Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-22
Edition
FOUR O'CLOCK. p. NJ. .
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT,
In t., ply TO Committee OF Tsnn,Isssans
who Prots sted, on tho t5th Instant,
against the Proclamation Of
GOV. Andrew johnson,
sept. 30. 1894.
tuFrICIAL.l

GENTLEMEN; On the 18Th day OF this month,
as l remember, printed paper, with few
manuscript intcrllneatlons, called q protest,
with your names appended crcto, and accom-.
panied by another printed paper purportlng TO
be a proclamation by Andrew johnson, Mill.
tary Governor Of Tennessee, and also manu-.
script paper rurportlng to be extracts from the
Code of Tennessee, was laid before nc. The
Protest, Proclamation and Extracts arc respect
lively as follows
To hit Erceisrcg AI,Gho q LiEcoIa, P,Sidrni cf he
InhS Ha'ts'
sIR: The Iynicr,ignch, loyal citizens of the
own behAlf Eni on hthat CT the loyal people Of
our state, Gfk leSve 10 tuNmt this rrotrs' against
the PToclsHN'iou ni his Excclloncy Andrew } hu
son, Miitsfy Governor, order ng an election to be
heli for President sad Vice President, under Ger.
tain regulations cGtTic ions thoi eiu so forth
pfintet cory Of IAii Procl'matio Is herewith
The Constitution of the United states provides
hat Each state ,hsll sppSlnt, IN such maRn,r as
ne L'0tgldiurt hDfgf mTy direct, number OF EJECT
ors," &C.. Inuer this pro isIon OF the FsdersI
Constitution, the Legislature OF Tennessee, Jcars
bniore the present rebellion, prescribed he mode
Of election to he Observed, which will be found 10
diiteI essentially from the mode proicrlbcd by the
MIlit0r. Governor We herewith enclose a copy
OF u. ''r rennesfc oSoveTning the hOl ling Of
The Military Governor expressly assumes, by
vituH EuthOiiry derived from the President, 10
40 Al ard amend tho election law Of Tennessee
70 'ci under authority Of the Constitution OF
he United States, as above set fofth,) as to make
he aIH clulorm 10 his own Ctict ~ Tet loTth in
the ptn 3. latiOu AfDresait.
lie "a. om9I 20 as TO modify our law As 90 admit
persons 10 vote ht tho said election who ale not
entitled 10 vote under the law snd the Constitu-
tiol Of Tennessee. l1stAuce this: our COnri'u
ton and Law require that each voter shall be -
citizen Of the cOuEiy wherein he may Oiler his vote
Tor six nOnhS neNt pre-: ding day Of cleeio -
Ittfhk fIa M Va Tin nFAl Natl
shall with Other gualii9AtinnE nance Ire . eiIiZen
| OF Tennessee for biX months, -. This prOviBion
would Edmitto vote many PeriOns not entitled ry
law.
we viii for the s,ke Of brNvi'y, pass over come
less important points OF cor iiot ustweCn the proc
nation and the law, bur will instance in this
plhcl another BY our law II is ptovldeh that tho
polis shAl be opened In every civil disfc in each
courty in tho 'f7e the proclaim stl on pro
county. This provision wouli put it out Of tho
| power OF many 6gM TUtGis to exercise the cleo
| live franchise.
meats Of our law, conflicting rs they 10, with the
very letter OF the Fcicral COnBli utior, hecau.
they arc Without authOr.ty, Gad because they will
prevent Tree, fair AID true :ettiUR Of the Will
| OF the 10y al people OF lie. ncssee.
| but We Protest aul muIb cmphAticllly against
| the most uAusu5' and impracticAblC test oath
witch It Ia propose TO IequIe OF all citizen voters
| u TeBpcssce 4 citizen qualified to vote, aud
| whose loyalty cannot lie "dtprovsd hv othtr I. G.
| umnny,hls 10 be required 20 swear first, thAt he
| 'will heucSfOsIh support the COnstItutOn OF the
United s:es, and Gclebd 1t against all enemies -
This obligation We 3 c wiling u Iehew daily
but tLis is no. yet -emcd n sufficient test OF
loyalty. He 10 required to make Data and sub
.cFha 10 \ mass OF We In Iepetltions concerning his
,etiNiy aAH friend oi thc>I'nion and the enemy OF
| ITS ntm'cs-cOncCIuins Ills desires his hopes aud
leATE-auL thIt lie finds II In his heart 10 rejoice
over the ,ccneS Of blood, and OF wounds, OF an
gulL and dc Ath, wlPTC.n his Iiisnds, his kindFt
hls 10, I'd ones are rain or maimGd, OF m ,dG pFis
OnerA OF wsT--whtTtb by the iaRi Of his birth Oi
aGoptiUu Is EGde 'esOlatc, and lamcntauon an,
I R,NV 4 d tnl ~ a.
