The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-01
Letter from a Veteran

] AdtHvI Ot%tty CHtVts
am opposed to agitating a question
which should never have been discuss
ed; nay, which should have been left
buried forever in oblivion's deepest
darkest depths, or if not already there
it should be consigned at once to that
turbulent abode ofstrife and dissension
and not now renewed and harped up
on with such vehement fsnatical
stress of language, by an army ofpeace,
makers, q and penurious benefactors,
would-be charitable gentlemen, etc.
who think to make up with triAing
words and bombsstic croaking,s what
they lack in good deeds and Practical
charities.
Not soldier had reached his home,
not rebellious weapon had been laid
down, nor a gleam Of peace appeared,
ere insignificant, t,unprincipled schemers
began to agitate the silly question Of
negro sufrge.
Ungrateful imostper Not one Of
them would volunteer to. advance a
penny toward supplying the necessities
or relieving the wants of the negro.
But they will come out with pitiful,
though usually insincere appeals for
the welfare" of the colored race.
VIII these selfconstituted protectors
or elevators of the negro race, ez'
plain their proverbial silence, (or vic.
lent opposition toy the question, or ef
fort 10 provide for our soldiers voting
while in the field ?
would like to see Just one explans-
ton No doubt 'twould sound much
the same as that offered by their cop
perhead prototypes, for opposing the
propositions to provide for the soldiers
to vote, viz: That we (the soldiers,
had no right-were not capable of vot
ing in the army-could not discrimin
ate between candidates" etc, because
twas plain to them that we would soor
remove them from the offices they were
undeserving of and abusing.
assert that we did have a right tC
vote, and we roiR vote in spite of oul
seditious political aspirants, and very
much to their disadvantage, tco.
When we could not, or 10ould not helI
ourselves, these legislators, etc, i'm
posed upon US. Soon will our day
come
Among the silly reasons urged for al
lowing the negro to vote is this, viz
that the vote of rebels may thereby bt
| lostl
Why not carefully select the "rebe
voters and disfrsnchise them, and not
depend upon the negro, to perform
your greatest duty. This is a simple
and certain way of of-setsing the "reb
ell vote.
But no; this is not conferring upor
the negro something he has never asket
and cares nothing about
think these noisy croakers on the
suffrage question" would do well t
attend to the physical wants of the ne
gro, and let bis imaginary pohtiea
grievances take care of themselves.
At least, would it not be as well t.
drop the subject and await tho return
OF peace, (if We are ever 10 be blesseC
with such a thing as it is nos adviEa
bic TO have too many important Z!
questions under consideration st once
Let them see that they ungrudging
ly pay their washing-bills, and othe
Just dues, for the faithful services o
the colored folks, and they viii receiv
not only from these humble and hon
est lsborers, but from everybody
thanks and respect which they viii no
receive or merit from their presen
course
They cac rest assured that the army
as an army, is not with them, nor neve
was, and 1 am not sure bat that on
boys would favor the idea Of gram
ing % the right Of suffrage to thOs
kind and interesting ladies who hav
done SO much for them since the con
menoement Of the war Yes, ventur
70 say that this would meet with
heartier spproval, and would eertAinl
be more Just than the seheme of PEI
mitting the negro to vote. Bat PEI
haps, (like the soldiers for whom the
have labOred,) they are entirely ines
pable of exercising the elective fraI
ehise respectfully yours,
+. W. jenkins,
A N.fsv.r, C,lassv