Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-07-02
THE JUDICIARY CONVENTION.


the contemplated Judicial Convcn
tion.t I'M discussing a question of
this character, our isolation, us re-
CARDS the great body of the people Of
the State, and our limited opportu-
mites for feeling the public pulse, do
not authorizes us to assume anything
us being file popular will, or to con-
denim anything in supposed accord
ance with that assumed will. The
people may or may not, desire a~Ju-
dietary CoEventioa there isr IL seems
to us, AS much evidence for the afiir-
native, as for the negative of the
question, and there have, certainly
been more demonstrations in favor
Of, than against, such Convention.
But the true merits of this ques-
tion, belong to q graver view of the
subject than mere conjectures about
the supposed wishes of the people,
Under certain conditions of the coun-
try-such rs have no existence now
we admit that Conventions have
been, and may be again, mere packed
Juries, with verdicts cut and dried,
in the interests of certain men or
.cliques, and without regard to the
best interests of the country. With
IN honest conviction that this has
been too frequently the case in the
past history of the country, yet OBJ
servation and experience have dem
onstrated that, as part OF the ma
chinery of party, Conventions are
often essential not only to effective
organization, but to the very exis-
tencc of party itself. And if as now,
n party be struggling, against large
odds, to secure the social and politi-
cal rights that have been wrested 10y
the hand of Tyranny, from those who
have long held them under the most
sacred constitutional guarantees, no
such agency, as Conventions should
he lightly discarded, or hastily con-
dcmned.
The party in opposition to Radi-
calism, is now engaged in precisely
this sort of struggle. And as this
will not be denied, we ask if the
great body Of the people, who have
suffered, In property and rights,
through the villainy of bogus Ju-
dietary, are willing that two or three
dozen aspirants to the Supreme Bench
shall, by the division they must Gre
ate, secure the election, to the high
position, of even one Radical foe to
liberty and the Constitution The
one desire of the people, just now, is
to see the Judicial ermine stripped
from the reeking carcass of decaying
Radicalism. How is this grand OBJ
ject to be accomplished? From the
nature of things, it is impossible that
the people of the entire State can
assemble in mass meeting and, de-
claring their preference, secure the
harmony essential to success. Then
the nearest approximation to the
wishes of the people is to be attained
through the agency Of primary meet
ings, and the delegates sent from
them, to general Convention.
An appeal i'm behalf of the untram
mcllcd voice of the people sounds
well, but has the beautiful fancy evel
been realized? II it be a party move
ment, party trammells that voice
But if il be no party movement
we would like to ask how the plair
farmer in Shelby can judge of the
judicial qualifications of man in
Carter? He must and will b,
guided by common report, or Icy tn
advice of some one in whom he ha
confidence. Is tins safer than to re
~ upon the opinion of the delegate
he sends from his neighborhood to
Conventions in Nashville? Is it safe
than to be guided 10y the judgmen
of the majority of such delegates
representing the various counties il
the State? The truth Is, rs befor
limited, the people want Suprem
Bench cleansed of the odor of stink
ing Radicalism, and every one wi
admit that the surest way to accom-
plish the desired object is to have II
more candidates than there are seat
We have not undertaken TO advC
cate Conventions generally, or undo
all circumstances, but this particula
one, rs u means Of securing harmon
of action under trying crisis in stat
affairs; and especially would we az
Vocate it under the threat of asp
rants to disregard its action, lndee'
such threats are an additional arg
ment in favor of any means Gale
lated to secure that harmony whic
l. endangered by an advancc-dei
ance of the aggregated expression
the popular will for, rs such, We II
bound to accept the decision of
Convention gotten up In due form.
II gives us no pleasure to take iss
with our esteemed cotemporary, b
it is in accordance with the theory
physical and mental optics, In
persons looking from different stal
points, must see objects in ditlere
lights; and the necessity FOR this d
ference, is the best plea for an hO
est discrepancy OF conclusions. 1t
10 he regretted, however, that Il
natural law threatens discord ON
subject so vital rs the future purl
and efficiency of the most importa
e tla