While all the yiiztd world staals Sghast In COG
temptation OF the unequalled horrors OF our ire
mendugS strife, the citizen oi Tennessee 10 csle'
upon by her Military Governor under your Au
thOIity, 10 swe4T that in theBe thipgs he nds Oc
oEsinn 10 rjOitC! A II this wcrs stli not enough
the citizen IS further TCQ Tired to swear to the
def ate prnloUgltin OF this war, rs follows
'IhAt will cordially oppose all Gfmis tees or n'
go'iGiio~ for pcG'e ,.M Ttges ia arms, until tht
prOslHmatIO made in pursuance thereof shall
be cs' lishei over all the ueolle OF every STATE
and ICrritory emOrnee1 within the Nstiona
uHiuri" until (in bIlciD tho war shal he at an end
Now, " c freely avow 10 Your ENccllencyI and "a
the world, that We earnestly deal re the return o
peace and gOod.I7 III TO ous now unhAFpy country
that we Boek ncltaer plclsur" pr ~, nor honor II
the nerTetIEti u OF wIr-that We 'hould fec
bound, . Christians, rs patriOts and 90 civIllZ
men-ih.t VIC are bound hy the Olths we hay,
tAReI-tO COuntCnsnce and encourage any nCgO
ttatiNns witch may be entered into by the prope
,uihoIitcI with the intcrt TO restore I, ace an
uaou under tho Constitution we have sworn Il
/ support and defend. We shoull he traitors TO ou
country, fhTC 10 our Oa'hE -fals'r indeed, to tn
primary clause OF the oath we arc now discussin
| TO nnpIse Iuch negotiations We cannot consen
to Bwc lr at toe bAlOt-boX'A war of oXteTnlin ato
asAinst our country men and kindred, or to pTd
loCg by cur oppOsitipn, ior single day after |
can bc brought 10 an honorable and lswirii con,lu
sion, contest the most sanguinsry and III no !
thSthss Icruigch mankind.
| You will NOt have forgotten, thkt in tho mont
ofIuly HI', you lsAuCd the following pr.clam'
tiOni
"FNr, rrIyE MANSION,
nm In.NA y
- Ip aHOH . n.Ig CG,,"CiR:
"Any pInposltlol which embraces the re,tors
tinn n! peace, thc integrity ni the whole lnion
and the anAndonment Ot Alsycry, and " hich com,
by aud wi; ait authoIi that csn control the or
micS rOE At war RgRin,t he Inited StAtcF, will b.
IrcClyC ard ms der, d by the Executive Govern
meat nr the I aIt Il states, and Will be met
liberal terms On other suhstSntlAl anil collsteTA
pOiuts; and the h'aieF or bearc!s tLereof shall
"AeRAHAM LINCOLN
This Ia certainly n proposition to treat will
rebels Ia aIms-wi Il their chleis. Arc we now T.
understand by this proclamstioo OF one acting un
der your Au hOrity, and himself candidate Will
you Tor the secOLd OilC thG' even the above y O
| position IL wiIharswn-that you Will beneefortl
have no negotiations upon any ttrms, but unrc
lentlug wac 10 the biiterend Or, are we tosn
derltEnL, that while you hO this proposition
open, or yourself Tree to set as your IudSm n
may Ill tate we, The citizens OF Tennessee, Ghs!
srrH TO OPPOSE your ncEOtiRtiOns'
Ia the next meath, the Voter who has been thu
guaifcd 10 required 10 swear tat he Will shear IL!
aid and asgl,t the loyal people IA tetdrrer nIsa
4 Stn,s mar be ad0gicd Ior the attainment OF thes
endsm Adopted hy whom The oath does no
| cay. We CfaBut tell what measures may b
adopted. We cannot comment upon the AbsutdIt!
Of the Uhllg ailOn LCIc imposed, without danger o
departing ION tlAt respectful prOpriety Of lar
guhEc WhigA we desire 10 preETrve n AddIestln
the tliul Magistrate Of the American people. Bu
this Ia ClHuEe Gf an oath hish the candidate 10
the Nco Presidency requires at the lps OF N
, loyal and QuIliii2i voters OF Tennestcei DeloT
these citizens shall hs allowed TO vote Tor o
= against you and himself at the coming election
Q FO! these reasons, and Others which, for IN
sake Oi hrCTIiy, We omit, We soltmnly protet
Sga,nst The Indifference OF the Military GoYeIno
with the freedom Oi the elective franchise In Ter
nessCr. We deny his authority and your
to alter, amend, or annul any law OF Ter
!, nessee. We demand that Tennessee be allowed I
| appoint hl. \ oCtO!s rs expressly provided by III
u | Fe,rral CunElitutiOn, which ynu have sworn
support pTutec', Snd defend, IN tue manner Whi:
the LCgIE.ature thereof has prescribed And !
)! that end We Ictpect Ully demand OF you, az III
l. pTinCipNl under whose authority this order ha
been ibsued tEHt the BAme shall he Tov,.ked. W
!. Ash ihst sh military interference shall be viii
drawn 90 lar sSlO allow the loyal IN OF Tenne
l. sCc lul and free election. by he loyal men
| TeunCstac "" moan those who have not partlc
pAiGd IN the TyballiOR, or give aid and comfort
or VINO may have compiled with Aueh terms
amnesty have LCen offered them under lOC
n authority.
IT on the Ii day Of DecGnbfr, 1863, you, AZ Pres
"a dent issued \ Proclaim EtOn declaring that "a III
- psrdon 10 hereby granted, with restoration Oi 4
!, flRhtE Of uruptrtyN &r. 10 each OF our ciliEel
having paTtic pStCd, directly or by EpllcHtion,
D. toe eHiEtuy rebellion, with cGrtAin eNeepllOni
"upUn the condition that every suchreTsOn sha
take ami fUhIcrihr an oath, and thencel rwS
~ Keen And maintain said oath inTIOIate." Add II
| Ia IA 81 A Al