Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-03
Correspondence Of the oourier-Journal.
THE TENNESSEE TROUBLES.
A PerspicuOus Exposition of much
Mixed Contest.

recent letter from the ex-Confederate GEN.
eral George B. Nancy, giving bis reasons
for supporting Grant instead of Greeley,
and the election of Republican Mayor in
this city on Saturday, are likely to create
an erroneous impression abroad, and prob
ably afford crumb of comfort to the Ad-
ministration gang. Let me offer word or
two by way of explanation, and barely
glance at the general situation in Tonnes
see. In the first place, Gen. Nancy
and say this without any disrespect to the
man-is an absolute nonentity in Ten
nessee politics. John Cockrill, ne
gro ward politician of ungainly gait and
kinky "har," is, in the way of influence,
compared to Gen. Nancy, as monarch to
a pigmy. The General is political monde
script, unsociable, unlOyeable, cratic, and
with an unfsiling penchant for running
counter to the popular current, even where
that current is ON the side of the liberalism
and progress. He trains with no crowd ex-
cept Gen. George B. Nancy, but when one
party happens to have a healthy contempt
for his opinions, he apparently out OF
sheer spite, takes up the cudgels for the
other, impotent, however, to WELD single
effective blow. As indicating the extent OF
Gen. George B. Maney's influence, let me
illustrate. Not a great while since the
General cot big with speech Oh the issues
of the dsy, and the hour for delivery was
announced for days in advance by posters
and through the public prints. The
forthcoming speech was to be the
political event of the season. No hall
in town could ofcourse contain the throngs
who would crowd to hear it., and so it was
duly announced that the assembled masses
would be edited in front of the Capitol.
The evening came at last, balmy and pleas
ant, and with full moon to light up the
whole surroundings. Gen. Nancy, who Is
what might be termed slouchy in appear
ance, FURNISHED up to the point OF elegance
on this occasion, and accompanied Dy Al
bert Roberts, the genial editor OF the 5Ga-
ner, sailed out to enligbten countless thou
sands of Tennessee hesthens on their po-
litical duties. Duncan r. Doris, the Ban
ner's Photographic reporter, was on hand
with an unusual supply of paper and half a
dozen of Faber's No. 2. AT O'Clock the
General assembled Capitol Hill, and taking
in the situation at glance, turned tail and
took a bee line for home, leav-
ing the assembled masses without
a word to enlighten their darkened minds.
The said masses consisted Of Duncan K.
| Doris and another reporter, two full-grown
ne roes and one picaninny, four white
men, besides the superintendent OF the
capitol. Only those, and nothing more.
| Aud so, failing to be delivered in the usual
way, Gen. Nancy unburdens himself
| through the newspapers in letter az conf
| cal as it is unfathomable. The effusion
| fell still-born here, and could not be other
| wise, coming from such a source. So much
for the ex-Confederate General, Geo. B.
Nancy.
The municipal election, Saturday, is
without significance, except so far as it re-
| feels, in mild way, the prevailing unrest
and strange complications in Tennessee
politics. There were two Conservative can
didates for Mayor, and, dividing the Con-
servative vote, Republican stepped in by
a slender majority. The negroes almost to
a man voted for the newly elected Mayor,
| leaving the taxpayers to divide their votes
| on the unsuccessful candidates. The re-
| suit is not much Of calamity, and certain
IL carries no significance as indicating any
/ love for Radical rule in this once Radical
ridden city. The City Council is almost
unanimously Conservative. This is the
| amount of the business, and if it furnishes
any comfort TO the Grant people, they Ger
tainly must be badly in need Of small Ia
| VOLS.
From the squabbles going on here in
connection with State politics, and national
politics for that matter, the inference may
be drawn outside the State that Tennessee
might at last be lost to Greeley and Brown
Let me say, once for all, that no possible
complications that may arise can turn ovel
this State to Grant. Greeley's majority
will range from forty to seventy thousand
as time will certainly tell. The warfare
going on here is of peculiar nature, anC
does not find Development in any othel
State. The disturbing element is mainly
governed by one idea and purpose, tC
smash the Democratic party and sink ou
of sight the Democratic label. All othel
considerations, no matter how vital, arr
secondary to this with these self-consti
tuted reformers. When the Democratic
party of the State, in convention assem-
blad, went heart and soul into Tia
great Liberal move ment, the littl
SQUAD of impracticsbles, fighting their oil
Wing battles over again, shrieked out, IRE
move your label of Democracy or We can
Join in" Needless of this insOlent barking
the party moved on in the front of the Lib
| ersl ranks, rightly concluding that nam
was as nothing when the principles an
policy of the organization were right. The
the little squad of Missionaries organizes
what they called the Reunion and Re
form" Association, elected a little ma
president, and boldly attempted to bloV
= the Democratic party out of existence. Th
President, who affected German mysticism
and transceHdental gibberish, was deep il
the mysteries of the esoteric and exoteriC
Illuminated bombaslic balderdash in CLOUDY
English, kept the little cOterie together TO
a time, but falling to demolish the grea
adversary, the Democratic party, tn
ar sunion and Reform" organization
went 20 pieces, the fragments &C
ing in various directions. Som
Joined the Republicans, while the majorit
are lying around loose, kicking up all til
disturbance they can. Taking advantag
!, | of the rumpus, of certain abuses N conneC
ton with the convention system, and find
ing in the field an utterly unfit cOnventio
| candidate for Congressman for the State a
large, Andy johnson steps into the aren
as an independent candidate, thus compli
eating the situation, and giving fictitiou
Importance to our little squad of ''refol
mers." AS it is Maynard will not be ele'
!, ted, nearly full Conservative delegatio
will be sent to Congress, while there is nc
the ghost of chance for the Radicals gaiI
ing an ascendency in the State.
ANTI-BoURBoN.