USA > Georgia > The history of the State of Georgia from 1850 to 1881, embracing the three important epochs: the decade before the war of 1861-5; the war; the period of Reconstruction, v. 2 > Part 23
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There was a universal acknowledgment that the new Senator had fulfilled the great expectation of his value in the National councils, and the issue of his appointment had to be met upon that vantage ground. But there was one strong complication in this animated contest, that exerted a powerful underlying influence. How many distinguished gentlemen had hard feelings against the Governor for not being selected for this distinction, will never be known. Men who had passed beyond active life, immemorial friends of the Executive, men on the political shelf, and individuals who had no shadow of claim upon him, were dis-
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567
THE HOSTILE CRUSADE AGAINST GOVERNOR COLQUITT.
appointed, and added their hidden dissatisfaction to the gathering crusade of hostility in this remarkable contest. There was a focaliza- tion of hostile elements for a thunderous storm, and it exploded with a stirring effect.
This crusade against Gov. Colquitt was the aggregation of every political disappointment, every soured ambition, every personal griev- ance connected with the Democratic party, every partisan pique, every irritated sensibility of private malice, every envenomed spite of a public nature, every restless dissatisfaction with existing politics, and every strong yearning of hope from new combinations of party and personal elements. It was homogeneous in the one common purpose to over- throw the existing and establish a new dynasty.
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CHAPTER XLIX.
GOVERNOR COLQUITT RECOMMENDED FOR GOVERNOR BY THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND EXCITING PO- LITICAL CONVENTION OF GEORGIA ANNALS.
The Convention to select Presidential Delegates .- The Fiery Campaign before the Gu- bernatorial Convention .- Colquitt's Atlanta Managers .- Henry W. Grady the Chief. -E. P. Howell .- The City Papers .- Hardeman, Gartrell, Lester and Warner .- A Fierce ,Crusade of Calumny against Colquitt .- A Savage Contest .- Gordon and Colquitt .- Amusing Conflict of Estimated Strength of the Candidates .- The Two Thirds Rule .-- The Convention .- Its Personelle .- The Colquitt Caucus .- Gov. Brown's Advice .- The Fine Leadership of Patrick Walsh .- Concessions of the Majority .- L. N. Trammell Permanent President .- His Brilliant Presiding .- Almost Two Thirds for Colquitt .- A Wily and Implacable Minority .- Any body but Colquitt .- Seven Long Days of Stirring Session .- Majority Indiscretion .- The Two Thirds Rule Adopted .-- The Fight over the Rules .- Gag-Law Discussed .- Clifford Anderson .- Dr. Henry Carlton's Compromise .- Hot Scene over it .- Ring- ing Speech of Patrick Walsh .- " We will Nominate Colquitt."-Thomas D. Wat- son's Burning Speech .- Joe Warren .- All the Compromises Rule out Colquitt .- Livingston of Newton .- Gen. Imboden .- Break in the Colquitt Ranks .- W. A. Reid Suggests Thomas G. Lawson .- Joe Warren's Ambuscade .- Colquitt's Men Stand Solid -A Sparkling Debate .- S. G. Mclendon Drops Colquitt .- R. W. Pat- terson's Brilliant Speech .- The Majority Rock-firm .- Final Resolutions to Recom- mend Colquitt after Three Ballots .- The Minority Ask Time .- A Recess .- The Minority Disintegrating .- On the Final Ballot Colquitt Gains, but no Nomination, and his Recommendation goes into Effect .- Electoral Candidates Chosen .- State House Officers Nominated .- Delegates on Final Adjournment begin Coming to Colquitt .- Carlton and Norwood Raise Points of Order, and stop the Change of Votes .- Adjournment of Convention.
