The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-18
lcore.ponaenee Of the Ma .hvle Ualon- ]

Who shall rule the State of Tens
nessee in future This is q most i'm,
portant question, and one, the proper
solution Of which, is fraught with the
deepest interest Shall it be the friends
of the United States Government, or
those who for four years have been its
bitter enemies2 Suppose the latter,
judging the future by the past what
promise that future offers, the present
condition of affairs sufficiently indi
Gates. VIII they do any better in the
future than they have in the past? We
have no reason to hope they will do
any better than they have heretofore
done In view of the past, how can
we trust them in the future These
are questions that press on Us now.
We cannot ignore them if we would,
and we should not if we could Loyal
men should look them sternly in the
face, and boldly meet the issues. That
the power of the rebellion is broken
and destroyed is true, but not so with
its spirit. The evidences are alum
dant all around us, that this spirit still
lives, and only wants an Opportunity 10
show itself 1t is bold and defiant
spirit, and there is no protection
against It's malignant Influences, only
in the vigilant curbing of its powers
How can this be done, and free gov
eminent be preserved
Various are the schemes proposed
and many of these are now before the
legislature.
Among the most prominent is the
exercise of the power given the Lagis'
lature by the amended Constitution, tC
limit the elective franchise 1t is pro
posed to withhold suffrage from all the
people of Tennessee who have directly
or indirectly engaged in rebellion
against the Uuited States, WhateveT
may be said about the justice Of THU
proposition, it cannot be denied tina
some of, its features have the appear
ance Of harshness. Bat on the othe
hand, it may lie answered that in a cas-,
where such important interests are in
: volved this is no sufficient objection
Taking the position that the friends O
the United States Government mus
control Tennessee to the exclusion Oft
enemies, propose to examine thi
and some other propositions.
4 Suppose you disfrsnchise from votin
and holding office, all who have takel
! part in the rebellion, what Will he tn
p result2 There would be left as lega
3 voters in the State only the loyal mer
What would be the number Of these
/. The loyal vote of the State has, at n
election, since the commencement {
the robellion, exceeded twenty five thol
sand voters. The most liberal estimat
that could be made would not allow u
g, TO expect more than an equal numbe
that have not heretofore been cas-
, This would only give fifty thousaR
as the very highest loyal vote th1
could be calculated on, upon the sur
position that all others we're disfrau
chised Making all allowances for Il
loss of life by the casualties Of va
1- there would be left disfrauchised N
la less than seventy Eve thousand, vi
IS, would otherwise be loyal voters.
pr these aI remain enemies to the Unit.
sr States government and they are perm
be ted TO vote, there is no difficulty in Sc
. ing who would rule the State. In tn
. event there would be no political futu
for the friends Of the government
ia the State, and nothing could prove
sse the return 70 power OF the sscessiC
:, dynasty. The fact that a former A
- iutsnt General Of 8 rebel commando
of the District of Nashville, is announ
,Sd ed as $ candidate for Congress in Il
District, Is an evidence of the dispos
= ton Of that dynasty % seek pow,
Y Thus leave the question for the pr
:, ent 70 return TO It again.
JUsucE.