Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-09
WHY CONGRESSIONAL INIT r.
FERENCE rs INVOKED

FERENCE rs INVOKED
One Of The reasons given b. the Radi-
Gals why Congress should set aside the
August election and remand he State to
military rule, is that the election was ille-
gal because of the large number of Rebels
enfranchised by registrars appointed by
Gov. Senter. 1t was asserted by a CON-
mittee appointed by a secret meeting of
Radicals here on the 27lh of August,
1869, that Stokes was not defeated by q
majority Of the legal voters Of the State.
The same statement has been frequently
made in somewhat different form by
Radical papers. Let US set this matter
right. Previous to The opening Of the
canvass returns Of the number registered
were received at the Office Of the Secreta-
ry Of State from seventy counties, and
these returns showed that registrars ap-
pointed by Gov. Brownlow had registered
III, 404 persons as qualified voters. In
the remaining fourteen counties the vote
cast forGovernor in August, 1867, foot up
1884, and the vote cast in the other
seventy counties shows that the aggregate
falls very considerably below the actual
registration. During the canvass last
summer it was freely conceded by leading
Radicals that the decision of the Supreme
Court at Brownsville restored the right OF
suffrage 10 at least 20, 900, who had pre-.
viOusly been registered but deprived OF
the right TO vote by acts of the Legisla.
ture or the Governor. Add these togeth.
er, and we have from 80, 900 to 175, 900
voters in the State about whose legality
as such the Radicals are stopped from
raising even a bubble, because the off
GERS by whom they were registered have
been repeatedly endorsed by the Radical:
Of this State as 'lOyal" and honest. The
united vote cast for Senter and Stoke:
last year was only 10, 369 This state
ment Of facts which cannot be contro
yerted, disposes Of the charge that Stoke,
was not defeated by the legal voters Of
the State.
Another reason for invoking cougres
siOnal interference is that the people hay,
voted to have a convention to revise The
constitution. Early in July last the Ten
RCs8ee State Journal, the Stokes organ
here, came out in favor of a convention
to restore to the white men of Tennessee
the right TO vote. It even favored a con
yenuon 10 do this work without the inter
position of the Legislature, and so i'm
pressed had it become with the necessity
Of doing speedy justice to "lhe excluded
classes, that it favored an election Of
delegates to such convention without
''thc action Of the Governor or the Legs
lature' L frankly admitted that "wIat
ever docs not make certain, speedy and
secure the cnfranchisement Of the cX,
cluded classes, ought not to be adopted.
Touching the qualification Of those who
should vote for delegates to the conycn-
ton, the Stokes organ declared that Gin
deciding for a convention, the people
clearly nave a night to say who shall be
their delega;cs' So much for the paper
that was established especially to advocate
the C cc'Ion Of Stokes.
The McMinnyille Enterprise, a rabid
Radical sheet, made this declaration in re
gard to Stokes position after he and Sen
ter had spoken at McNIinnville on the 9th
Of July, 1869:
1T appears there is no difference be-
tween him and Gov. Senter on the propO-
sItlon to call convention Immediately
upon the assembling of the Legislature 10
remove al political disabilities. -
In his speech at Memphis, July II,
1850, Stokes defined bis position on the
CoiN 'niiDn question very clearly. Ryicr-
ring TO Gov. Sentc-, he said:
He talks about calling a convention 20
remove the disabilities Of those who are
disfranchised. He asked me if | was in
favor Of a convention. I said, Yes, be-
cause ! was the first man in the State who
spoke GU; fora convention, to let them
alter and modify the franchise law. &c
Il SAID in Knoxville that | pro
posed, and if elected Governor I would
recommend in my first message to the
Legislature 10 call a convention at once,
TO alter and amend the franchise law, and
by the first Of January, 1870, commence
the work Of restoration.
With such a record as this, how can the
Radical leaders in this State have the i'm
pu1oncc to invoke Congress to set aside
what they themselves advocated