Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-28
THE CHANCELLORSHIP.
M. NJ Brien demonstrates with the
Union and Anferiean-An Interest
ling Document Uaearthed.

-
Ing Document Uaearthed.
To the Ution anu AfnerieaH:
] deeply regret you could not perceive the
injustice which y6;i. sfifcrih 81 yesterday
was calculated to do me before vol bsfirpd
the same. While never have been before
the people for Office, yet / have made no
concealment of my political faith, as those
| islic know me hest can testify. Nv polIt-
ical views have ever been Conservative, or
Liberal, if you choose; and while say this.
allow me to say this is no political contest,
and why You or any other honest, ur-
right and just man should desire to lug
in politics and have partisan judge sitting
in the high Court Of Chancery, the forum
of conscience, ! am al a loss to know.
There the Judge SITS tn determine right
from wrong in legal, moral and etiti,tatle
sense, and not from political STANDPOINT.
am the candidate Of no political paltv.
ring, or ''family arrangement" but on the
contrary, the candidate of an independent
free will, to art for the best interest of all
according to an honest conviction of duty
and to the best Of my skill and ability.
Your iTtimation, that it i. ny purpose
to appoint Mayor Kereheval Clerk and
Mister becsrse Of relationship. or because
he is brother-iI-iaw OF ftiire; is as unjust
to me as the charge would be thar YOU
favor the election of Judge Cooper because
he is largely, if not solely, interested in the
building from which your paper issues.
have made no promise TO appoint Kerche-
val, or any one else, CLERK ard Master, nor
will l promise 10 do so. Now, ST; DO
you know that our present Clerk and
Master, a gentleman of integrity, besides
an honest, faithful and competent Clerk,
was appointed by Chancellor East on the
It'll November, 1870, and that By virtue Of
this appointment, which il a constitutional
one, he holds his Office for sis years. No
Incoming Chancellor can relieve him OF his
Office, except for good and sufficient
cause. Mr.. Baxter, under the Constitu-
tion Of the State, Article vi, Section IS,
is entitled to hold the Office until Novem-
Der, SIG. By this, l hope our Constitu-
ton will be so amended, as amendments
seem 70 be in osder, as to allow the people
TO say who shall be their Clerk and Master.
Why tley are not elected by the people, as
other clsrks are elected, can see no just
reason. II am for that. But should l be
honored with the position of Chancellor,
and the Constitution remains unchanged,
then l am free to say, when the proper time
comes for me to act, that l am in the
hands Of my friends. Their wishes shall be
consulted, and all that | shall ask of them
is, to select an honest, upright man, with a
will and capacity to fill the Office, and that !
man shall be the Clerk and Master.
In conclusion, will say that desire the !
votes Of all parties-COnseratiye, Demo
cratic, Liberal, Republican, Radicals-Or
by whatever name we are all clasSed.
Respectfully,
NJ. N. BRIEN, JR. 4,
Apropos of the above card, which is no
ticed editorially elsewhere, we have dug up
the following document from among the
public records at the Capitol. 1t ought to
prove interesting to Mr.. Brien and his sup
poEters, as showing the manner Of man re-
quired for the position to which he now as
pires, and equally interesting to certain
other gentlemen whose sentiments would
appear to bave undergone slight change
since they appended their signatures
thereto:
WHY WILLIAM r. COOPER WAS AP-
POINTED CHANCELLOR.
To His Excellency, Gov. Jno. G. Brown.
The undersigned members Of the Nash
lille bar, having been informed that the
Hon. Z. ii. East, Chancellor Of the Nash
lille District, cOntemplales resigning his
,ffice at an early day, respectfully suggest
o your Excellency the name Of the Hon.
". F. COorer, as eminently qualified to I'LL
he vacancy, should it occur. 1t is no
loubt as well known to your Excellency, as
o the undersigned, that no member of our
ar. PERHAPS no member Ofthe bar in Ten
lessee, has had a more enlarged
experience in ChanceIy practice than
ir Cooper. But we, Who meet
Ir. Cooper daily in the contests Of the bar,
now better than your Excellency can, his {
aired and accurate learning, his habit of {
atient investigation, his prCmptneSs in the
ispatch of business. his freedom from |
rejudiceS, and uniform courtesy to his pro-
sssiOnal brethren. The undersigned,
therefore,, feeling that no portion of the
ommunity have a more direct interest in 2
recurring the appointment Of the most
roper person to preside over the Chancery
curt al Nashville, have taken the liberty
T making this application 20 your Excel
.ncy-thev. believing that the appoint
lent of Mr. Cooper will give to the bar v
nd the public greater measure OF salts b
ction than could be secured by the ap- !,
ointment of any other person.
The undersigned, from your Exceliency's o
nOwn candOr and fraDkness, feel assured a
lat your Excellency viii believe that this
1plication is made with an exclusive view
public interests, and is in no degree
,ompted by personal partially or private \
iendship.
-, Ea5J Francis r EOru | y