TENNESSEE. 



7o; 



poli, and thence along the northern and west- 

 ern coasts of Africa to some point near the 

 mouth of the Senegal or of the Gambia, thence 

 across the Atlantic to Pernambuco, or some ad- 

 jacent point on the coast of Brazil, perhaps 

 taking in the way one or more of the Capo 

 Verde isles and the little island of St. Paul. 

 The distance from continent to continent by 

 the route last named is about 1,400 miles ; 

 the Dcean-bed is understood to be favorable, and 

 the water not very deep, while ice in any form 

 is unknown. Parties in France, Italy, Spain, 

 Portugal, and Brazil are said to be united in 

 favoring this enterprise. 



The reader is further referred to Major Col- 

 lins' book, " Overland Explorations in Sibe- 

 ria." etc., New York, 1864 a work from 

 which some of the statements of this article 

 are taken; and to "The Telegrapher," month- 

 ly, published in New York by the National 

 Telegraph Union. 



TENNESSEE. That portion of Tennessee 

 not in the possession of the enemy, continued 

 without change under the authority of the mil- 

 itary Governor, Johnson, until the beginning 

 of 1864. Measures were then commenced for 

 the purpose of reconstructing a State Govern- 

 ment in sympathy with the Union. On January 

 26th Governor Johnson issued a proclamation 

 for an election of certain officers on March 5th. 

 This election was to be held in the various 

 counties of the State, "or wherever it is practi- 

 cable so to do," for justices of the peace, sheriffs, 

 constables, trustees, circuit and county court 

 clerks, registers, and tax collectors. The quali- 

 fications required of electors were thus stated : 



But inasmuch as these elections are ordered in the 

 State of Tennessee, as a State of the Union under 

 the Federal Constitution, it is not expected that the 

 enemies of the United States will propose to vote, 

 nor is it intended that they be permitted to vote, or 

 hold office. 



And in the midst of so much disloyalty and hostil- 

 ity as have existed among the people of this State 

 toward the Government of the United States, and in 

 order to secure the votes of its friends, and exclude 

 those of its enemies, I have deemed it proper to make 

 known the requisite qualifications of the electors at 

 said elections. To entitle any person to the privilege 

 of voting, he must be n free white man, of the age 

 of twenty-one vears, being a citizen of the United 

 States and a citizen of the county where he may offer 

 his vote six months preceding the day of election, 

 and a competent witness in any court of justice ia 

 the State, by the laws thereof, against a white man, 

 and not having been convicted of bribery, or the offer 

 to bribe, of larceny, or of any other offence declared 

 infamous by the laws of the State, unless he has been 

 restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by 

 law. And he must take and subscribe before iLc 

 judges of election the following oath : 



I solemnly swear that I will henceforth support the Con- 

 stitution of the United States, and defend it against the ns- 

 sanlts of all its enemies ; that I will hereafter be, and con- 

 duct myself as 'a true and faithful citizen of the United 

 States, freely and voluntarily claiming to be subject to all 

 the duties and obligations, and entitled to all the rights 

 and privileges of such citizenship ; that I ardently desire 

 the suppression of the present insurrection and rebel- 

 lion against the Government of the United States, the suc- 

 cess of its armies and the defeat of all those who oppose 

 them, and that the Constitution of the United States, and all 

 laws and proclamat'ons rnade in pursuance thereof, may be 



lly and perm.ii rcrall 



.-, that 

 I will hereafter aid ai.d :i-:-isi u\\ . 



.t of all these results. So i. 



And all thejudges, officers, and persons holding tho 

 election, before entering upon their respective d 

 in addition to the oath now required hv ; 

 the State, shall take and subscribe the same oath, 

 and also that they will permit no ono to vo'e who 

 has not taken and subscribed the oath above set forth, 

 or refuses to do so. 



The proclamation was preceded by a piulic 

 meeting in Nashville on Jan. 21st, relative- to 

 a restoration of the civil Government. A 

 number of persons were present, resol 

 were adopted and Gov. Jonnaon addn^ed the 

 lilaire. He thus stated L a the 



manner of reconstruction : 



The election of the primary officers, such as jus- 

 tices of the peace, constables, etc., is fixed by the 

 constitution of the State on the first Saturday in 

 March, and the Executive should say to the people 

 of that State to go to the ballot-box on that day and 

 elect constables, justices, sheriffs, county tn: 

 and clerks. And when elected, let them be commis- 

 sioned as they ordinarily are. The agent of the 

 Government supplies the vacuum. Is there any 

 thing outside of the principles of the Constitution in 

 that? Is there any usurpation in it? There mnst 

 be a beginning somewhere. Don't we all know that 

 in the absence of government there must be some- 

 thing done, seemingly irregular, for the purpose of 

 bringing back order? Then we take a step without 

 precedent, but clearly justifiable, and proceed to 

 elect our officers as we have done heretofore. We 

 look in the various judicial districts of the State, and 

 find they are vacant for judges ; we turn to th? laws 

 and Constitution of the State, and find that when 

 vacancies occur by death, resignation, or otherwise, 

 the Executive sha'll make temporary appointments, 

 and these appointees shall hold their places until 

 their successors are elected and qualified. Then, 

 don't we see how easy the process is? Begin at the 

 foundation, elect the lower officers, and then come 

 up to the judiciary, and put it in motion, wherever 

 it can be. But it might be said this can't be done in 

 all the counties. Well, if it is done in a half dozen 

 counties, it is so much done, and that much dcoe we 

 can do more. 



A question arose among some of the j 

 appointed to hold the election, whether i: 

 not sufficient to require of the voters the oath 

 of the President's amnesty proclamation. This 

 caused the following correspondence : 



NASHVILLE. Fu!;ri::iry -". 

 Hon. "W. H. SEWAP.D. Secretary of State, II u- 



ton, I> C. 



In county and State elections must citizens of Tan- 

 nessee take the oath prescribed by Gov. Johnson, 

 or will the President's oath of amnesty entitle them 

 to vote? I have been appointed to hold the March 

 election in Cheatbain Countv, and wish to act under- 

 staadingly. " WAUKEX JOKDAN. 



REPLY. 



WASIIIXGK IT, 



WAnr.Ex JOP.DAX. 



In county elections you had better ?tani ny Gov. 

 Johnson's plan, otherwise you will have conflict am 1 

 confusion. I have seen his plan. 



(Signed; A. LINCOLN. 



The result of the election was stated by the 

 press of Nashville to have been a failure. A 

 large number of soldiers and employes of the 

 Government who had been stationed at Nash- 

 ville for six months voted, but the people re- 



