The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-20
MaallrillR Aniur.
WI. CAMERON q CO., Publishers.
SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1865.
The Franchise question.

The Franchise Question.
Correspondence Of the UDon.l
The sympsthies of all good loyal
men 60 hand in hand with the efforts
Of the loyal Legislature Of the State,
for the re-establishment of civil law in
Tennessee.
This Legislature holds its session in
pursuance of the action of the recent
Union Convention which assembled in
Nashville on the eth of January last,
and in ccordance with the provisions
of the Constitution and its amend
ments, as proposed by that Convention
and adopted by the people on the 22d
Of February.
If the Legislature has a lega! exist
ence, it derives such existence from the
amended Constitution. That it is le
gally constituted body certainly no
member of the Legislature viii deny.
Its legality being then conceded; it
then follows that it may legally exer-
else the powers conferred by the
amendments to the Constitution.
Section 9, of the schedule to said
amendments provides that "The quail
ihcations ST voters and the limitations
of the elective franchise, may be deter
mined by the General Assembly, which
shall first assemble under the amended
Constitution"
The question as to the power of this
Legislature being thus clearly estab-
lished, the only question remaining is,
what legislation is required to meet the
exigencies of the times? This question
Is one of paramount importance, and it
behooves tho present loyal Legislature
to answer it in the interests of loyal gov
ernment. The loyal people Of the State
demand at the hands of their Repre-
sentatives such action as will secure
the political control of the State to its
loyal citizens. fthey fail 10 DO so, they
will disappoint the Just expectations
which have been formed, and blast the
hopes of those true men, who have for
four years of darkness, gloom, and
death, stood in the face of the storm
and breasted the tide of rebellion in
Tennessee. The rebels have failed by
their appeal to arms, to destroy the
government of our fathers. Shall they
now be permitted 10 change their base, or
if you please, to transfer the scene of
conflict from the field to the ballot-box,
and thus continue their war upon the
Union? How many rebel citizens are
to day willing to recognize the existing
government in Tennessee2 Look to
the expression of opinion among them,
to their public meetings, and find, if
you can, single expression of support
or sympathy for, or recognition Of the
government of the State as now organ
lied. Neither do they recognize the
amended Constitution of the State.
With them it is myth, and the whole
State organization is bogus. Even now
while they are scarcely washed from the
smoke and SCOT of battle, the political
arena is filled with their sinister whis-
perings of war at the ballot-box. Their
designs are maturing and plans are
forming for the political subjugation OF
: the loyal men of the State. The pres
t ent Legislature must determine the mo
D mentous question as to who shall rule,
. loyal men or rebels If the members o.
! the Legislature manifest by their action
5 that they, instead of the rebels, are sub
) jugated, and timorously betray their
, loyal constituents into the hands
of thier enemies, who for foul
years have pursued them with demo
! MAC fury-haye chased them from
!. covert TO covert like beasts of the for
est, who have on every occasion hast
ened to imbrue their hands in the
II blood Of the loyal men of the land
then, indeed, will our people have cause
for lamentations and execrations, last
ing as the degradation which will b,
imposed upon them.
But shall rebels be deprived of theil
right to vots7 The right to vote" as i
is called, is not essentially a right, but s
political franchise or privilege given
'i not primarily for the benefit of the per
= son exercising such franchise, but fo
the benefit of the State or community
= 1t follows then as logical sequence
:, that no such privilege can be insisted
upon in contravention of the public
:. good. Are members of the loyal
Legislature prepared TO say that tn
public veal requires that rebels shsl
y rule the State2
Again it is argued that the returning
good sense of the rebels will secur
their support of the loyal cause an
rs render their disfraRchisement unnece'
sary. To those who use this argumen
). it is only necessary to refer to th
q events of lS6O-6l At that time tn
Union men laid the fiatteriDg unctio'
- to their souls that tie intelligence o
the people would insure the rejectio
of the mad schemes of the rebellion
, We were deceived then. Let Us not b
on / Iara;vad agaiu LOYAL