Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-14
THE BANNERS DEFEAT.


If one did not read the headlines, he
might vel mistake the Nashville Banner
for The Memphis Avalanche, only il may
take a little more pains. if ii do not ex-
ereise more skill. in its attempts to wrig-
gle ont Of its unpleasant predieament.
They resemble each other enough to be
t-pozn as birds of a feather, and what
ever they pretend to have done, must be
taken CEN grano sals. Here is the
Banners apology for the mistake, the
gross blunder it committed; but nothing
il can say can fsrnish excuse for the
mary zubterfhges and misrepresenta-
lions 70 which Il resaried TO accomplish
is object and defeat The Convention,
which it attempted up to the very time
Of holding Il Itridieuled the idea Of an
independent Judiciary. nominated by a
partisan correction, 1t actually rev
elled in tie idea that not d dozen ccun-
ties. and hey ;hinly, would be repre-
seutsd II sosght TO exasperste Mr..
Ewing and lis friends, and disgust them
with the proposed convention to the end
OF is discontinue. Well, we have 10
objections 10 afford the Banner the oppoF-
tunify Of being heard in IFS own defense.
1t says
An independent Judiciary" had an
able advocate in the presiding officer Of
the Judicial Convention He was OPP
posed ;othe Convention when first called,
because il was likely to fall into the
hands Of pariisans. The Banner oeeu-
pied the same position-so did the Hon.
Edwin b. Ewing, who promptly an
nounced that he would not be bound by
a partisan convention. The attack
made on Mr.. Ewing for his independent
conduct, by the partisan papers through
out the State, alarmed the friends of an
Independent Judiciary They rallied to
Mr.. Ewing; they came to Nashville from
every quarter of the State. and among
the friends ofan independent Judiciary,
and foes 20 a partisan Judicial Conyen-
ton came Col. Whitthorne, and men
who think with him on this question.
In the face of the action Of the Conyen-
ton, there we're few who dared TO
thrust politics into the Convention.
This was OF the Banners own crea-
ton. 1t harped upon the string dd adii-
seam, without the semblenee Of founda-
ton for its reckless demagoguery, only j
received countenance from its echoes,
the Avalanche aud the Chattanooga
Times. 1t seized hold Of Mr. Ewings
card, and tried to extract all lis honey to
sweeten its own cup and avail itself Of
Mr.. EWING popularity TO fling as much
odium as possible upon the Convention
Even this reference to that gentleman is
unfortunate for the Banner, for while it
is constrained to admit the Convention
was not partisan, ii asserts that Mr.
Ewing friends, and those opposed TO
partisan Judicial Convention, rat
lied to Mr.. Ewing" When2 Where2
There is no evidence there was any
such rally. The vote for Mr. Ewing
shows that there was nome and as we
have already shown there was no attempt
to convert TIE Convention into partisan
meeting, or nominate a judiciary differ
ing from that which had been anticipated
by the original friends of the Conven-
ton. The Banner, like the Avalanche,
was fairly beaten, and confession IN
that effect would have been more manly
than the attempt TO maintain ground I'M
tenable, and assume a malyersation Of
facts to cover an inJefensible position
and an inglorious retreat However, let
it behave itself with becoming modesty,
and it shall have every reasonable OPP
portuniiy torender assistance in electing
an Independent Judiciary" which was
nominated without the aid of single
Radical