Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-12


c., the birthplace of Andrew John
son, some fifty years ago, and drifted
to the then far west when only four
teen years of age. He studied law in,
and in his 2lst year was elected from
Shelby county. TO the Legislature,
where he served full term. In 1851
he was elected Acknowledgement of
this District by the Legislature. and
of the State in 1854 by the people, by
majority of six thousand. He re-
signed ia 1889, and accepted the
Whig nomination for Congress. He
made gallant race but was defeated
by his friend Colonel Tom. Avery,
who was elected by 800 votes. He
served in the Mexican war with credit
and distinction and at the beginning
of the war between the States was
mustered into the service of Tennessee
with the rank of Brigadier-G General.
He served one year, throughout the
struggle remaining true to his convic-
tions of duty and allegiance to his
people and his State. As scholar
he takes rank among the most
eminent at the bar of the State, and
is regarded as among the foremost
criminal lawyers of Tennessee. The
possession Of these peculiarities of at
tainment, admirably fit him for the
position to which he has been nomi-
mated, and TO which he will certainly
beselected. But, combined with these,
he has another in experience as Re
porter for the Supreme Court-five
volumes of whose decisions have been
edited by him. 1t is not too much to
say that General Sneed is one of the
most popular gentlemen in the State,
and that he will enter upon his
duties as Supreme Judge with
more nearly the unanimous good
will of the whole people, than any
other man on the ticket. As an evil
dence of this, we have only to remind
our readers that when elected Attor-
ney General of the State, he defeated
his opponent, Cooper, (recently elected
United States Senator) by 6OOO major
ity, and that without any special ef-
fort on his part, .e-
No gentleman ever became a candi-
date in Tennessee whose personal vir-
tues have won more devoted friends
than those of Thomas A. r. Nelson.
When the passions of war were
aroused and Nelson lived in the
midst of a people thoroughly exas-
perated, and in a district rent by in
durable dlssensions, he still pursued
the even tenor of his wayI and such
was the love he inspired and such the
profound respect for his intellect and
personal virtues, that his integrity
was never questioned; and while men
fought one another, and East Tennes-
see was a seething cauIdron of demo-
niacal passions, Nelson cultivated his
little farm and maintained an imPov-
erished family by steady professional
toll. His opinions underwent no
change. When the war was over he had
forgotten wrongs done by Northern or
Southern enthusiasts, and like John
Williams and Others who had con-
Cured with him, he sought to restore
order and peace, and condemned in
unmeasured terms the absurd vaga-
ries and violence of Brownlow and
mis- adberents. The partisan history
Of Judge Deaderick is much the same
with that of Alr. Nelson Nelson is
poet, a dreamer, an enthusiast, while
Mr.. Deaderick has spent his whole
life in the midst Of musty tones. He
is a living impersOnatiOa of those
faultless English expounders of COM
mon law whose learning has defined
popular rights through many centu-
ries. OF his personal history we
know nothing more than this, save
that, like Nelson, he was
Whig, and when the war ended
he shut out from memory the
fact that it had ever occurred.
Mr.. Nelson was educated at the East
Tennessee University, and through
all his life has been a Iabori0us stu
dent. He is to-day one of the most
tasteful bellies IettreS scholars of the
South, ard has pronounced at the
hustings and in Congress speeches of
faultless literary taste and elegance.
The London Times, years ago, did
Mr.. Nelson the honor to publish one
of his speeches delivered in Congress,
and pronounced it the best specimen
of forensic oratory that had emanated
from the American Congress since |
John Randolph illustrated the perfee-
tion and purity of the English tongue
The contest of Mr.. Nelson with the
late Governor Jones for a seat in |
the Senate of the United States,
when Nelson was beaten one vote, |
will not soon be forgotten by those !
who remember the earnestness and |
lofty, honorable spirit with which the
conflict was conducted. Nelson's re-
cital of the incidents of that wonder
lul contest, in glowing verses has
often been reproduced by the news
paper press. Hardly less remarkable
have been the relations of Andrew /
Johnson and Mr.. Nelson. They have
collided often in years gone by, and |
words were almost blows. Nelson,
frail as he is in person, never faltered
when the rude Red Republican Demo-
crat, as johnson then was, came |
glOwcring furiously and uttering
such as crushed Gentry in
after years.
In private social life Tom Nelson Is
kindly, generous to a fault, sim
pie and confding, full of tender
ness. He is devoted and tireless
in his friendships, and is only
too credulons, ascribing virtues.
to Others that are peculiar to himself.
His name alone would make the ticket
successful in East Tennessee, even If a
commonplace lawyer, instead of the
accomplished Judge Deadericlz, were
with him on the Demo-
cratic ticket.
Such is the ticket nominated-a
ticket that will carry our flag in tri-
umph through the present canvass.
The Democratic party Of Tennessee
nav now 90 forth with pladdennri