The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-13
Preparations to Fire the Northern Hear!
for the Coming Election.
GATHERING OF THE CARpET-BAGGERS.
Republicans of Character Ignoring
the Convention.
Personal SKETCHES OF TIE LEADERS.
Inrerminghng Of Black Spirits. Blue
Spirits and Gray.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. oct. II, 1874.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. oct. II, 1874.
Before leaving Nashville yesterday | made it
sOny enient to circulate around among the more
prominent republican cltIzens OF that place to
ascertain the opinions they held in regard TO the
Republican Convention which meets here to-
morrow. All southern outrages to be disned
up and additional material furnished having q
tendency 70 further their political schemes and
advance the inrrigues that have Tor so long kept
she South under o cloud. To stir up the caldron
Of hate and keep alive the emoers OF burning strife
and promote direiu misunderstanding as TO the
motives and wishes OF this section and abuse
the minds or Northern people 10 that
extent that any tale to them seems
possible they seize upon the slightest
nregularity, and exaggerate 1t and make 1t ap-
pear that the southern people are antagonistic TO
every law OF order and good government. In my
perambulatlon and search after information en-
cOuntered one OF that numerous family without
whom party or body OF any kind, degree or pur-
pose was ever yet formed; one who bore the very
uncommon name OF Jones. Jones Is big man in
the party, and TO him had been entrusted the
gathering up OF delegates 10 the convention. The
business oil distributing certificates OF member
ship was not sinecure, and Mr.. Jones logged
bravely over the uneven, break neck sidewalks OF
1.-THE CITY OF Rocks'' Tor two whole days, wearing
not only his corporoslty, but seriously
damaging his sole, and thus occaslonlng
an urgent demand upon his shoemaker for another
pair OF number tens Mr.. Jones poked his nose
into every nook and corner, smiled the breezes
and peeped wisely over rhe top OF his silver
nmmed spectacles. manipulated the hands OF his
friends In the ump-handle shake to discover
republican likely to accept the great commission
and carry out The purposes OF the assembled Con.
yentlon. There are numberess prominent repub-
Means In and about Nashville, yet the glowing
representations and earnest appeals Of Mr.. Jones
Ien upon listless and failed to inspire
his hearers with due sense OF the importance
Of the occasion and induce them TO take
sELF-APPoINTED PLACES
as members or the notable Convention. Depressed
pOcketDooks refused to open and yield up the re-
CURED small sum to conduct a single passenger to
Chattanooga and back. With all his zeal in the
cause Jones himself did not contemplate being
delegate and had nnaly given up his futile at
tempts to induce persons to become delegates TO
the Convention. The TACT OF the business is that
the native republicans in Nashville regard the
Chattanooga Convention with suspicion and are not
willing to risk their reputation IN it. They have a
toerable character, but might were they to 60 into
this Convention, find themselves in the position OF
Bridget alter she went on the boat Another sig
nifcant item about the AFFAIR is that there is a
the Convention proposes to do. The more promi-
nent republicans alone had received the call. and
they had not fit TO put 1t before their lesser
brethren. 1t was regarded more In the light OF
private paper than public document. prom
inent republican OF Nashville, VINO Is party man.
sger though he confessed having the call, did not
deem II prudent to let the fact be known. Another
had been mainly instrumental in calling the Con-
vention, but did not feel 1t incumbent upon HIM 10
express his name In connection with il,
leaving Jones 10 solve the problem oil
securing delegates to the Convention. | mex.
saw and conversed with Abrsm Smith, a promi-
nent c0lored republican, always in the party har-
ness and always ready for a start who said that
ne would have nothing whatever TO do with the
Chattanooga Convention. he was not so much
enamored OF IL as to expend a solitary nickle
TOWARDS his transportation here. He ala not
know that the Convention would be likely to ac-
compsh anything OF which one would feel proud.
At eight O'Clock last night took the Chatta-
aooga train, and soon sped on the way out OF
Nashville. The Arkansas delegation was aboard
on q special sleeping car. They practi-
caIy carrying out the idea suggested by
the Civil Rights bills, for in sweet and genial
companionsnip with them were quartet OF
gentlemen or color who. as Will hereafter be
shown, are some hat prominent in Arkansas, az
ihty CbOOsc u e3pItsS Id III Luttl own PROVINCIAL
vernacular. With very lew exceptions the dele
CATION is pack Of politicians, men who have
grown rich in tat positions under the carpet-bag
governments in the south, and who would be loath
10 surrender the emoluments that accrue TO them
from ONCE, and tney are making desperate efforts
10 hold their own, keep the cards in their own
hands ana divide the profits among themselves.
The Convention had
IT'S ORIGIN
in the crapiums OF the Caytons McClures Dor
seys and Brookess, or Arkansas, while the bod
Bakers, OF Texas and others Of that is consisting
OF radicals and adventures from that state, make
those delegations Of more than ordinary interest.
In order 10 give an idea OF the material that
poses this Convention a short personal history OF
the more important characters viii give the Key
note 10 the whole. We're the minute particulars
Gf tner recent lives gwen the great columns or
: the HERALD would hold nothing else.
SKETCH OF THE LEADERS.
The head and front and prime mover OF the Con-
haps, is senator POWELL Clayton, OF Arkansas. He
has already been made notorious by MS daring
and reckless achievements. he Is a native OF
Pennsylvania, and was in former years Douglas
democrat. He emigrated TO Kansas ana followed
,ne var he Volunteered in tue federal army and
was commissioned as colonel OF the Fifth Kansas
regiment, when no other man than the innexioic
Clayton could have commanded. The regiment
was composed OF bold, bad and unscrupuious men,
VINO were terror to the state. Even Clayton's
.TigId discipline could not prevent them from
committing depredations OF almost every descrip-
ton. Clay ton and his men kept toge Their and were
known far aud WIDE until the close OF the war
when there was longer any use for them, and
they were dIsbanded. After the war Clayton
found a new scene OF action, and became Cover
nor OF Arkansas through the dislranchisement OF
4the people. Here was organized under mis- regime
tthe notorious, as everything connected with Gay
tton seemed 70 be miilta. This ORGANIZATION, ike
tCayton's former regiment, went about Arkansas
like the Old Robin Hood pandtti, r0bbng and
numbering men, outraglng women and INDUCING
m any and every kind OF excess. they allowed
their unoridieu passions sucn an unlimited sway
and INDUCED IN such horrible crimes that clayton
was forced 10 recall them. SO indignant had the
downtrodden people become ana so wrought up
were their feelings at the repeated
OuTRAGES OF TnK MILITIA
that the life OF the man whom they considered wgg
the instlgator OF II all was threatened. They mad
even gone so far as 10 raise subscription to pa
y man who had agreed 70 assasslnate HIM put Il M
<mustering OF the Objectionable militia out OF ser
ace mewhat appeased the wrath OF the incensed
peOPe, as 1t was not Clayton personally, but ina
rRilitia that offended them. In mis- personal ap.
pearance, Clayton Ia tall. slender ana OF erect