the
people selected their best men, and, with the
exception of half i dozea (such as Edwin
II. Ewing, James E Bailey, w A. Quarles,
Wm, Cooper, j. d. G. Adkins, w o. Whit
thorne and lsham G.. Harriss), we could
wish for no additions. Those we have
named would have been elected had they
consented to become candidates for election;
so, their omission is their own private con-
cern, and not due to the neglect or lack of
discernment in the people. East Tennes
see, West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee,
every section of the State, is represented by
gentlemen who have either made their mark
already, Or are known to be possessed of
marked characteristics Warlike antece-
dents were nowhere consulted Old Wings
and old Democrats, Union men and Confed-
crates, are gathered together under pre-
vailing sentiment which asked not after the
records of the past, but looked solely to the
ayailabilities of the present.
Gen. John c. Brown, who was elected
President of the Convention, ranked. In
days gone by, as an old-lIne Whig. There
could not be found in all Tennessee a more
decided Union man up to the moment when
hostilities commenced. On more than one
occasion in The early part of 1861 he rallied
the waning hopes and falling confidence of his
fellow Unionists by his superior eIoquence
and courage. Being young man, however,
it was impossible that he should remain a
neutral through times of broil and battle ;
and he entered the Tennessee line as d
Colonel of volunteers. He came out OF the
war with many wounds a Major General,
and returned to the practice of the law,
which ne had abandoned for the more stir
ring duties of the field His character Is
| preeminently conservative; a prudent, up
| right and brave man, with a judgment singu-
! larry clear, and a disposition rarely bal
anced by gentleness of demeanor and ener-
" Of purpose, and withal a gentleman of q
graceful and handsome presence He is a
! brother of Neill 5. Brown, who is also a
member and of whom elaborate mention
would be superlous Like A .. F.
! Nicholson and George w Jones, Governor
/ Brown has a national reputation and needs
10 introduction The trio are of course the
most conspicuous historical figures who ap-
pear 70 current observation But John Bax-
| ter, John Netherand, W H. Stephens,
j John c. Thompson, George @. DibreIl, ]. A.
/ Mabry. =. B. Heiskell A. A Kyle, w. B.
! Carter, Matt Martin, ID. NJ Key, j. T.
7 House aud H. 4. Bate, all of whom are
( likely to take an active part in the proceed
ings Of the Convention, and each of whom
are more or less distinguished IN Tennessee,
may Toe named to the stranger as persons
who are worthy Of especial notice and con
federation Baxter, Stephens and Matt Mar
tin are of the middle age, and men of geni-
! US, the latter a fac sinejie of ouI Senator
| McCreery and the former about the weight
est speaker IN the State. House. Heiskell
ard Key are eminent as lawyers the frst
distinguished as a graceful orator. Per
fhaps the most cultivated lawyer in the Con-
vention is John G. Thompson, who is a great
| scholar as well as an able jurist Dibrel
and Bate are conspicuous practical anC
liberal men, both serving during the war as
Confederate Geuerals, and Mabry, KYLE anc
Gaut who were prominent as Union mer
during the same period. John NetherlanC
was an old and popular Wing leader. He
too, was a Union man The residue of the
members embrace a variety of intelligent
well-to do, and more or less influential farm
ers and lawyers. Such body of citizens
all in all has not assembled in TENNESSEE
since the Constitutional Convention of 1884
/ Taken in connection with the Legislature
which is itself considerably above the aver
| age, it should inspire, even in the hostile
bosom of Congress, nothing but respec
and confidence