Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-30


WHO FAVORED A CONVENTION |
The Jonesboro Union Fyag, of March |
20. makes this statement
'sWhen the revolutionary election of |
last December was called, acting as we be-
lieyed to be our duty as aloyal Republican
Journalist, we called the attention Of Re I
publicAns to the open, lawless, law-defy-
ing character of the power calling the
Convention: of the open violation Of The
law actually provided in the manner and
terms of said election; and Of the mani
fest Revolutionary objects contemplated,
and took occasion TO advise all true Repub-
licans 20 keep aloof from the polls on that
occasion, for the reason that, by partici-
paiing, they would compromise their dig
nifty and character 81
The editor of the Union Flag was
the editor of the Tennessee State Jour
nal published here during the guberna-
torial canvass of last year, and in that
contest ne piped quite different tune
from that he now gives forth. Early in
June last the Journal came out in favor
of convention to restore to the white
men of Tennessee the right to vote. 1t
even favored a convention to do this
work without the interposition of the
Legislature, and so impressed had 1t be-
come with the necessity of doing speedy
justice to "the excluded classes" that it
favored an electionof delegates to such 3
convention without "the action of the
Governor or the legislature" Il
frankly admitted that "whatever does
not make certain, speedy and Sc
cure the enfranchisement of the ex-
Guided classes, ought not to be adopted.p
Touching the qualification of those who
should vote for delegates to the conyen-
ton, the Stokes organ declared that Sin
deciding for convention, the people
clearly have right to say who shall be
their delegates" Since Stokes was beaten
for Governor the organ-grinder has gone
back on the record he made. While he
was piping to the people of Tennessee in
the interest of Mr.. Stokes as candidate,
he was ready and willing to take the short
est possible cut to convention to enfran-
chise the ''Rebels, " not SO much as wait
ing for ''the action of the Governor or
the Legislature. Stokes himself did not
go quite so far as this, but he took une-
quivocal ground in favor of q convention.
The McMinnville Enterprise, rabid
Radical sheet, made this declaration in re-
gard to Stokes position after he and Sen
ter had spoken at McMinnville on the 9th
of July, 1869:
sit appears there is no difference be-
tween him and Gov. Senter on the propo-
sition to call a convention Immediately
upon the assembling of the Legislature, to
remove all political disabilities"
In his speech at Memphis, July II,
1869, Stokes defined his position on the
convention question very clearly. Refer
ring to Gov Senter, he said:
'tHe talks about calling a convention to
remove disabilities of those who are dis
franchised. He asked me if l wa in
! favor of a convention. l said, Yes, be-
cause was the first man in the State who
spoke out for a convention, to let them
alter and modify the franchise law. +"
81 said in Knoxville that
l proposed, and if elected Governor l
would recommend in my first message to
the Legislature to call convention at
once, to alter and amend the franchise
laws and by the first of January, 1870,
commence the work of restoration"
That's plain English, and there is no
mistaking what Stokes was driving at.
He was trying to make the people be-
lieve he was '1ittle" better convention
man than Senter, while his organ-grinder
had gone long shot ahead of him.