The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-02-03
ANDREW JOHNSON ELECTEI
UNITED STATES SENATOR.
His Friends Pull Him Through
Tal on the Fifty-Fifth Ballot.
What Happened When the Re-
-lf.5 suit was Announced.

What Happened When the Re-
-s.2 suit was Announced.
, When the Senate and House re
assembled in convention, every inch
, of space in the galleries was packed
with what seemed to- be. one solid
mass of humanity, the lobby was
jammed and there was barely room
within the bar for another looker-on.
The great mass or the spectators
+ were under the impression that the
fight was now between johnson and
Brown, and that the first ballot
would decide the contest. They
were soon undeceived, but in the
meantime the result was awaited
with breathless interest that could
have been excited only by a strug-
gle every whit as important to the
nation as to the people of Tennes-
see
The names of G. A. Henry and
w. II. Stephens were placed in nom-
ination, and the name of John C.
Brown withdrawn by Speaker Bond.
When the name of Mr.. Hodges
was called, on the 54th ballot, he
arose and read the following letter:
NASHVILLE. Jan. 25, 1875.-IIon.
J. C. Hodges: Understanding that
you intend continuing to cast your
vote for me in to-day's balloting for
Senator, request that it not be
done, When Gov. Brown was re-
nominated yesterday by Speaker
Bond, without his consent, at time
when i was ahead, having a Gear
majority Of oil the Democratic UoteS
IN the con UentiOn, and requiring only
three or four votes to elect me, and
while Mr.. Ewing's friends were yet
adhering 10 him, l had my name
withdrawn. This was done in the
utmost good faith; and now not
wishing or intending to be an OBJ
stacle in the way of an election. you
will please vote against me, and
should any one again put my name
before the convention, you are not
only authorized but directed to in
stantly withdraw it.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM B. BATE.
After having read the letter, Mr.. !
Hodges spoke as follows: Under
this direction from my distinguished |
friend. I desire to say a word in ex-
PLANTATION of the vote which / shall
now record in this convention. /
may say. sir, in all sincerity and
truth that, not in single vote 1
have cast, have | been governed by
personal preference or personal pre-
judice / have been standing, sir,
quietly observing. in my humble
sphere and humble way, the affairs
OF this country, the political affairs
since the close of the late war i
I have seen and felt that Tennessee,
as one.of the Southern States, as
well as all the other Southern States,
and the character of her people have
been misrepresented and misunder-
stood by our no less honorable and
liberty-loving friends of the North
ern States. l have felt and seen, to
my satisfaction at least, that this
misunderstanding of the character of
the representative men of the South
has been the cause of all the disor-
der brought upon US as people of
the South. / have inquired for a
solution Of this difficulty; | have let
my mind run ont to find some means
by which the Northern mind could
be disabused, and / coutd see no
better way than by bringing repre-
Northern minds in imme-
diate contact with representative
Southern minds. and let them see
the effect that their misunderStand-
ing had produced.
In looking over the list of candi-
dates for United States Senator,
presented one week ago, found the
names of men any one of which tile
people of Tennessee might well be
proud to honor with the position, all
being eminently worthy of high po-
litical preferment. I found there
ore name that I had before seen
high up on the roll of chivalry.
name never bedraggled in the filth
and mire of political scramble a
name that with or withoat political
of the country as long as the history
of the country shall live; name
repi esenting the highest type of
Southern feehng-the type that I
feel ought to be brought into imme-
diate contact with the Northern
mind that name was the name of
Gen. William B. Bate. [AppIause.]
| have hitherto cast my vote for
him. but he has peremptorily with
drawn his name. | turn and look
for another name that | may cast
my vote for, and in doing so do my
country service and my State an
honor. and my conclusion is readily
reached. shall now vote for the
man whose name is known as far and
as wide as human civilization has
man whose name is a
household word in every American
home, made so by his honesty, in
tegrity and innate greatness. | vote
for Andrew johnson. Immense
cbeering.]
Amid intense excitement, the con-
yention then proceeded to take the
FTFTY-FTF7H BALLOZ,
which resulted as follows:
SEEATE.-For Johnson Messrs.
Blizzard, Ellis, Emmert. Haynes,
Hodges, Jones. Jordan. .Marchhanks.
Mosley. Overton. Smith and Turley
liz.
For Stephens Messrs- Alden.
n |