The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-01

the fact that free negroes did vote, while
slavery was in full force in this State.
A gentleman informed us some time ago,
that he had seen distinguished Demo
cratic politician Of this State, subse-
quently member of the Cabinet, and
now strong Southern Rights advocate,
walk arm in arm to the polls with free
negroes, who deposited their ballots for
him, and shareholders stood around and
approved and coun tenAnoed the proceed
ings. We have heard it state that Hon.
John Bell remarked on one occasion, that
he was twice elected 10 Congress by the
help of negro votes The statement is
not az all improbable, but as we cannot
recall the name of the author we will
not vouch for its correctness. Such
thing, however, might easily have oc-
Cured.
Nor is Tennessee the only slave State
where free negroes were allowed to vote,
for many years, with the appreciation OF
Shareholders.
Free negroes were permitted to vote in
North Carolina until the amendment of
the Constitution in 1885, when prohibit
ton was adopted. Senator Douglas, in
the debate on the admission of Mime
sofa into the Union, stated, as a histori-
cal incident, (Which was not contra
dictod by the North Carolina Senators
present,) that distinguished North Car
Gilman emancipated large number of
his negroes IN order to make them voters TO
elect him 10 Tie LegislatUyeef he State.
Thus it appears that either those
persons who arc ALARMED Mt the remote
prospect of negro suffrage, in the event
of the abolition of slavery, are either
grossly ignorant Of the history of the
Slave States, or else they hold to the
singular doctrine that free negroes have
a right TO vote in q community where
there are slaves, but not a right to vote
where all nre free. Certainly all reflect
ing persons must see that the former
would be far the most objection ole,
dangerous, and subversive of ,he el!are
of society.
We have proved our second PROPOSE
ton; and from the facts adduced comes
the inevitable inference that SLAVE
HOLDERS HAVE NO OBJECTION TO NEGRO
SUFFRAGE PEI Sc, BUT ALLOW NEGROES TO
VOTE OR NOT AS THEIR OWN INTERESTS
MAY SEM TO DICTATE, Such is the evil
dence of history. 80. s..r.-.vp .i
We now come to our last proposition,
that state of morals, almost wholly I'M
known in free States, involving the very
purity the blood Of the white and black
races, is countenanced and widely toll
Grated in the slave States. This needs
no proof to establish its truth; no man
will be hardy enough TO contradict it.
Negroes of pure unmixed blood are now
comparatively scarce, and in the course
of two generations il is probable not ono
would be found in ell the slave States.
The curse of amalgamation is not con-
fined TO the lower classes of society in
the slave States. No man would be like
ly to lose his money who should wager
that one half of the members of the Con-
federate Cabinet and Congress have mu-
latto offspring. Col R. NJ. johnson,
Vice President of the United States, and
twice a candidate for that office, lived in
open concubinage with two of his slaves
and had several children by them. In
other respects he was a man of blameless
character and integrity.
Admitting all that The slavery
party have alleged with regard to ANAL
gamation, il is certain that the corruption
of blood could not be moro prevalent
than it has been under slavery but this
amalgamation is almost wholly unknown
in the States where there is no slavery
We have thus clearly shown that the
popular error that there is any connec-
ton between the abolition of slavery,
and negro suffrage and amalgamatiOn is
a very gross one, having not the slightest
foundation on which to rest. 1t is evil
dent that man may be an amalgAma-
ZIONIST, and an advocate of negro suffrage,
and yet a violent anti abolitionist.
1t is evident, also, that man may be
an ardent abolitionist, and yet violent
opponent of amalgamation, and of negro
suffrage,
And yet the confusion of these two
widely different things is the chief
weapon of the pro-slavery faction, in the
free as well as in the slave States.
Negro Finhnciering And ChiyaIry
Fi"Snciering Compared.
The great Southern Confederacy is
governed by the very pink of fre-sating
chiyalry; the President hailing from Mis-
sissippi, and the Cabinet being composed
Of the most distinguished rebels of Lou
isiana Alabama, Georgia and Virginia.
HRyti is free negro government, and
Il