Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-06-22
A Warning From Tennessee.

Tennessee is State which has heeu recryani-
zed under constitution wl,ic% cmancipates slaves
and leaves the political rights of the cOlcrcd cin-
zeEs to be settled by the Legislature. The cOnse-
quence might have been foreseen. The House OF
Representatives of the State has lately passed 4
series of "black laws" which constantly aude to
the colored citizens "free" persons OF color as
if slavery still existed i'm the State. The whole
series shows indeed that the spirit of slavery does
exist. No contract between white and black
citizen is to be binding unless witnessed by white
person. In courts the eOOrcd citizens my be wit
nesses AGAINST each other only. On flilure to pay
Jail fees after Imprisonment coOred citizens m Nv
be hired out to the highest bidler. The children
of colored citizens, whether orpans or not. may
be bound out to white persons the option of the
court, and SO on,
This is that "unEriendly legislation" which per-
petuates indefinitely the trouble and danger of this
country. While such laws are passed and valid,
Tennessee can not be truly republican State -
She tramples upon democratic principles: and a
population educated in the midst ofa large class
DISTINGUISHED in obedience to the most hateful pre-
judce. grows up naughty, unjust. insolent, and
most dangerous to the common welfare.
Now what the House of Representatives i'm
Tennessee has done every State in which slavery
has been abolished bv the war will do 81, ii per
mit;ed. and four millions ofaithu, honest people,
lust as free as Governor BRowyLow or Mr. AIKEN,
Government, will be reduced to condition OF
serfdOm.
But, saws some otector, IL the pc pie of the
States are opposed ID enfrInchisng them, is il
good policy To do it? Let Us see. Who are :he
people of the Statesl Who are 1.-The people" of
South Carolina! Are they the numerical minority
of the population who are white rebels or are they
the numerical majority who are coored citizens
of unswcrving lovaItyl Ii is curious to see how
the dominance of slavery in this country has dcs-
tr0yed our perceptions of the simplest ftcis That
the slaves were men even the rebels conceded
when they proposed to arm them that they were
citizens Attorney Ganerd BATES very clearly
showed in his official opinion; that they are fire.,
men was c-ti5lished by President LrNcoLN's proc
hmltion and that they are m)re tn n two-htths of
the entire population of the late rebel States, ap
pears from the census ofIS60 Yet the New York
Tines lately used these remarkable words, the
italics being its own: "What the President doubt
less aims at is to see the people of the South dis
tinct from tn, disloyal political managers. 49,.
recognize the new relations in which they stand
to the negro population
The negro population, then. are not even ''pco-
ple.'' In sub a remlrk, sprinsing. of course,
from M unfair hostility to it, C lored fellow ciu
zens, the Times untnkrgy justities the old lie
OF slavery tn 1t this ,vernncnt was lde by white
men for white men and therefore, that white mon
only are, politically speaking, the people. The
truth is that the word "pcopIe" was not quilted
by color.
In its very remarkable article the Times further
says: "When that work Iof the people rccosn-
zing their new relations To the negroes is Cncc
set about, it appears to be in Arkansas and
North Car1nl, in loyal spirit, the question of
r0 suffrage viii fala nlturd s'lution in course
of time" How it will fin it miy BE- inferred
from the action of the Tennessee representatives,
and from the remarks OF NJ. HoLDES, the-especial
representatives of this loyal spirit in North
Carolina, who speaks of the right and duty OF 'thc
governing race" to determine whether colored
citizens ntYes OF n nth Carolina, shall reside In
the State.
Now a we believe thIt the late slaves in South
Carolia,. som, of whom hlve subscribed to the
national loan, are just much be counted IL
mong the people of South Carolina Governor
MEGRarII or Mr. AIKEN or Mavor MACBETH, or
CHEsyUr. or ORR. or RHErr. or any other white
trsitor or loyal citizen, We do not see why they
should not be spoken of a such Ami therefore
wiIc IL l. said that the people of South Carolina
arc opposed to the cnfrlnchsement o: the colored
citizens We cln reply only that we do not believe
it And in any State of which We might suppose
Ich a statement be true, we should sIy that ex-
pcrience hId proved the indulgence of that pr,iu-
dice of one class OF citizens against another to be
profoundly perilous to the public welfare. There
is no love lost between Protestant and Catholics
But whit if we should assume the Protestant citi
zcns in any State to be the people" in distinction
to the Catholic population7'' Still more, what
il we should propose that the Protestant peo-
pie" should determine upon whit conditions the
''CathOlic population" should vote. AMI whether
they should be allowed to reside in the
State7
As Americans and honest men, let us try to re-
member that governments justly exist by the con-
sent of the governed-that representation goes
with tixltion-and that Congress is constitution
ally bound to secure republican form of govern
men. to every Staie.-Harpers Weekly.