Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-23
THE JOHNSON RALLY AT FRANK


To the Editor of the Union and American;
FRANKLIN, Oct. 22.-I see in the Banner
a very erroneous statement OF the 0fanu
johnson "Pow Wow" on Saturday nignt
last. The great torchlight procession con-
sisted of fifty-five men, negroes ana Doys,
and by an accurate counting, which tne
johnson party dare not deny, including only
tecenty.fue uoterS. The ''one thousand per-
sons assembled in front of the Court-house
porticon did not amount to more than three
hundred, and two hundred of them were
Cheat ham men.
Mr.. S. S. House was the first speaker
and among other proseriptive expressions
on Southern soldiers were the following:
ave don't want any moro Generals, but
want Union man as well as Southern.
TheSavior of mankind was prosecuted and
we must forget that man was not in the
Confederate army; we would have to
forget it; the time was near at hand when
we would be forced to do so. The people
was tired and disguised with voting for
soldiers" The natural construction and
policy Of the johnson party hereto limited
at, is that because man happened to be
soldier he must not aspire to any Office but
must give way to men who have fought for
neither side, and if the principles foreshad-
owed by these utterances should gain the
sscendency in Tennessee politics, in five
years from to-day it will be a brand of In
fanny for any one to admit they ever wore
the gray. The bitterest class of Radicals,
when soldiers have Joined their party, have
never held that their war record disquali-
fed thera for Office. Many veteran of the
lost cause, whose previous sympathies were
TOh NH ho tho fnn6QnAV
| of the issues made by the johnson element,
as elucidated by the speeches and transpa-
reneies, went home with an unalterable de-
termination to cast his ballot for the gal
| liant Frank. The statement in the Banner
| that the Cheatham men showed DISPOSE
| ton to disturb the meeting, either origina-
ted in the brain of the reporter, or was
Willful miss statement, with the intention TO
injure the party in Franklin. Every Cheat
ham man present used his influence to pre-
serve order. f r
The difficulty spoken of had its origin in
the fact that the negro shouted ''Hurrah for
Cheathan," and was struck over the head
with several sticks, upon which he turned
and ran for forty or fifty yards, pursued
by some parties, and was while
running, shot in the back Of the
| head. A voice from some one, not
found out positively, cried out, "We
have killed one d-n Cheathsm man and
We want to find another one," or words to
that effect. This expression was heard by
several of the most reliable men in Frank
lin. For a short time considerable excite
ment prevailed, but it was quieted without
any further difficulty. We had concluded
to have grand Chestham rally on next
Saturday might, but came to the conclusion
that the bitter proscriptive policy of the
johnson party demonstrated both in their
words and actions on last Saturday evening,
would do more damage to their cause than
| anything we could do. Andrew johnson
will not get single negro vote in William
son county. When the bitterness of party
feeling RACES to such height that man
must be shot for mere expression OF opin-
| ion, it is high time for honest men to inter-
fere and proela i'm by their overwhelming
action in November that we are all free
and privileged to express our political SEN
timents, even if we are eX-Confederate
soldiers and Cheatham men.
A CHEATHAM MAN.