The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-12-02


Delirersa n he House OF Representative
4 N0rem5er lsA, on tks Res0tH hons o6ere
b. hia on t4e SUBJECT Of Free Persons 0
AE- SFkAEEE:-A majority Of the Com
mittee q FEDERAL Reiations have recon
mended tiIat the consideration Of the reso
lutionsofsTed By myself be postponed 10
future day. There has already been con
u siderablo delay since their frst Introduction
! idt0 this BODY. With due respect for thu
opinion Of the Committee. ] beg leave &
4 differ with them in their report. On
Question " such vital importance, immedi
! ats aetsun Is necessary. Now ia the mos
/ auspiciGus moment. No time IL required
! for reflection, no time Cor investigation
/ The public mind Of Tennessee has been lOnl
sinre made up and aatasod ca this sab
jeci. LEE
Here We have presented for our consider
! aiion q prea1nble and resolutions which
have endeavored to express in plain ana
simple, but comprehensive language. They
refer TO a state Of things existing in oui
| Stale which every true patriot should de
| plore, and they point out the remedy. The
preamble sets out by stating that;
Whereas, ia cOnscq OF the late civ
/ II war which has Just been brought 70 6
elO-e, as WellRs BY the action Of the Gov
/ eminent Of the United States, snd Of our
State Government, the institution Of slavery
has been abolished in the State Of Tennes-
see, By which q large population Of freed
men Of color exists alnong US"
| This is in accordance with the true facts
Of the case. On account OF the causes emu
mersted the negro exists among US.
He is here a free man in qualified sense.
The title OF his former master is Invested
.,F - . = 81 a 81
himself--tO labor when and for whom he
plesses He owns not foot Of land 10 live
ONO house 70 shelter him from the storm.
He owns very little personal property, 90
that he, especially the late slave, is in a
state Of great destitution. He is ditiused
throughout the borders of our whole State,
and IS incorporated in the same political
body with the white race. He exists here
as free man, bot not as an equal 70 the
white mar Ho has no ca'h. He has no
vote. He can hold no office Of honor or
profit: and he labors under numerous other
disabilities, 50 that be is as yet many degrees
below the level Of white man. But he is
here snd the great question arises what
shall be done with him? The preamble
/ proceeds E
''AND WHERzss, It is aud ever has been
| the sentiment Of the people Of Tennessee,
| ought not to 1--we together with ECU Z rig hts
aud privileges; that such slate of things
would be incompatible with and repugnant
to the better feelings of our nature, and
would be highly impoltic and detrimental
70 the best interests and future prosperity Of
cur State"
Is this true Is this now the sentiment
Of the people Of Tennessee Nothing can
be more clear than this. OF course it IS not
the sentiment Of ali. I speak Of the great
majority Of the people. Throughout the
length and breadth OF our Stats-from the
extreme east, where The sun first guilds the
mountains Of Johnson 10 the county Of
Shelby, whose borders ars washed by the
father Of waters, the same opinion prevails,
that "the white and black races cannot
live together with equal rights and privi-
leges."
The God Of nature has marked the negro
as distinct race. His skiu IS black, and
that Of the other race is white. He is pc
euliar, intellectually, and in MS physical
formation. In every view which We can
take OF him We are irresistibly forced 10 the
conclusion that he Is formed and fashioned
10 live in a separate community. Nature,
reason, and experience ali confirm US IN this
view. Il is true he may live here among
US, but can be do so in the enjoyment Of
equal rights and privileges? If he remain
here, nothing short Of this will satisfy him.
We may give hun bis oath-we may give
him his vote; but this will not do He viii
ere long insist that he must be capable Of
suing and being sued in our courts Of jus
tice; serve on our juries; have seat on this
floor a seat in our halls Of Congress- be q
lawyer at the bar Judge on the bench 5
represent us in foreign courts; enter our
Il a osrr
armies; be Governor Of our State; be Pres
dent Of the United States; aud, TO cap the
climax, marry our sisters ana our daughters;
thus bringing about amalgamation, Wisb ala
/ its horrors degradation too shocking TO be
entertained by toe human mind for mo-
menL The inevitable consequence viii be
that We shall become a mongrel race Of
whites, blacks, mulati0es, ana beings Of
every shade Of co.0r, from black 20 white.