THE Democratic State convention that met in Atlanta, on the 9th of June, 1880, to appoint delegates to the Cincinnati convention, was the first State gathering after the resignation of Gordon, and the appoint- ment of Brown. A majority of the members were for Colquitt, and this fact demonstrated the popular sentiment. Hon. L. N. Trammell was made temporary, and Hon. A. O. Bacon permanent Chairman of the Convention. There were 350 delegates from 119 counties. The delegates selected for the National Convention were : at large, Gen. A. R. Lawton, Hon. Geo. T. Barnes, Hon. E. P. Howell and Gen. P. M. B. Young ; District, W. A. Wilkins, J. M. Couper, J. R. Alexander,
569
COLQUITT'S ATLANTA CAMPAIGNERS.
B. E. Russell, L. M. Felton, D. M. Roberts, T. W. Grimes, P. H. Brewster, J. D. Stewart, C. C. Duncan, J. G. Oekington, A. C. Mc- Calla, J. C. Fain, A. H. Gray, D. M. Du Bose, P. Walsh, W. P. Price, T. M. Peeples.
Gen. A. R. Lawton was made chairman of the delegation at Cincin- nati. Hancock and English were nominated as the Democratic ticket for President and Vice-President, creating great enthusiasm in Demo- cratic Georgia. The main interest of our people in this State, how- ever, clustered around the gubernatorial race, and it intensified to a white heat. An organization of Gov. Colquitt's friends was made in Atlanta-a very thorough, strong and vigorous body. The leaders in it were an incomparable collection of bold managing young spirits, keen- witted, indefatigable, resourceful and aggressive. Henry W. Grady, as chairman of the campaign committee, is entitled to the leadership, though Evan P. Howell, William T. Newman, S. M. Inman and W. D. Ellis were not far behind him in their contributions. All of these long- headed young fellows buckled to the contest with a wonderful energy and tact. Howell was perhaps the most experienced of them, but Grady's enthusiasm was irresistible, and he finally took the undisputed command, and he manifested an executive capacity that was extraor- dinary. He threw himself into the struggle with his whole heart. He watched every point, kept the whole State in his observation, devised means, wrote letters, sent myriads of dispatches, strengthened doubt- ful localities, and placed help wherever it was needed.
The managers of the large dailies, the Atlanta Constitution, Augusta Chronicle and Constitutionalist, Savannah News, and Macon Tele- graph and Messenger were personally for Gov. Colquitt, though the journals were held neutral until the convention. The Columbus En- quirer-Sun, Atlanta Post and Augusta News strenuously opposed him. The large majority of the press favored Gov. Colquitt. The struggle for control of the convention was ferociously acrimonious, and settled into Colquitt and anti-Colquitt, it soon being discovered that he was stronger than the whole field together. Hardeman and Gartrell made ยท speeches, fair, unexceptionable and effective, abstaining from any personal discourtesy, and discussing Gov. Colquitt's official record legit- imately. Lester and Warner did no speaking. The auxiliary speakers and press against the Governor, however, kept up a lively fusillade. The savage character of the campaign against Gov. Colquitt was out- side of the opposing candidates, and was difficult to understand. Some- how this gentleman has never been on good terms with the professional
570
TIIE COLQUITT MASSES SLOWLY AROUSED.
politicians. His strength has been with the quiet, undemonstrative masses, who take little active interest in politics, unless aroused by some unusual inducement. The country wire workers have always antagonized him. The noisy element of the cities has been against him. The bar-rooms and their frequenters have fought him. His wonderful hold upon the people has excited the envy of the leading public men with some exceptions. The inability to use him has made him odious to the average partisan. His impregnable morality and identification with temperance, virtue and religion, have been a standing rebuke to the vicious and immoral. The bitter opposition that was aggregated against this godly gentleman, was something marvelous, and the resulting war- fare was unparalleled in its fierceness, persistence and malignity.
