Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-13
rHg usuRrArtosl IN TENNESSEE.


The reader can easily understand that if the
usurpation attempted to be enforced In Tennessee
Tor the purpose of disfranshising the great major
tyoi her loyal population eTcitss detestation in
honest minds outside of the State, much more must
10 rouse the Indignation of those whom it is sought
70 make the victims of such tyranny by depriving
them OF their electoral rights A correspondent
Of our excellent contemporary in Nashville, the
Daily Press thus tersey puts the argument against
the iniquitous assumption of Mr. Andrew John
son, who is at the same time Mr.. Lnooln's Mill
tary Governor in Tennessee and Mr. Lincoln's as
sociate on the Republican Presidential ticket
The writer says: 3ie
"To make this matter plain Gov Johnson, by his procla
nation of September 1854 declares the constitution and
laws Of Tennessee compiled in the Code and as they
exsted before the rebellion, to be the consultation and
laws OF this State Now, upon examination of the Code
find the following II any person unawfuiy. and by force
or threats prevent endeaoor to preDsnt eector from
giving his vote, at any public election in this State he
sha bs punished BY imprisonment in the county jail not
than months and by fine Of not less than one hun
dred dollass The constitution being declared in force
BY Gov Johnson prescrbes the qualification Of voters
from voting at the ensuing election who shall have the
qualifications therein prescribed justly lays hmse liable
to the penalties prescribed for violation Of the above
And II Gov Andrew johnson enOrces the above proca
nation he lays himself liable to the same he himself hay
ing declared that law in force.
He cannot expect any honest man. who understands
the acs to assist him in carrying out his last procama
nation while the laws and constitution of this State are
10 force as be himself has declared and ho cannot nu
nor set aside hese laws and constitution they existed
before the rebellion without going back TO his old plat
form of 1860 when no advocated the election OF South
traitor To the Presidency and declaring the State
Of the Union II he declares the State out of the Union,
then election be held Ii the State in the Union
then every in the State possessing the qualifications
the constitution prescbes above quoted s entitled to
vote and he who prevents attmeps to prevent any
such person from voting s liable to Indictment and upon
conviction to be imprisoned six months and pay ne Of
one hundred dollars. Gov johnson declared the above
quoted law to BIO in force. and he thereby adopts it, and
30 let him and his friends abide by it,"
The friends Of the Union and Constitution in
Tennessee are in no want Of laws that define their
rights. What they want is ruler who, within
his sphere has respect for the Constitution and
laws-awant made painfully manifest to their ex-
perience and to the whole countrys observation by
the usurpation just contaminated
Referring to this. same subject the Nashville
Daily Press, in its issue of the 9th Instant says
Heretofore in this country every individual aud every
party aiming power and Office has sought success by at
tempts to cOnciate the confidence and good will of the
people. With whatever of truth and reality all parties
have protested to defer to the fairly expressed will Of
majority of voters and above all things TO reverence the
sacredness of free ballot Until set of men has
ever proclaimed an expectation wish TO obtain
political preferment except through popular favor When
all dependence upon this Of political promotion is
openly renounced AK what other of attaining
the object is leta There can possibly be but
sort to force.
aAny intelligent mar who has attended to the progress
of events in Tennessee for the last four months at
loss to anticipate the evidence TO introduce In
his late proclamation regarding the Presidential election
Ard
does not look for to himself and his party to the
confidence and favor and consequently the votes of the
people Ia it's every sentence that document breathes in
suit and defiance to popular feeling Its every provision
and requirement open and shameless violation of his
aad the Presidents pledges to the people Of Tennes
see: With supercions graeiousness 1t tel whom he
will aud whom he will not permit to vote in that election
Our right to vote at all 10 to be derived from his good
pleasure and to be enjoyed upon such conditions az he
may choose to prescribe To cap the climax OF impudent
assumption of the conditions upon which we are per-
mited to enact this farce Of election is that aeyen
his own egemen-sha previously swear that thew will
not vote for the only ticket opposed to that which carries
bis own name" Ess.l ~
The New York Commercial Advertiser, in COM
menting on the proceedings of Mr.. Lnooln's Mill
tary Governor in Tennessee, says:
at is time that the party some open
ebuke be given to this action and that the loud voiced ad
vocates Of freedom and civil rights should express their
minds upon subject grave this 1t against last
such policy that the manifesto Of Senator Wade and Con-
RressWah LAWS was drected. ihey saw that the Pres
dent might attempt to make his election by holding
the electoral votes Of the rebel States at the dctaon Of
his personal ambition; but it hardly TO be expected
that the Presidents associate the ticket would shock
pubic decency BY bold appropriation Of the voting
force Of Stste. There in the Republican party
like Wade and Sumner, the of ideas, and others like
Coamer and Harris, who pledged by their past words
TO resist these Executive encroachmens, and to oppose
any attempt to abandon disregard the landmarks that
have been set for the guidance of those who direct
public policy. 1t reasonable to suppose that they
will not falter in doing their duty"
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