Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-23
THE RADICAL CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR.

The dubious honor of being the stand
ard-bearer of the Radical party in the
contest for Governor, was conferred upon
the Hon. VIM. II. Wisener yesterday.
Mr.. Wisener is not unknown to the peo-
pie of Tennessee. He was a member of
the Legislature that adopted the ordinance
of secession, and at a meeting of that
body on the 18th of June, 1861, on a
motion to print two thousand copies of
the Governors message, Mr.. Wisener is
thus reported by the Nashville Banner:
''Mr. Wisener, pending the question,
defined his position. He had opposed Sc
Cession until the State had assumed the
attitude of revolution. His position had
always been that the fate of the State,
whatever it might be, would be his fate.
He had rendered his resignation as a
member of the House, but the Governor
had declined to accept it. He was here
now to acquiese in the voice of the peo-
pie, and to vote for such measures as
would promote the interest of the State
in her present attitude, as cheerfully as
any member on the floor. Applause. ]"
During the session that convened on the
18th of June, 1851, after the State had
been voted out of the Union, Mr.. Wise
ner voted for bill to authorize the Gov
ernor to issue treasury notes ''to the.
amount of three millions of dollars, in
whole or in part, in lieu of three millions
of bonds authorized to be issued by an
act passed 9th May, 1861, to raise, or
ganize and equip a provisional force. "
[See House Journal, page IA. These
treasury notes were to be received in pay
ment of all dues to The State or to the
Bank of Tennessee, and to be paid out by
that bank the same as gold or bank paper,
and the faith of the State was pledged for
their final redemption. He also voted for
a bill (see House Journal page 141(
containing this provision:
''That the County Courts of this State
are empowered to assess and collect tax
on property and privileges in their re-
spective counties, to provide fund for
the relief and support of the families of
volunteers whilst in actual service,
whether in service within, or whether be-
yond the limits of the State.
he also voted for bill to repeal all
laws requiring practicing attorneys, mem
bers of the Legislature and other public
officers of the State, or any county in the
State, to swear to support the COnstitu
ton of the United States; to repeal all
laws requiring as a qualification to hold
Office that a person shall be a citizen of
the United States; and to repeal all laws
directing and authorizing the election of
members of the United States Congress.
[See House Journal, page 151.
He also voted for bill authorizing the
banks in this State 'to receive and pay
out the treasury notes of the Confederate
States of America" TO authorize all off
GERS to receive ''said treasury notes in
payment of money due the State and the
several counties thereof" to authorize the
banks to increase their circulation; to
forbid the payment of dividends by banks
'to stockholders who are citizens of the
non-slaveholding States of the United
States this prohibition TO continue
during the existence of the war which the
Federal Government of said States of
America is wsging against the COnfede-
rate States of America to forbid the pay
ment of interest on bonds held ''by citi
zens of the nOn-slaveholding States of the
United States; - and to forbid the "citizens
or corporations of the State to pay debts
which they may owe to corporations or
citizens of the non-slaveholding States of
the United States" [See House Journal,
page 1877.
lie also voted for bill ''to submit to
the popular vote an ordinance for the
adoption or rejection of the perma-
ncnt Constitution of the Confederate
States" See House Journal, page 155.
These are q few of the votes of this |
Radical champion. He is a marvelously |
proper man to stigmatize the opponents
of his party as the ''Rebel Democracy"