Every invention of calumny was evoked against Gov. Colquitt. His Democratic fealty was assailed, his ability denied, his personal honesty questioned, and his religion travestied. The opposition press teemed with charges against him of every kind, affecting his moral and religious character. Corruption was asserted against him in both personal and official matters. Every act of his administration was attacked and fal- sified. And in the noise following the Brown appointment, it looked as if the whole State was down upon the Governor. But it was a large mistake. The sluggish masses of good men began to take an interest. Slowly the reserves came into action, and under the steady advance of an awakened people the opposition disclosed its real weakness. Such ' an arousement of the State has not been seen in a century in Georgia. Men who had never taken any active part in politics came to the front as leaders. Old church deacons who had hitherto pursued a serene course of passivity in the turbulent turmoil of political strife, turned out zealously in the cause of morality and religion, imperiled in its cherished exponent. Usually few men turn out to nominations. The popular voting is reserved for elections. That contest for a nomination had all the intense interest of an election. The ordinary political managers in counties were aghast to see the people taking the authority from their hands. Tricks and tickets were set at naught. Town cliques, usually omnipotent, were brushed aside like cobwebs, and their manipulations punctured like empty bubbles. In Richmond county over 2,000 votes were polled. In numbers of counties a thousand men turned out to select nominating delegates. Such a primary expression of the voice of the people had never before been given in the political annals of the State. And it was almost a continuous thunder tone of endorsement for the slandered Colquitt.
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571
COLQUITT SWEEPS THE STATE.
In the middle of the fight a new and frightful aspersion was shot upon the air just when a majority of the important counties were to act. It was the last and reserved fire of the calumniators. It made Colquitt more votes. The people, thoroughly aroused, rolled up in- creased majorities for the gameful Colquitt. The speeches made by Colquitt and Gordon were stirring and effective pieces of hustings oratory. They were invited to all parts of the State. Immense gather- ings met them wherever they were announced. Both are strikingly handsome men, both possessed of magnetic personal presence, both captivating public speakers, both individuals of exalted Christian piety, and both had been successful and brilliant soldiers. The victories in some of the counties were extraordinary, and the enthusiasm they created was unbounded. In the powerful county of Burke, where Lester was born, the toughest struggle of the campaign resulted in a solid delegation for Colquitt. The wealthy and influential county of Houston, one of Hardeman's strongholds, chose a fervent Colquitt dele- gation. Even Merriwether county, the life-long home of the venerable Judge Warner, gave a majority of district delegates for Colquitt for a county convention to select State delegates. The Warner men appointed delegates, and there resulted a contest in the State Conven- tion. The victory for Colquitt in Merriwether was not a beneficial one in results. It very much displeased Judge Warner, and begat in him a stern opposition that he pushed in no half-handed way. It is due to truth, however, to say that amid all the vilification of Governor Col- quitt, he never spoke a word of abuse against his rivals. He went steadily forward in firm reliance upon his own merits, uttering no detraction of others.
It was very amusing to see how widely apart the strength of the can- didates was put by the opposing papers. The Constitution of Atlanta, whose information had been culled and sifted with vigilant care, and that had the benefit of all of Gov. Colquitt's comprehensive and accu- rate correspondence, gave Colquitt 2242 votes out of the 350 votes in the Convention, or within nine of a two-thirds majority. When 320 delegates had been chosen, the Constitution gave Colquitt 2033, Harde- man 44, Lester 383, Gartrell 163, Warner 3, Doubtful 7, anti-Colquitt 73. The Atlanta Post-Appeal divided 308 votes as follows: Colquitt 1433, Lester 723, Hardeman 42, Gartrell 29, Warner 7, Underwood 2, anti-Colquitt 18. The Macon Telegraph and Messenger estimated 318 votes as follows: Colquitt 1893, Hardeman 543, Lester 42, Gartrell 16}, anti-Colquitt and Doubtful 153, but gave Colquitt 215 votes for the
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572
THE NOMINATING CONVENTION.
first ballot. A bare majority was 176. The Anti-Colquitt papers esti- mated Colquitt's vote under a majority. Both sides claimed to be un- erringly correct.
