Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-18

] OF senate, OleTk Vi I1OuSS3 NlCIh VI DCil-
ate; DoOrkeeper of House; DOorkeeper of
! Senate, and even the colored porterS, all OF
one faith and order; all, and particularly the
last mentioned functionaries, "wool dyed"
These remarks are not made in derogatiOn
of the gentlemen filling the offices desig-
mated; for many of them are my esteemed
friends, and are faithful and efficient off
GERS.
Some minor offices, here and there in the
State, are occupied by men Of Union ante
cedents; but they are comparatively few and
| Observation-Disclosures ''table scraps" -crusts,
crumbs and bones.
The criterion Of merit with this class of
men is the extent and importance Of the
services rendered by the candidate to the
late COnfedeTacy; and, per contra, the badge
of inferiority is placed upon all men who
were the friends of the Government during
the war, regardless of their sacrifices and
efforts in behalf of peace, popular rights,
universal amnesty and universal suffrage,
since that period.
This extract will show "the animus
and programme" of the writer.
Referring to his candidacy for the Speak
ership of the Senate, DR.. Sewer says:
After my election to the Senate was de-
! signated, by portion of the public press,
as a suitable candidate for the Speakership
l never, feIlow-citizens, vainly imagined that
| in my person was found that happy combi-
nation of gifts aud graces which qualified
me in any pre-eminent degree for that hon
| orable and responsible position. But the
Radical press had declared-and reiterated
| the declaration a thousand times
! that tie Rebel element when once
in power would utterly ignore
and repudiate Conservative Union men
as an integral part of their political organi-
cation. l regarded my position as rather
fortunate, inaSmuch as it furnished the OPP
portunity of putting to practical test and
refutatiOn the truth of the assertion.
stood, if my recollection serves me, but for
a single ballot; and, anxious 90 save the
party from an imputatiO2 so damaging to a
pTOfessedly conservative organization, l
withdrew and nominated Col. Warren, of
McNairy-a gentleman, COnfessedly, the
best qualified member of the body for the
position: intelligent, aflable, of pure charac-
ter and Of legislative experience. In view
of this fact, and in consideration of the ad-
ditiOnal fact that in this election alone had
the Conservative Union members signitied
a desire or disposition to share in the dis
tributiOn of offices, / thought, and still
think, he should have been elected Speaker
of the Senate. But the antecedents and
principles of Col. Warren were discovered
to be alike diStastcful-we were lacking in
that sort of record which cOmmends one to
the graces of the majority.
Let us recur a moment to the contest for
. the SpeakerShip Of the Senate. The Legis-
latUe was elected in November, 1870. 1t
did not assemble until October, ISL
nearly q year after. In the intervening time
the names of several of the Senators elect
were proposed and urged by their respective
friends for the Speakership. The most
prominent of these were Gen. Vaughn and
DR.. Sewer, of East Tennessee, and Col.
Horace Rice, Of West Tennessee. It was
believed here from the information received
from the various portions Of the State that
Col. Rice would certainly be the successful
candidate. He was a gentleman Of
a high order of ability, a native Of
Hawkins county in East Tennessee;
a resident and Senator elect of West Ten
nessee; lie had studied his profession at the
leading law school of the State at Lebanon,
in Middle Tennessee; he had married the
daughter of Judge Abe Caruthers, thus
connecting himself with one Of the Oldest
and most influential families in Middle
Tennessee. His election was therefore re-
garded here as a fOregone conclusion. His
sudden death few weeks before the as
semDIing of the Legislature left DR.. Sewer
and Gen. Vaughn the most prominent can
didates. The friends of Col. Tharpe, SEN
ator from Henry county, West Tennessee,
then brought him prominently forward.
Col. DuBOse, Senator from Shelby, was also
favorabIy mentioned by many of his West
Tennessee friends. DIR. Sewer came to this
city several days beforethe Legislature met,
an ayowed candidate for the Speakership,
openly electioneering for the position as
Senators remember. He had mingled him
self with the incoming Senators but two or
three days, when it was very apparent that
he had killed himself too dead to skin. Up
to and on the morning Of the day Of the
election, a combination Could have been
made on either Senator Tharpe,
Merritt or Warren to have
defeated Gen. Vaughn, if DR.. Sewer
had seen the hopelessness of his chances,
and Withdrawn from the canvass and joined
in the effort to make the combination
against his most formidable competitor,
Gen. Vaughn. Not seeming then to con-
slider himself the embodiment of Union
ism, he persisted in his canvass, and met
with E disgraceful defeat, receiving but five
votes, one of which was from his opponent
Gen. Vaughn, and two from the Radical
Gibson and Mcconnell. We give
the following extract from the journal of
the Senate:
The Clerk announced the first business !
in order was the election Of Speaker, and |
that nominations were in order.
Mr.. Greene nominated the Senator from |
Washington, Mr.. SEWER
Mr. Pope nominated the Senator from |
Warren, Ny. Hughes.
Mr.. Merritt nominated the Senator from |
Monroe, Mr.. Vaughn.
Mr. Coulter nominated the Senator from |
Henry, Mr.. Tharpe.
The Senator from Warren, Mr.. Hughes, |
arose and requested that his name be with |
drawn, which was granted.
There being no further nominations. the |
Senate proceeded to ballot, with the follow !
ing result:
For Mr.. Sewer, 5; for Mr.. Vaughn, 6; |
for Mr.. Thare, Z; for Mr. DuBose, l.
Senators voting for Mr.. Sewer are: |
MesSrs. Gibson, Greene, Mcdonnell, Vaughn |
and Windle.
Senators voting for Mr.. Vaughn are
MesSrs. Clark, Halves, Merritt, Pope, Rid |
ley, Sewer, Tolley and Young.
Senators voting for Mr.. Tharpe are
Messrs. Brandon, Bugg, Coulter, DuBose, |
Hughes, Patterson and Warren.
Senator voting for Mr.. DuBose: Mr..
Tharpe.