Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-09
COMMUNICATION
To the Southern Rights. Members OF the
Tennessee Legislature.

To the Southern Rights. Members of the
Tennessee Legislature.
You will have to provide, at your present session
for the representation of Tennessee in the Confed
crate Congress, under the permanent Constitution.
This question involves the most important consii
erations.
The voice of the State as expressed in June and
August, should be fully and fairly represented As
we are in the midst of mighty revolution, the end
of which no man can foretell, it is of the utmost
importance that the Congress should be unit No
discordant element should be introduced into that
body, and no man hostile to the Southern cause
thrust int their midst.
Yeu have the power, and it ia your duty, in the
present crisis to provide for sending united and
harnOnious delegation from the gallant volunteer
State She has suffered from the presence and
inhusnce of Traitors on her soil Her character
must be redeemed ald the voice of treason from
Tennessee tongue, should not be heard in our Con-
fedsrat0 CouaciIs.. You can prevent it,
Ia the approaching Congress the State il eatitlsd
% eleven Representatives in thu 10 wer branch By
the last spportOnment the State was divsd into 10
Districts il the old system is adhered to in the
suing eleetOa but ten Representatives can be elect
ed. This VIII not do. If the oil rule is departed
from in any case il should be abandoned altogether
Again By reason Of the gerrymlndering system
adopted in 1885, great insquSlity existed in repre-
sentation, and since that period great changes have
occurred by the change of population. These facts
ts1der the selection of representatives, By the old
distrieas are very Objectionable. In addoR il they
sre thus elected the voice of Southern Rights men
IA E.st Tennessee will be 81 encad as the following
facts will dsmSastrAte
There are net less thsn from three to four thou
sand Southern Rights voters from that secto w
barring their hos pm to the stsra Q: battle in sister
Sts1ss. A large proportion of theG sre from one
district They can have voice in the eeetion and
without proper action on the part Of the Lsgisa-
cgre, these brave men must be uRrepressntei yea,
worse, msrepresentsd IN the councils of the nation
teg are serving. Their principles will have no exp
nm, and there will be no one to whom they eau
appeal for such aid they may need from the CoDi
federate Government While they are Perilling
their lives in defence of their native South, men who
oyefer he'll to the Southern Confederscy" to be
sent IA represent them in the Confederate Congress-
Forbid4t, Heaven!
"a. It's 600 late to attempt to re-orgAnizs the
Teistricts The election will be over before it c&1
be accomplished Besides, there Is no data by
which tlie appOrtiOnWeRt could be made. Tbs
census retgrns of 1869 have rot been published
the populaaeo of the several eoS4tes are unknown.
Ii the same b&sGs is made for Congressional repre-
,e1tatves as is provided for the Legislature the
Psrrnanent Constitutes will be violated, and the
aua16Le ksresy of the IOEE basis adopted, 10 WHICH
50 TRUE S0gTHERN MAN WILL EVE SUBMIT.
To avoid all of these difficulties, hsve the State
trgIy represented, all stain upon her Rscutcheon
removed and Sustiee rendered to our brave vplgn-
Geers: the Legislature for tbs approaching election
should adopt the gsEerG Ticket system, elect all Of
the representatives, by the popular vote OF the State
30 true Southern man can object 10 this mode IL
ia fair equal Constitutional polite and Is the only
course that can be pursued free of difficulties
TESNESSEE.