A question that excited much feeling and speculation, was whether the convention should adopt the two-thirds rule. The majority rule would give the nomination to Colquitt. The old usage of the Democ- racy had been the two-thirds rule in National Conventions. This rule was adopted in the Democratic Conventions from 1843 to 1857, in the Convention that nominated Gov. Brown. In December, 1871, Gov. Smith was nominated under the majority rule. The Convention of 1872, that renominated Gov. Smith, adopted the same rule. The Convention of 1876 used no rule in the nomination of Gov. Colquitt.
The Convention met in Atlanta, on Wednesday, the 4th day of Au- gust, 1880, at half past two o'clock. The delegates assembled in the representative chamber, at eleven o'clock, but it was found that the large hall would not hold them, unless the desks were moved out, and the hour of meeting was postponed for this purpose. There were 549 delegates representing every county in the State, and 350 votes. There never has been in the history of Georgia, and there never proba- bly will be such another Convention. During war days no such fever has been aroused. Gov. Colquitt's crushing sweep of county triumphs, and magnificent popular majority, had not subdued in the slightest ex- tent the determined hostility of the opposition, but rather intensified it seemingly. The convocation of inflammable spirits came together primed for an irrepressible explosion, and the out-burst ensued inex- orably.
Gov. Colquitt's friends met in caucus in the large Concordia Hall, Lester's adherents in the breakfast-room of the Kimball House, and Hardeman's supporters at the Markham House. Colquitt's caucus was like a convention and packed the large hall. It was an unwieldy gath- ering, but it somehow settled, by its own inspiration, into cohesiveness and accord of action. Caucus meetings were held nearly every evening, and the policy of the next day discussed and decided. And it was a curious demonstration of zeal and interest that these advisory gather- ings continued to the last with full attendance. Several of them were a species of political "love-feast." The first and main subject of dis- cussion was the two-thirds rule. There was a contrariety of opinion. Some very strong men, led by Hon. Patrick Walsh, were in favor of the majority rule. Gov. Brown advised the adoption of the two-thirds rule, and some of the Colquitt men would have no other. This subject
HON. PATRICK WALSH. 573
was ably discussed from every stand-point. Gov. Brown believed that enough delegates would, after a while, come from the opposition to give the two-thirds to Colquitt, if his friends stood firm. But if they did not, and it was necessary to go before the State with the Democracy split, because the minority refused to carry out the will of the major- ity, and the opposition party vote should become a balance of power, it would be easier to get that vote than if a regular majority nomina- tion was made. One fact had to be confronted squarely, and that was, that the leaders of the minority had come to the convention to defeat Colquitt at any cost and in any way. His friends were equally resolved to carry him through.
The anti-Colquitt men boldly declared that, if the majority rule was adopted, which Colquitt's supporters could do, they would bolt the convention, and make a separate nomination. Under this rule Colquitt's nomination was a certainty. Under the two-thirds rule they hoped to prevent his nomination. Mr. Walsh saw the spirit of the opposition, and was for "taking the bull by the horns " and mak- ing the issue, leaving the minority to their remedy of acquiescence or the responsibility of disintegrating the party by disobedience to its action. Mr. Walsh developed in this whole session in caucus, and on the floor of the convention, the most salient and potential traits of leadership. When his sturdy, strong-set, firm-planted figure rose, his coat closely-buttoned, shoulders thrown back, his head poised solidly and unmoving on his stout neck, his determined, massive face gazing steadily forward, with his short, straight hair rolling back in a leonine way from the brow, and his resonant, compassing voice uttering with a singularly strong emphasis, his clear-cut, direct sentences, he was a striking embodiment of force and earnestness, and he held the eager attention of the vast body upon every ringing syllable. There was no deviousness in this superb Irishman's strategy. He was as direct as the course of a cannon ball. His individuality was the more impressive that he has nothing in him of the mercurial and flashing quality sup- posed to belong to his high-mettled nationality. His best power was his fine, intense repose and freedom from nervousness. Fearless, true, able, eloquent, earnest, devoted, immovable by menace or temptation, Mr. Walsh made more repute, stood upon higher ground and was more the target for the hostile fire of the opposition than any other member of this stormy and unprecedented convention.
