Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-10-30
FOR CONSERVATIVE UNION MEN.

votes and influence to the Democracy of
the State. They came forward in 1869 and
even in 1865 and gave the weight of their
influence as Union men, to place in power
in the State the present Democratic organ
ization. Every sensible man knows that
had the issue been sharply defined be
tween the rebel element of the Democracy
and the united Union element of the
State, the advent of the former into
power in Tennessee would have been
long postponed, But to relieve themselves
of supposed grievances, the Conservative
Union men allied themselves with the
rebel element and placed in power the
present intolerant democratic party. Now,
in return for this aid, what have they re-
ceived from that extreme element of their
party? What has been the treatment of
these Union men since the Democracy
came into power in Tennessee? Is it
not fact familiar to every intelligent
man in the State, that from Senter down
the Conservative Union men have
been but hcwers of wood and
drawers of water for their confederate as
socates Has there been even Il DISPOSE
ton shown TO consultthem about the NOM
ination for Offices or about the policy of
their State administration? Not mt all
On the contrary, what are the facts
After the Senter administration was in
stalled there was enacted series of pro-
scriptive statutes, that for intoler-
ance and vindictiveness are without
parallel in the history of Tennessee
! legislation. Senter was treated with con-
tempt and tolerated only so long rs
| he had authority. When his term of of
fice'expired he retired to his rural home
and he has never been heard of since. The
! Democracy bave no further etsc for him.
! When the last Legislature convened the
candidates for the second office in the
! State-President of the Senate--were
Hon. w. r. Sewer, of Jonesboro', and
! Gen. John G. Vaughn, of Monroe. Both
were East Tennesseeans. The former had
been staunch Union man, and the latter
had served in the confederate army. Sc
vier was q gentleman of education and
well fitted for presiding officer. Vaughn
was notoriously untitled for the place.
Yet Vaughn was elected over Sewer.
Why, is it asked? Because the latter had
been Union man. He was obnoxious for
that reason and no other. Take another
example. When under the new constitu-
ton the people of the Chattanooga Chan
Gerry division were calle dupon to elect their
Chancellor the Conservative Union peo-
pie of the district looked 10 Jesse Gaut,
Hsq., of Cleveland, as suitable man. He
consented to the use of his name, upon
the understanding that Chancellor Key
was not a candidate. Yet, when the
time came to name the man, Key suddenly
appeared and was chosen and Gaut was
set aside The former had been
a rebel and the latter Il Union
man. Gaut was an excellent lawyer, emil
nently qualified for the position, but he
was OGnoriOus because of his loyalty. In
the same section when the Congressional
Convention met last summer and the
choice for Congressman lay between Key,
rebel, and BLIZZARD and James, Conserva-
tive Union men, the former was, as mat
ter of course nominated. 1t was publicly
charged then and there, and never contra
verted, that Blizzard was defeated be-
cause he had been a Union man. In
our own district, a strong movement was
projected at one time to nominate Hon.
Thomas A. r. Nelson for Congress, to
make some reparation to the Union Con-
servative element for the shameful treat
ment they had received. But it met with
so little encouragement from the rebel ele-
ment of the West and, that it was noise ri
ously urged by Judge Nelson's friends.
Col. John Williams and John Fleming,
esq. were both candidates for the nomi-
nation. 1t is fact too notorious for dis
pute that (?) Caldwell was nominated be-
cause of his rebel record. If Williams or
Fleming had worn the gray, one of them
would have been chosen. But we need
not press the examples farther
The Nelson's, CIawfords, and Union
Conservative candidates for local offices in
Knox county, know they Were marked in
our elections two years ago. Every intel
lipent man in Tennessee knows that. for
four years this proscriptive policy has been
pursued.
We have now important elections pend
ing The issue in this district, between
Thornburgh and Caldwell, is direct and
pointed. The former has been liberal,
fair minded Republican. He ought TO
have, as against Caldwell, every Conserva-
tive mans vote in the district He has
been prescribed by legislation, and the del
egates and friends of his competitor adver-
tised his sentiments by announcing in
the Sparta convention, that they a0outd not
uOte dny longer for LiacOtaftes.
1t is high time the Conservative Union
men were showing that they have the
manhood to resist this unjust ostracism.
No-half way measures will rebuke these
iron-clad proscriptiOnists They need a
thunder clap TO arouse them. Let
Gen. Brown and Gen. Cheatham
and COT Key and (?) Caldwell and
the whole ring be rebuked' at the polls on
the 5th of November Let the Union men
and the liberal minded eX-confederates
show then what is the measure of their
} condemnation of the unmerited and un-
{ Just war that has been relentlessly waged
against them. They will never again have
so favorable an opportunity. Their re-
buke will never again have such an infiu-
ence as il will now. Let the blow be given
and the most glorious results must certain