Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-08-22
Correspondence of the Yorkville ENQUIRER.
-, -. LETTER FROM vi; TENNESSEE. -" ~. .
NASHVILLE, Aug. 1S, 1872.

... ~, ..... NASdt1LLF, aug AOS AOSA.
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST ..
Is g. very onesided affair in Tennessee, more
so perhaps than in other State of the Union.
The majority for Greeley here will be so large
that his election would be put beyond the
shadow of a doubt, if it could be distributed
over close States, say ten thousand votes to
State. His majority here will not be much
less than seventy thousand, and may 60 over
that. Considering that Grant carried Ten
nessee in 1868 by thirty thousand majority,
this might be called something of a gain. The
reason Of Grants great majority, however, was
on account of the disfranchisement of the bulk
of the whites by Brownlow's registration ma
chine. The Parson was then in charge of af'
fairs here, and through the registration law,
confined the voting to the truly loyal. But
this has now been overthrown, and the field is
open and the fight is fair. ..... g..
In Middle and West Tennessee Grant has
no strength at all except among the ofice-hol-
ders and negroes. In East Tennessee, owing
to the marked Union sentiment there during
the war, the Republicans have fast hold, and
control many of the counties and one Con-
gressional district. The last Legislature tried
to apportan the State so as to make every
district Democratic but fix it as they would,
the first district could not be brought to time.
No matter how the counties were shifted, a
small Republican majority always remained.
The first district is the home Of H..
ANDREW JOHNSON, ava
And since his defeat for the United States
Senate his friends have been trying to get him
to run for Congress there, thinking that he
could overcome the Republican majority,
which he doubtless could but he will not con-
sent to make the race. The standing Radical
candidate there is Rodderick Butler, the pen
sion agent and cadet peddler. In conversa-
ton Johnson says that there would be no hon
or in defeating such man, and to be defeated
by him would be unbearable. .'
But there is now an opening for Andy, and
be is in fair way to avail himself oft, or at
least make the attempt. By the new appor-
tionment Tennessee is entitled to Congress
man at large. General Frank Cheatham is
an aspirant for the position, and is laboring
with an eye singlet to success. His friends and
family connection, of whom he has a host, are
scattered over the State setting up things for
General Frank. A large number of counties
have declared for him, most of the eonven-
tions being packed for the purpose. ""T''..&
Meanwhile, johnson will not stoop to this
sort of work. Neither he nor his friends are
making any effort, and the result will be that
he will be defeated if he appears before the
convention. This is not the general opinion,
know; but when I see county after county
sending Cheatham delegations i fail to under
stand how johnson can succeed over so much
opposition. We should always look facts in
the face, and not turn away from them be-
cause they are unpleasant. l presume ma
jority Of the readers of the ENQUIRER are in
sympathy with johnson, and hope he may get
the nomination, and shall not deceive them
them by statements that everything is favora-
BILE for that contamination, when it is not so.
The energy with which Cheatham and his
friends have "set up the counties" has had its
result, and we find that the great majority of
now appointed are for Frank
against Andy. ...."'' ..... r., <''".
' But the sentiment of the people is far differ
ent When you get down among the masses
of the people, the bone and sinew Of the State,
you will find strong johnson undercurrent
that no amount of packed conventions can
keep down. If johnson would repudiate the
convention which meets here next week, and
say that he would have nothing to do with it,
denounce it as packed and unfair, and stump
from now till November, he would carry the
State by tremendous majority. ..-..
General Cheatham is no stump speaker and
johnson would knock his pins out the first
lunge, leaving nothing to contend with the
rest of the campaign but a dignifed corpse.
Neither Cheatham nor any other man in the
State can meet Andy on the stump With any