Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-13
Spec CHI of Hon. e. Etheridge,
OF TENNESSEE,
[COSTISTFD
Ia the House Of Representatives.. Jan. %. Il

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1t is alleged that a portion OF the people
OF the free States favor the social equality of
the negro Well, if this be so to any consid-
cradle extent. am very sorry for 1t. and
wish 1t were otherwise. To say the least, ii
exhibits, in my Judgment, very bad taste
but do not believe it is SO to any conside-
rable extent. But if it were, would separa-
ton change their taste or make them repadi-
ate such social equality? l will not make
any special aliusioB, or Tecur PARTICULARS to
chapter in our past party warfare We're
L to do so, L might show how an alleged pre-
objection for the social equality of the negro
was once charged upon a gallantsoldIer and
veteran stateman, who. during an eventful
| life was u special iavOrite of the people.
North and South. But this | will say, that
scandal is the poisonous W, apUn of all pOlit-
| cal parties IN truly exciting times tits
often inVOk d, and but rarely in vain.
may say that the political equality of the
/ negro was not wholly unknown to the peo-
pie of some of the slave States thirty years
ago. Half a century elapsed. in some of the
| southern States, before the right of suffrage
| was denied to the free negro population.
| live in a State whose public men have not
been wholly unknown to fame. We vet
preserve TecOllectiOns of a Jackson and
Polk. The first constitution of Tennessee
was made in 1856. 1t remained unchang ed
=
peculiar features of that constitution was
that it sanctioned and approved the political
equality of the negro to the extent of allow
ing the right of suffrage; and If be owned a
sufficient amount of property, he was given a
preference over the white man who had none.
Andrew Jackson was member of the con-
ventiOn that ordained that constitution. His
signature is attached to it to-day; and twice
before il was changed, he was made Presi-
dent of the United States. In the State of
New York but two months ago, a proposition
TO give political equality to the negro. TO the
extent of universal. suffrage was voted down
by more than ten to one. 1t did not receive
the vote of any considerable minority in
single county in the State. l repeat, that
the political equality of the negro, to the
extent have named-and it is believe
the extent to which it prevails in any of the
free States-has existed heretofore in many
Of the southern States. 1t formerly prevailed
in my native State-NOTth Carolina-where,
until within the last thirty years, free negroes
were allowed the right of suffrage. May we
not exercise little charity and forbearance
upon this matter, especially as we set the ex-
ample, and have no rightful power to prevent
its exercise in other States. Most of the free
States never have, and do not now permit
negro suffrage, while social equality il
a thing almost wholly Unknown, even in the
most radical of the anti-slavery States. The
people of Tennessee advanced somewhat
slowly, as is shown by their allowing negro
suffrage from 1896 until 1885 and as these
Republicans are somewhat progressive, per-
haps they, too, after a while, may change
their policy.
AS to the apprehensions expressed about
invasions, such as John Brown made into
Virginia, have this to answer: vii disunion
or separation enable the seeding States to
protect themselves more efficiently than now?
Can you have more sanguinary code for
the punishment OF such invasiOns after sepl-
ration than we now have? At this time,
every citizen Of the southern States feels
himself Judge. juror, and eXecutioner in such
cases and every tree in the forest is made
convenient gallOws on which to hang such
invaders. John Browns fate has taught all
such men that we now have code in such
cases as sure and summary as il can be made
1t is matter OF history that the noble
State of Pennsy lyania--a State which if it
had to speak through the ballot-boX to-day,
would roll up majority of thousands in ia
vor of Union and fair adjustment Of present
complicatiOns-waS prompt to viudicate
herself from any-suspieiOn of sympathy with
Brown and bis dozen followers. Two OF his
adherents sought refuge in the mountains of
that State. where they were arrested by as
many of her citizens, and instantly surren-
dered to the authorities of Virginia, where
they were tried, convicted, and executed.
They paid the penalty of their crimes with a
| forfeiture of their lives yet so great was the
panic created by this insane project of Brown
| that the State of Virginia Immediately few
| to arms her northern border was bristling
with bayonets. was alleged, to repel an
apprehended invasiOns from Pennsylvania
and other States for the liberation of Brown
and his followers. And the people of Vir
ginia believed such an invasion was seri-
ously contemplated.
Sir, the great evil of the times is, that the
people of all the different sections have lis
tened so much to persistent misrepresenta-
ton, that they actually know less of each
others true purposes and feelings to-day
than they did thirty years ago. The policy
of tue radical Aboitionists is to intensity
the opposition to slavery which has always
existed in the northern mind. To do this
they publish every libel that fanaticism can
invent. and apply it to the great body of the
people OF the Sonth And the purpose of the
disuniOnsts of the South has been, and now
is, to give aotoristy to every extreme opin-
ion of northern Ultraists as the prevailing
sentiment of the great body Of the people OF
the free States. In each section, the most in-
temperate expressions and conduct of the
other are represented as the rule instead of
the exception. Thus. misrepresentation, per-
version and falsehOOd, have done their WORK,
and we are now reaping the bitter fruits.
Last year Texas was represented as in flames;
peaceful villages and habitations were said
TO be consumed by the torch or northern
abolition incendiaries. The public mind was
frenzied; and 10 doubt the innocent were
often made victims 10 the widespread alarm
which time and reflection will prove to have
been unfounded. But, were these exagser-
ations all stern realities, would separation or
disunion Increase the power of the people
there to protect themselves from the dagger
| or the torch? viii that State have greater
| facilities for Furnishing inciters of insurrec-
| ton when ont of the Union. than are now
| found acitltin it2 Reason and common sense
| answer no. A northern AbolitiOnist, or other
person, who goes to Texas TO tamper with
| slaves or promote rebellion, deserves a per-
| manent Judgement in an asylum for the in
sane. OF all the places in the world, Texas
| is the last to welcome or appreciate his pre-
| sence. As we'll might the most deyoutly pi-
| Gus seek happiness by folding bis christian
mantle around him, and plunging into the
| gulf which separates Lazarus from the rich
man in hell. [Laughter.l So much then for
| the various allegations which the seceders
| have pre- ierred against the Federal Govern
ment.
| have, for the sake Of the argument. &C
cepted all your charges as true. and allowed
| you to present them in their most aggravated
form; and were they all really true to the ex-
| tent that partisan coloring has painted
them, still, so well satisfied am that dis
union would aggravate them all, and prove
| no remedy for anything, that 1 would endure
all these evils for years to come, before
would overthrow my country, and entail up
on lis kindred people the inevitable horrors
of traternal war. Sir, go further / SO love
my country that | would add to all these
things continuance of the unfortunate
reign of James Buchanan and his late advi-
sers for eight years more. / would repeat
the sad experiment of the "old public fnnc-
tionary" for dozen years, before l would
consent to murder my country and extin-
guish the patriots last and dearest hopes.
In regard to the pending question, and
others OF kindred nature, have only time