Will not such a calamity be incompatible
with, and repugnant 70 she better feelings
OF our natureY
To this result, sir, we are rapidly tending,
and without the prompt agency Of Govern
ment its contamination VIII be sooner O.
later reached. The negro will seek TO he an
equal sa naturally as WateT seeks its level
and this struggle Tor equality viii eJnsti-
| tute q perpetual source Of strife between
/ him aud the white man. The black man,
wlh few white friends, viii keep up the
struggle here, and be will not be with
out his aiders, abettors and sympathiser,
| sbroad. Outside the particular locality
where slavery once existed, the civilized
world svmpathize with the negro, They
were opposed to his being held in bondage
and they now seek to make him an equa
| with the white man. a portion OF the
people Of the Northern States Of this Union
are even ianaiieal upon this subject. They
point 10 the Declaration Of Independence,
| and say, call men are created equal" and
| nothing short Of equal rights and privileges
1 will satisfy them Their politicians and
| press have ready opened their bstterie'
1 and thew will never cease until, IL possible
| thew gain the desired end.
| Here, in Tennessee, Sir, politicians end
others, for personal gain or interested mo
tvss, may venture to give the negro Por-
| ton Of his rights. They may give him hi
| oath, his vote, aud even other privileges
/ They may do this in ordert &c c0nciliate him
| 10 the end that they may more successfully
/ reap the benefits Of his labor, OF gain
| Greater representation in Congress or IA,
| State Legislature, OF for some other selfsl
| or personal motive. They do not, however
| desire or intend that he shall ever be theii
| euual Their design will be 10 keep him il
/ a state Of perpetual inieTiority. He. on th'
contrary, win continually seek to rise 70 I
level with his auper,ors. Thus the strifi
will 20 on and fifty years or a century
hence viii End it sill going on. Whil'
| such a stale Of things exists, it is most man
| fest no nation or community Of people cal
/ be happy or prosperous. The history Of SaI
/ Domingo, and other West India Islands, D
| well IS the history Of all nstions who toier
ate g mixed population composed Of tn
African and white races afiord . most con
] yincing exemplihcati0n Of the truth Of thi
/ position. Il proves that continual war, reg
| olution and anarchy are the natural COZ
| comitauts Of such g state of affair5-
For more than forty years the Abolition
lists Of the North made war upon the inst
tuition Of Slavery. Their policy was 70 se
the negro free and let him remain ire
among ". The sentiment Of the who'll
south, both SHAREHOLDERS and non
/ slsveholders, wHs against TINS doc-rihe
| They contended that a he should Do zee
al al. he should be sent out Of the eountr.
and eoloui7ed IL a nstian 70 himself. Ha
| ANYTHING occurred 90 change this seutimen
which was then 30 universalY / answe
| pothinr. But the negroe is here, and tn
epestion rscurs, what shah ss 20 wit
bimg The first resolution points out III
remedy. Here d is
Ri Resolref b. fhs Genera Assepibiy 9
| ~ sat OF TCnafssse, That il Is the delib
srsfe opinion Of this legislative body, tha
,5s Government a the United States shout
1nrchsse q territory in South Ameries, Al
- or some other country congeBisl {
he African race, 70 which ell persons {
| African descent should be sent, sid terri
fsrv 10 constitute their permanent hom'
~ that said purchase should Be made Z
soon as pessibe.
n south America there are Immense lei
..t,~i,s of land uninhahited. They are par
i,.in DE torrii and partly in TIE tsmPegEi
- Prom their different elevations the
49, a great variety ef climate and pr
5-cfis,s. Tropical fruits grow spontan'
-,,,i,, u. abanfsnce- Their rRst pamPas (
$500 49, dotted Eiih cat le, bniisloes an
ftber Wild game They are mostly Ne
,-.,s.e3. aud tho soil . very productIv
C,tton. sugar aud tobacco gov 20 perts'
/ - In shofft erergthibg consPires
- Them q most congenial and desirah
1900 lar Che neEro. These Territories ca
! shtiess B. purchased 81 the dihefel
-1~srnraenfs b whom they belong cheal
: is---ot 4 nsene noniuai price, Here lsi =
D ,i.,-'--,,r,1s1t Of the United Sssies pareha
81. r.. Il -