Gov. Brown's view was adopted by a large majority in the caucus. Mr. Walsh was made temporary Chairman of the Convention, which
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574
THE PERSONELLE OF THE CONVENTION.
was opened by Judge Geo. N. Lester, Chairman of the State Demo- cratic Executive Committee, in an eloquent little speech, earnestly urg- ing party harmony. Mr. Walsh delivered a ringing address. Among the delegates who figured during the session were: A. L. Hawes, F. C. Furman, F. G. Du Bugnon, T. W. Akin, A. W. Fite, P. M. B. Young, Clifford Anderson, S. H. Jemison, R. W. Patterson, Samuel Hall, R. F. Lyon, J. L. Hardeman, E. R. Harden, E. F. Lawson, R. O. Lovett, J. P. Thomas, J. L. Warren, A. P. Adams, T. M. Norwood, H. H. Carlton, T. N. Rucker, P. W. Alexander, U. B. Wilkinson, L. H. Featherston, J. C. Nisbet, David A. Vason, R. Hobbs, J. R. Towers, Wm. T. Newman, W. M. Lowry, Walter R. Brown, G. W. Mabry, M. L. Mershon, W. R. Rankin, T. M. Peeples, Henry Perry, W. J. Northern, Geo. M. Nolan, John W. Glenn, J. W. Preston, W. P. Johnson, F. H. West, H. T. Hollis, Thos. E. Watson, J. R. Casey, W. R. Gignillatt, G. A. Caba- niss, W. Luffman, W. W. Giddens, S. E. Field, F. G. Wilkins, John King, J. M. Russell, L. F. Livingstone, James M. Smith, J. C. Nicholls, N. J. Tumlin, C. M. Bozeman, Geo. W. Jordan, W. A. Reid, W. M. Anderson, T. L. Guerry, R. H. May, J. V. H: Allen, P. L. Cohen, W. Daniel, P. Walsh, J. C. Dell, John D. Stewart, E. P. Speer, W. A. Hawkins, John A. Cobb, A. A. Carson, J. T. Willis, L. C. Hoyle, S. G. Mclendon, H. W. Hopkins, F. M. Longley, A. D. Abrahams, F. B. Wimberly, C. J. Wellborn, W. H. Pilcher, A. B. Purdom, D. B. Har- rell, J. H. Nichols, F. H. Colley, L. N. Trammell, I. E. Shumate, J. A. W. Johnson, W. A. Harris.
There were contests from Clinch, Chattahoochee, Merriwether, Wash- ington and Wilkinson counties. The Colquitt men having a majority, had the whole matter in their own hands, but the seated delegates were pretty equally divided between the contesting sides. Among the contest- ants admitted were W. T. Revill, J. Sweat, J. N. Gilmore and J. K. Hines. The Hon. L. N. Trammell was elected, unanimously, President of the Convention. 'There has never been, in the history of public conventions, a finer piece of parliamentary presiding than Mr. Trammell's govern- ment of this fiery convocation. It must be held in mind that he was a warm Colquitt supporter, and he had to steer between the expectation of his friends for that decided leaning to his own side, that an expe- rienced chairman can so helpfully give, and the proclivity of the oppo- sition to suspect his fairness and censure his rulings. It was the highest possible tribute to Mr. Trammell, that both sides were satisfied and deemed his action fair. Not only this, but in the clash of parliamentary strategy and in the turbulence of heated debate, there were repeatedly
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EN Trammell
HON. L. N. TRAMMELL, PRESIDENT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
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575
HON. L. N. TRAMMELL AS CHAIRMAN.
two dangerous contingencies constantly threatening, viz., inextricable confusion in the order of business and an ungovernable turmoil. Mr. Trammell met both of these perils with a most masterly skill and firm- ness. His solution of a parliamentary puzzle was instantaneous and decisive. No man with a less available and thorough knowledge of the law of deliberative bodies could have been equal to the trying occasion. His intuitions were like lightning, and as resolute as the edicts of an autocrat.
