Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-04-27
For the Herald and Tribune.
1913 FIFTY YEARS 1898.
A Retrospective Review of Congress.
iOnal Elections.


NO. 3.
The year 1861, like the four succeed
ing years, will never be forgotten by
those who passed through them. They
were years of secession, rebellion, war,
bloodsbed. But the inherent love for
the Union, planted here in the days of
the Revolution and carefully nursed
for more than three quarters of cen.
tury, bore fruit and withstood the storm
of secession that swept the South like
a terrible cyclone, so that East Tennes-
see was the most intensely loyal of any
section of all this broad land.
1t was but natural then that, when
the August elections came on that year,
the people should turn out by hundreds,
by thousands, and vote for Thomas A. R.
Nelson for the United States Congress {;
SO that his majority ran into the thou
sands. We believe that Joseph B.
Heiskell, of Rogersville, was voted for
at the same election for the Confeder-
ate States Congress at Richmond.
Soon after the election Mr.. Nelson
started to go through the lines SO as to
reach Washington City, but was cap
tured and taken to Richmond where he
was required to take the oath of allie.
glance to the Confederacy. Maynard
and Bridges, the members elected from
the Second and Third Districts, were
more fortunate and reached the Federal
lines. Rev. John P. Holtsinger took
Andrew Johnson in a buggy iron,
Greeneville to Cumberland Gap, SO
that he also reached the Federal lines
IN safety, and did not see Greenevill,
any more until March, 1869, when he
returned as an ex President.
In 1858 there was, of course, no elec.
ton held in Tennessee for members to
the United States Congress but in 1865
the war had closed, and at the August
election of that year members of Con-
gress were elected, and the candidates
in this district were Hon. N. G. Taylor.
General Thomas d. Arnold and Colonel
John X. Miller.
Colonel Miller ran rather as the sold
iers candidate General Arnold was
an able lawyer, and many years prior
to the war had served one term in Con
gress. He was Wing, and had been
a Union man during the war. Hon.
N. G. Taylor had strong hold upon
the people of East Tennessee ; he had
been a member of Congress in lS54-55.
District Elector on the Fillmore ticket
in 1855, and Elector for the State at
large in 1860 on the Bell and Everett
ticket, and during the war he had made
many eloquent speeches in the North,
and thereby secured thousands of dol,
lars for the relief of the destitute and
suffering Unionists of East Tennessee.
He was elected to Congress and took
his seat as soon as Tennessee was re-
admitted into the Union.
The year 1857 soon rolled around, but
there had been great change since
August, 1865. President johnson and
Congress were at loggerheads, quarrel
ing over reconstruction. A vast ma.
iority of the Unionists of East Tennes
see sided with Congress. Judge r. R.
Butler, then Judge of this Judicial
Circuit, became the Republican candi-
date for Congress, and James White,
of Rogersville, was the Democratic
candidate. Butler was elected by a
handsome majority.
The year 1869 was the year of the
Senter-Stokes can n-can-the year OF
universal suffrage" of Republican
defeat throughout Tennessee, but Judge
Butler was again elected to Congress,
over General Kyle, we believe it was,
of Rogersville, by good majority.
Early in 1870 our present State Con-
stitution was adopted, changing the
time for electing Governor, members
of Congress, etc, from the first Thurs
day in August of every odd year, to
the Tuesday after the first Monday OF
November of every even year. Ac-
cordingly, in November, 1870, we had
an election for Governor and members
of Congress. Judge r. R. Butler was
again the Republican candidate but
the Democrats had quite time of it
getting a candidate. James White wa-
OF course willing and even anxious to
make the race again. but portion
his party did not went him the o.u
line Whig-conservative Union attach
ment oil the party those aristocratlc
oId chaps with shining beaver hats.
gold headed canes, long tailed broad
cloth coats and red silk handkerchie S.
wanted ex President johnson to make
the race, and when their convention
met in Greeneville Andy was rendered
the nomination, but he declined with
thanks; aud it was said that one rea-
son he gave was that it would be no
honor whatever for him to make the
race and be elected over Butler, but to
be candidate and be defeated by But
Ter would, he viewed, be an everlasting
disgrace. AS they could not get John.
son and did not want White, they ad
journed for a week, without making q
nomination. When the convention
met again there was Jeemes White
with big white jacket on, wanting
the nomination and wanting IL bad
| so. in their desperation. they gave il IL