Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-24
uow8IGH is THAT

/ The difference between How is that for
hiehG and How high is thst2 has been fire.
duently elucidated and explained, but
perhaps never fully understood until some
Of Gen. Grants friends at New Orleans
attempted experimentally to show the
difference between the two. Even then
there was, as we learn, misunder-
standing.
But to the point. Shall the ballot con-
troll the bsyonet or shall the bsyonet con-
troll the balloi9 That bsyonets are edged
tools no man can deny, and that children
should not play with edged tools is an
adsge older than the Oldest. Hence it
comes, in the language of the s.. Louis
ReDIbicdn, that the bayonet election
actis delicate weapon to handle. There
fore. the necessity of handling that
weapon very delicately. In our day with
some of our vulgar republican ideas, it
might not, it would not do to concentrate
at every political convention, and at
every poll Gatlin guns and Federal
soldiers, for that would n&useaie
the public stomach, and the vomit-
ing would occur before the poison
had taken effect. Hence, in order 10
control the ballots and not alarm the cen
sibilites of the people, the troops must
be quietly distributed before the day of
necessity arrives. 1t will perhaps aston
ish our country readers to learn that the
Federal army, instead of being placed on
our frontier to protect its inhabitants, has
been very largely placed convenient to
the polls in Tennessee and other Southern
States. In yesterday mornings paper
we have it anr ounced: ''Tramp, Tramp.
A detachment of United States soldiers,
mounted and equipped, passed through
Chattanooga on Monday evening. The
object and point of their destination are
unknown. On the same evening party
of soldiers were sent from Chattanooga
to Knoxville"
From this il would seem that Chat. a.
nooga and Knoxville are the threatened
points. We all know that neither of
these points need the threatening of Fed
eral soldiers. Neither one of them is
soon to hold New Orleans Convention,
which will require brother-in law or a
Marshal Of the United States TO keep
them in control, but it may be there is in
one of them some aspirant equally or more
ambitious and more mercenary than either
Packard or Casey, who desires Federal
troops for his private purposes. In the
language of Patrick Henry, we have but
one light by which to guide our feet, and
that is the light of experience. That
experience teaches US that in the
days of the late war there were
few men, a very few, in East
Tennessee, who would play TO day to Al
drew johnson and VIM. G. Brownlow in
one week and the next would lick the
spittle from the shoes of Jefferson Davis
and Judah P. Benjamin. Such men as
these few never die by the bullet; that is
too honorable for them; nor do they ever
die by the gallows, as they deserve. They
have that mother wit which Away s cheats
the Devil of his dues. These men still
live, and are still hand in-glove with
the powers that be or their
representatives. Hence, perhaps, this move
ment of Federal troops il Tennessee, when
they ought to be on the frontiers protG citing
the inhabitants there. They are now be-
ing prepared to be precipitated on the
ballot box, or any other box that he who
could smile on Jeff Davis and worship
P resident Lincoln in one and the came
hour would desire,