Both sides stood in eager, reckless antagonism, and fought for every advantage. Both sides were determined and combative, and their spirit drove to an explosion. Mr. Trammell held. the unruly elements with a strong hand, and carried the stormy proceeding for seven long days to an orderly conclusion. It was a splendid triumph of presiding genius. And it was an extraordinary and unequaled piece of tact, intelligence, firmness and leadership. The policy of the Colquitt men, looking to win converts, was conciliation. The policy of the opposition, looking solely to defeat Colquitt, was collision that would solidify the anti-Colquitt men, and they therefore used every means to stir strife and sting the majority to feeling and aggressiveness. In the Colquitt caucus the line of a determined silence was laid out, but the minority leaders were so adroit and annoying, putting the smart so effectively that time and again some of the majority, worried and goaded out of all discretion, slopped over and went to fighting back in good fashion to the unspeakable delight of the minority leaders.
There never was just such another parliamentary battle. It was a large body of unusual intelligence. It was an unbroken majority against a solid minority. The leaders on both sides were men of splendid wit. The masses of both sides were men of conviction and pride. Colquitt's hold on his followers was a marvel of personal influ- ence. The other candidates were speedily absorbed in the over- whelming and implacable purpose to defeat Colquitt, and the hold of the opposition leaders on their coalition of four conflicting squads, caring nothing for each other, and only united in a crusade to defeat a common opponent, was a phenomenon of management. The minority leaders were afraid of their men, who were disposed to yield an unavail- ing fight, especially when they were placed in the disagreeable position of an obstinate and factious minority. And these leaders would stir up a hot debate, when an injudicious speaker of the majority, under some scorching provocation, would blurt out a reproach that would weld the dissolving minority. The greatest danger was in the withdrawal of the
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576
. THE TWO-THIRDS RULE ADOPTED.
minority candidates, under the appeal that they were holding their names as instruments to prolong a strife and balk a decided majority. The minority leaders overcame this peril by pressing the obligation upon these candidates to stand to the friends who had fought their battle. It was a cruel slaughter of men for an honorable idea.
All through the thrilling conflict it seemed as if a series of well-meant acts of the majority played into the hands of the keen-witted and implacable minority leaders. Just when the convention seemed at a solution, some unfortunate episode would remit the body back to tur- bulence and irreconcilable division. Every effort was made to break the unity of the Colquitt phalanx. Man after man of its leaders was tempted with the nomination. The minority, it was alleged, was ready to support any one the majority would offer, except - Colquitt. It was a strange and persevering fight on one unalterable line. It was a miracle of hostile tenacity. Nor is there any reasonable solution of it in the mere opposition to Gov. Colquitt. Men were pushing this crusade of enmity to Colquitt, who had none of it, and were merely using it as a weapon. This will be referred to later.
Gen. Young threw the two-thirds rule at the minority with a ringing defiance that roused every spark of the war spirit. In the majority caucus it had been determined to concede the two-thirds rule for this convention, but to urge that the majority rule prevail in future conven- tions. Mr. Walsh made an eloquent effort to press the majority rule for the future, but strange to say, the unspeakable folly was committed of the members of the majority voting in the convention against a measure they supported in caucus. This episode did no good to the majority, and gave the minority a manifest advantage. One of the gentlemen who made a fine impression on this body, was I. E. Shumate, of Dalton, Whitfield county. Both in caucus and convention, he was very brilliant and impressive. His oratory is musical and stirring, and his matter and manner dignified, conservative, and magnetic. He evinced a rare quality of leadership. His colleague, Col. J. A. W. Johnson, in several meetings of the caucus, made some talks in his own inimitable, tingling style, that will stay in the memory of every man that heard them.
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