Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-15
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The Conservative Judicial Convention.

tv of fine state intend to make the election
of Judicial officers purely political con-
test Since the Federal arms exterminated
rebellion, a certain class of politicians have
been crying out, what shame that poll
tics should have anything to do with the
making of Judges" Many of these men
went to Constitutional Convention, and
there, under cover of this same cry, and
the further charge that two or three fncom-
petent men were placed on the bench they
induced the Conservative party itself to
agree to the great outrage of striking down
the entire Judiciary of great state but
then they were meek as lambs. They did
not do this that it might result in placing
their friends-selected from their party
alone, and for political purposes-upon the
bench. What. could they be guilty of
such baseness? They scorned the imputa-
ton. But as great public benefactors they
wanted politics ignored, and the best men
in the whole country selected. Thus they
gulled the people to ratify the new Constr
tuition Now, gradually, they show the
cloven foot. The Republicans in East Ten
ncssee have held no conventions, nor have
tlpy sought to make the coming Judicial
election a party contest They have pa
tiently waited to see if any good could
come out of Nazareth" But just az last
as they have dared to shift sail, in order to
carry their cargo, and prevent it from up
SttllllE. WIFI It's Olu llllAOulN VI "a hholl
men and eX-lcbels, disappointed and sore
headed Republicans and original locotocos,
they have swung around, showing their
true cOlOrs, and we now see that there Is To
be a Judicial Convention, To be held at
Knoxville on the 4th of July, to nominate
Conservative candidates for Chancellor,
Circuit Judge, Attorney General, and even
County Judge The call IS signed, The
Executive Committee Who are they?
b.,. Il I l a thp Executive
Committee ofthe Conservative Union Par
ty of Knox county. What are you going
to do with the Conservative rebel branch
of your party. gentlemen? And what Is
to be done with the Farmers Club
branch, and the Democratic branch?
Are they to be left out? Had the names OF
the gentlemen who compose this ENecu-
tive Committee been signed to TINS cay,
few citizens Of this community but would
have fully understood that the rebel Demo-
cratic wing of the party were hiding them
selves under this sugar-coated name. Then
their sole object seems to be, If we Judge
from their call, y "to place in Judicial
positions eminent lawyers, who are guided
by a written Constitution rather than by
the higher law of partisan politics" what
pure and disinterested motives actuate
this Conservative Union Executive Com
mittee! OF course TO find such men-men
who are guided by written Constitu-
ton ut will be necessary to hunt up the
men who spent more time, more energy,
and more money to break up, abolish and
wipe out the written Constitution and
the Union" it held together, than they
have ever exercised for any other object IN
life. Among such men, you would, OF
course, expect to find men not actuated by
" partisan politics. or "higher law" UNI
less it should happen to be the divine
right of rebellion" In short, we are now
to find men who will give to our people
guarantee of peace, quiet and consequent
Observation-Disclosures who will regard the
written ConstitutonN-from among those
whogave the country wal, rebelll0n,poVerty
and suffering, and Judges who dtsregarded
the written Constitution" There is an
indirect charge in the cal that our present
Chancellor, Circuit Judge, Attorney GEN
eral and County Judge have disregarded
the Constitutions of the State and National
Government, and been governed in the
discharge of their official duties by partisan
politics. This inuendo needs no retOrt
from our pen. This Executive Committee
cannot find in their own party any re-
spectacle number of men who will say, or
who believe this infamous charge so COW
ertly made. BE plain, gentlemen; the
people understand you. You cannot even
gull or deceive the better portion of your
own party. When YOU have "amnestied"
the original Union men in your party, and
given them " full standing " in your party,
do you suppose they win be deceived by
all this bOsh about "eminent lawyers"
written Constitutions" and the higher
law of partisan politics."
Let it be remembered that you have
caused the necessity of another Judicial
election, and that you are now trying to
make this election partisan election, for
the purpose of placing Democratic Judges
on the benches in Tennessee. Bring out
your men, gentlemen We shall have,
doubtless, something to say about how
" they bring peace and prosperity to the
people :" how they have regarded written
Constitutions" &c. Trot them out, "new
bride, red blanket" and all, and let the
people see these "eminent lawyers who
will sacrifice themselves for the benefit of
written Constitutions" &c, &c. We
sincerely regret the necessity of making
this Judicial election a partisan contest;
but if nothing else will do you, gentlemen
If you, by your action in drawing party
lines, shall attempt TO drive to the support
of your nominees, by a free application Of
the Conservative lash, the honest, think
ing portion of your party-go ahead, and
see what success you will have. We de-
sired in this District, which is Republican
in its politics, that the good, true men of
all parties should vote for upright, honest
and competent men to fill these important
positions, without the application of party
screws, applied by packed conventions,
such as we expect TO see on the 4th of July;
but this, IL seems, is not to be, as " the