Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-16


be done to Gen. Cheatham's merits In the
premises. A canvass" preliminary TO
Convention. would hardly be in accordance
with the long usage of the party, and certain
lywould be contrary to good pohcy. ne
varv obiect Of a convention-the promotion
of barmonv-would be thereby, in great
measure defeated. Instead of an assem-
blage for calm and moderate dellDeratlon
upon the general good, Conventioh'unoer
| sncb Circumstances, would, in most in-
stances, prove to be but an nIelnperate
wrangle of personal partlsahs' ehumg al
most certainly in disorder, olSsatlsiaction
| and rupture, For the purpose OF " can
| vass y tberefnre-both candidates being al
! ready 90 well knOwn-We can ind no rea-
son for reinforcement of the Convention.
| Besides. the nomination of a candidate for
Governor will not be the only matter
| brought before the Convention for earnest
| consideration. Had that been all, the
COMMITTEES would no doubt have
fixed the time for its meeting at
| a later day. But the preservation
of our organization for the national con-
test that is already well nigh upon us, will
be matter of grave Importance to consid-
er, as well what action we viii take in that
contest and how. On the 9th Of May, the
Cincinnati Convention will have met and
adjourned. Its conclusions will be known
and its plan for the campaign will be open
for consideration. The action of the Dem
ocratic National Committee will be known
certainly by noon of the 9th Of May. There
will be no reason, as it now appears, why
the Convention may not act intellige9tly
and definitely. The delegates, moreover,
will certainly be prepared to determine
who is the choice of the people for Govern
or.
We have certainly not the disposition, if
we were justified in so doing, to say word
in disparageDent of the merits or claims
of Gen. Cheatham TO the Governor
ship. Should he be the choice of the Con-
ventiOn, be will receive our hearty support.
But Tennessee has many noble sons whom
her people would delight to honor with the
Governorship, yet whose nomination for the
Office they would not desire at this particu-
lar time. With the administration of Gov.
John c. Brown there is almost universal
satisfaction among the people who elected
him. and we believe his political opponents,
almost without exception, accord to
him the credit, of being an honest, ca
pable and bigh-tOned officer. In
deed he has already made himself favorite
Governor. His official bearing commands
universal admiration, while his personal
excellencies have drawn to him troops of
friends as by an irresistible magnetism. He
is now filling out the "short term"-tbe
connecting link between the operations of
the old and new COnstitutiOns-and being
just well skilled in the duties of his Office,
the desire in this end Of the State, at least,
Is universal for his continuance in the Cub
ernatorial chair for another and full term. q.
We feel quite sure that no ''canvass," on
the part of any one, nor any postpone
ment Of the Convention" would, in any
manner, change the views Of the people in
this regard.
From the Knoxville Press and Herald April IA.
The Memphis Appeal, which disavows
"any view or purpose to take sides" in a
contest for the nomination between Messrs. |
Cheatham and BTOwn-regarding them both
as ''amODg the best and truest of our public
men"-makes statement which affords
but little comfort to the "disorganizers."
1t says, eve speak advisedly when we say
that Gen. Cheatham does not intend to run
independently of the convention. He is a
candidate for the nomination and will abide
its decisions, whatever they may be; but he
ought in Justice be allowed to canvass his
claims for the office before the people of the
entire State. His record in the past is
without a single blot. He is too good a
Democrat, too pure a man, and has the sue
cess of his party and good of his State too
much at heart to disregard the voice of
people who love him so well as the people of
Tennessee"
We doubt not the appeal is authorized
by Gen. Cheatham, himself, to make this
statement. 1t is just such declaration as
we wOul expect him TO make. We regret,
however, that Gen. Cheatham should be of
the opinion that a pOstpOnement of the Con-
ventiOn is necessary to proper considera-
ton of his claims; and, certainly, in oppOs-
ing pOstponement, we are not prompted
by disposition to fOrestall him or anyone
else, or to deprive anyone of full justice. |
The meeting Of the Convention is yet nearly |
four weeks OF. Mos Of the counties have yet !
TO hold their primary meetings. Gen. Cheat !
nam candidacy viii be known in every !
district IN me State before the 9th of May. |
l he delegates when they assemble, will be
fully prepared to represent the wishes Of
Jhs people in their respective counties, as
fully and as fairly as they would be two or
three months hence. a pOstpOnement |
would lead inevitably to decentralization"
and the "disOrganizerS," who wait and
watch for seasons OF hesitanCy and uncer-
tainty, wOuld be encouraged TO renew their
now "played out" efforts to fOment discOn- |
tent and disorder in our ranks.
Again, ard we say it with all Difference to !
Gen. Cheatham, if the meeting of the Con
ventiOn is to be regulated according to the
wishes of individual aspirants, where will
the thing stop? Should the Executive Com
mittee recognize the right of Gen. Cheat
ham to have the Convention postponed, be
cause he may deem it premature for the
promotion Of his interests, by what right
could the Committee afterward disregard
the wishes Of any other one Of our prOmt-
nent and worthy men, who might hereafter
conclude that his claims demanded a still
longer time for discussion? The Committee,
we have reason to know, were not moved
by the peculiar interests Of any individual
in designating the oh Of May as the time
for the Convention. Indeed, the special
reasons operating upon the minds of the
Committee, and which controlled their
judgments in the matter, had no reference
TO the GuscyRGtOriGi contest lghGteUer. Had
our friends of the appeal been present at
the meeting Of the Committee and partici-
pated in its disCussions,w we feel assured they
would have cOncurred in the unanimous
conclusion to call the Convention for the
9th of May. They were polite considera-
tions that determined the Committees
action, which we deem it improper here to
refer to, but which had reference to the gen.
eral welfare and success Of the party.
These reasons are still operative, and we,
therefore, think a postpOnement would be,
TO say the least, exceedingly unwise.
THE Memphis appeal says: at is gener-
ally agreed Jrat our present Governor will