Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-09-04

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his line OF duty in the unifoation OF the
people Of the State in resistance to CO.
ercize measures, and in the rapid pro-
gress OF events, firmly aligned himself
with the Southern cause.
When, after the popular vote for
separation" the State formally acced-
cd to the Confederate government, Mr..
House was elected q member of the
provisional congress, and served in that
body until February, 1862, having de-
clined to be candidate for the perma-
nent congress which superseded the
former. He then sought service in the
field, and was assigned to the staff OF
Gen. George Nancy. and participated
in the battles OF Murfreesborough,
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and
the frequent fierce engagements be-
tween the armies OF Gems. Johnston and
Sherman beyond Dalton, until New
Hope Church was reached, in the spring
ofls64. At that point he was ordered
by the Richmond war Office, to report
for duty Is Judge advocate. with the
rank Of captain ofcavslry Of the military
court sitting in North Alabama, and
was engaged in that service until the
termination Of hostilities, when he was
parolled, at Columbus, Mississippi, in
June, 1855. From that point he return
ed to his home, which, for more than
three years. had been within the lines
Of Federal occupation. Like most, il
not all others, who cast their fortunes
on the hazard oil the losing die in that
desperate conflict, he was reduced to
the necessity OF rebuilding entirely his
ruined estate. and to this he set about
with the characteristic energy, in the
practice of the law. AS soon as quiet
was restored and business resumed, lit
igstion became active, and he was
thenceforward constantly engaged in
the various courts.
In 1868, he was delegate to the ma
tional Democratic convention meeting
in the city of New York. That was o
body not in all respects judiciously con-
stituted, or under the guidance Of any
well-digested and defined views of pub.
lie policy, or well in the hand in the in
terest OF any leading character as a can.
didate for the presidency. It was the
formative stage OF a new political or.
ganization in fact, only partly welded
then by the fires of the sectional strug
gle which gave rise to political issues
proceeding from it While Col
House, in common with all conserva
tive men in every section, utterly rep
rotated the truculent and tyrannica
measures of reconstruction which the
party in majority were enforcing, witt
others Of the body he did not approw
of some extreme utterances put fortf
in the platform and declarations OF it
chief spokesmen, which could have nj
other effect than to bring the disastrous
defeat which followed. In 1870, ht
was member OF the convention called
to revise the constitution of the State
and was able and influential in shaping
its work. He served as cne Of th,
committee on the judicial department
He was the author of the proposition
extending the gubernatorial term Il
| four years, and giving the governor th,
veto power that iunctionary now pos
sesses, and providing for lieutenant
governor, who should be er c6icio presi
dent OF the senate. The entire propo
sition met with the favor of the conven
ton, but was afterward re-considere,
and lost by aismall majority, except il
the feature noted. He was.the autho
also Of wholesome proposition for al
amendment remitting the trial, OF
their merits, OF large ana de6ne'
class OF misdemeanors to Justices of tn
peace, thus -uperseding the necessity @
such culprits being confined in jai
awaiting indictment, and being pu
through the tedious and costly forms {
trial in the higher courts. 1t is th
absence of such provision that g
. enormously swells the item in tn
. treasury budget under costs OF crimi
nal prosecutions. The measure faile
by majority of two votes. In 1872, b
supported the forlorn candidacy Of Ho
: ace Greeley for the presidency, rathe
. as a protest against the Grantism of tt
I period, which seemed to embody a
! that was politically vicious, whether I
a principle or practice, than an endors'
l ment Of that singular political NOV
+ ment; and at the same election, ,activel
e antagonized the return to the publ
Y councils of Andrew Johnson, who Wi
!, a candidate for representative at lars
& for the House of Representatives.
h In 1874, he was nominated for Coz
n