

TEXN'KSSKK. 



709 



trution was effected without serious 



interruption. Governor Urowillow t UTCifled 



-I cil in liiin, and in some cases 

 removed I In- olliccrs df iv-i-t ration and ap- 

 pointed other-, and wholly set aside the 

 t rat 'u in mad.- in \Vanvn County, ami ord 

 iii'\v oni' uiidcr dill'crciit i 



Tin' election pa--ed oil' without disturbance, 



and re-iiitcd in tin- reelection of \V. (',. I'.rown- 



low liy a majority of 51,986. The whole vote 



'; for r.rownlo\v, 74,484; for 



Ktlui 18. The entire delegation of 



members of the Lower House of Congress was 



Republicans. This was the first 



general election at which the newly-cnfran- 



! freedmen had ever voted, and they 



showed a great degree of alacrity in obtaining 



certificates of registration, and in exercising 



the right secured thereby. 



Governor Mrownlow held that his interpre- 

 tation of the franchise law, which invested 

 the Commissioners of Kegistration with the 

 duty of appointing the judges and clerks of 

 election, applied as well to municipal elections 

 as to that for State officers. The municipal 

 authorities of the city of Nashville took a dif- 

 ferent view of the matter, and made arrange- 

 - for conducting their election, which was 

 to occur on the 28th of September, according 

 to the provisions of their city charter, which 

 gave the appointment of judges of election to 

 the Board of Aldermen. After the publication 

 of the usual advertisements by the city author- 

 ities, and the appointment of judges and clerks 

 by the aldermen, Governor Brownlow issued 

 a proclamation in which ho announced that 

 the commissioner of registration for Davidson 

 County was the proper person to appoint 

 judges and clerks of election for the city of 

 Nashville, and that ho would perform that 

 duty. General Cooper was directed to take 

 ires at once to preserve the peace and pro- 

 tect the judges of election in the discharge of 

 their duties. This document was followed by a 

 proclamation from W. Matt Brown, mayor of 

 Nashville, in which that officer declared that the 

 election would be held as previously ordered, 

 notwithstanding the interpretation of the fran- 

 chise law announced by the Governor. The 

 mayor admitted the validity of the law, and did 

 not question the position that it gave the ap- 

 pointment of election judges to the commis- 

 sioner of registration, but denied that it had 

 any application whatever to the choosing of 

 the municipal officers of the city corporations. 

 Ho declared it to be the fixed resolve of 

 the corporate authorities of Nashville to ex- 

 ercise all possible discretion, moderation, and 

 forbearance; to make manifest in their whole 

 demeanor the proper respect which th< 

 for the Constitution and laws of the United 

 States, and the constitution and laws of Ten- 

 nessee, but expressed no intention of yielding 

 what they regarded as an important right of 

 the city. Both boards of election officers were 

 appointed, an extra force of police was sworn 



in, and Cen.-ral Cooper ,.;, -.-. >-ly engaged 

 in concentrating troops at Nashvill. 

 >ioii Deemed imminent, which would result in 

 serious disorder and rio-. 1 iMincan. 



commanding the Nashville |) 

 this state of tiling to (i.-n.-ral Thorna-, m 

 ipiestcd instructions with regard to hi- 

 duty in c:i-e of tin- co]]i-ion which h>- .-'-noii-ly 

 apprehend. -il. General Thoma^ instructed the 

 district commander, if called upon, to render 

 all as- rj to hi- K.xcellency Gov- 



ernor Brownlow in enforcing the law-, and pre- 

 serving the peace, ''Governor Hrownlow," ho 

 said, " is ( 'hii-f Magistrate of the State, and has 

 announced by proclamation his construction of 

 the law. If he needs military force to : 

 him in enforcing it, you will ivndcr him all the 

 assistance in your power." General Thomas 

 then applied to General Grant for instructions 

 with regard to bis future conduct. 



In the mean time the city authorities had ap- 

 plied to the President of the United Stat. 

 protection, and on the morning of the 25th of 

 September General Thomas received the follow- 

 ing by telegraph from Washington : 



WASHINGTON, D, C., September 243.30 P. n. 

 To Major- General George H. Thomas: 



The mayor, city attorney, and president of the 

 Common Council of Nashville express great fear of a 

 collision at the time of the charter election on the 

 28th. Go to Nashville to-morrow, and remain until 

 after the election, to preserve peace. If you think 

 more troops necessary for that purpose, order them 

 there from the most convenient points in your com- 

 mand. The military cannot set up to be the judge as 

 to which set of election judges have the right to con- 

 trol, but must confine their action to putting down 

 hostile mobs. It is hoped, however, by seeing the 

 Governor and city officials here referred to, your pres- 

 ence and advice may prevent disturbance. Please 

 keep me advised of the condition of affairs. 



U. S. GRANT, General. 



Thereupon General Thomas communicated 

 by telegraph a brief statement of the con- 

 flict between Governor Brownlow and Mayor 

 Brown, and requested specific instructions in 

 the premises. He then proceeded at once to 

 Nashville. 



On the following day the subjoined commu- 

 nications passed between Nashville and "Wash- 

 ington, in telegraphic cipher : 



NASHVILLE, TKN-X., September 26, 1867. 

 To General II. S. Grant, Washington, D. C. ; 



If both parties persist in holding their election, 

 tin-re will bo great danger of collision. In such con- 

 tingency am 1 to interfere and allow both elections 

 to go on, or are my duties simply to prevent mobs 

 from aiding either party ? 



GEORGE II. THOMAS, 

 Major-General, United States Army. 



General Grant replied as follows : 



To Major-General George H. Tnomat: 



I neither instruct you to sustain the Governor nor 

 mayor, but to prevent conflict. The Governor U the 

 only authority that can legally demand the aid of the 

 United States troops, and that must be by proclama- 

 tion declaring invasion or insurrection exists beyond 

 the control of other means at his hands. It is hoped 

 your presence and good judgment and advice will 

 prevent conflict. U. 8. GRANT, General. 



General Thomas replied as follows : 



