Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-19

the STATE and Nc5ttnlfHfS y tfe f-rs''
Alta meeting of the Union Ceutra
Committee. and the German Union Cen
trai Committee Of the Siateof Tennessee
and Of the Union wembers Of the Legis
Iature. on the ninth OF January, eigh
teen hundred and siNty-siN, the follow
ing memorials were read and c1nSld
cred, aud unanimously approved an,
adopted.
HDWA ARD 81 A1NAkr, Chairman
Memorial 10 shc Committee ou Recon
Strucsisn.
NASHVILLE, TEs1-. Jan. g, lsss'.
To the Honorable Congressional Committee o'
fs-cDusiructIpn;
The undersigned, constituting n larg
majority uf the State Central Committe'
of fha Union party of Tennessee, bein.
all who could be present beg leave G
communicate 10 yOu their views Of th'
nr--aut political and social condition @
iheir state, and their auticipaiiOus As e
f1iUre results from that condition
The vast powers conferred upon you
so yitally affecting ourselves and oul
ll15feritv, we feel 10 he a sufficient war
rant for this liberty on our part.
Dur statistics show that In the spring
Of ,igbteen hundred and siEty-0He
about forty thousand Of the voters oi
Tennessee made up their minds 10 ad-
here 10 the flag Of their country in spite
of the tornado OF treason that swept the
State and carried it into the vortex oi
rebellion. They constituted less than
one-third Of the voting population Of the
senate. and for less of its wealth and
political influence. Surrounded on all
sides by rebel population; suffering
every conceivable outrage IN person aud
property hanged on the gallows shot
bvsn inturiated soldiery; cast into many
l,ri-1Ds. DprciI Iesslv cunscTipted and hun
led like Mild beasts and murdered IN our
pIaces Of coucealment: OurnGmbers have
been reduced but the survivors Of Us have
KEEP, the vows made upon the altar OF
Dafrioti-m five years ago. More than
twenty-five thousand of our numbers
leaving their homes and families 10 be
r,iIlssra-s and ahused-traVeliing through
inoun;as8s or swamps 10y night, and
hfdGn.s i'm Ihickets by day, 10 evade a
.,Iir-ll. mo- and murdsrUUs enemy, escaped
io the Federal lines, and without bounty
ar Inducements, enrolled themselves as
Union soldiers. They have returned TO
their homes from gallant and bloody
service. TO find, in many instances, their
houses ia ashes, their property gone, and
their families abused iusulted and out
RACED. And, il must Ice added, that IN
many instance these victorious heroes
of the national cause are not permitted
10 remain at their homes in peace, or, if
permitted, they are crippled IA business,
aud pol liicaliy and socially outlaWed.
The designs of the great secession ma
i,ritv or Tennessee may have been
CHANGED by the events Of the war, and 81
fa fF IHta.
own strength and the strength OF the
Government Lut unless your memorial
lets greatly misuuderstBnd them, their
sentiments, sympathies and passions fe-
main unchanged. They welcome peace
because they are disabled from making
war. they alhmit because they can no
Longer resist. they accept results they
cannot reject, aud profess loyalty be-
cause they have a halter around their
necks. They recognize the abolition Of
slavery because they see u before them
as a fact, but they say il was accom-
FIf-ied bv gross violation of the tuHsti-
tution-thst the negro is only free in
fact. but not iu law or Of right.
less than a year ago the Provisional
Governor. representing the military
power Of the President, and recognizing
The right Of the loyal people 10 govern
the STATE, set on foot a civil government,
founded upon the basis OF the loyal pop
ulati1n-his flvorite policy. The plan of
"a popular convention and a submission
Il, "A popular vote of the loyal people was
alouied. and the former Constitution and
Iaws were restored without the instiu-
rion Of slavery. Whether we regard il
A. cur former State Government re-
stored. or as a new Government given TO
u- by The power Of the patton, Is lmma-
terisl. ~ it has been compelled at every
step To lean on the strong arm @. the
national authority for support. The ac-
risu of the convention was submitted Jn
the votes OF the loyal people, and By The
strong will Of the Military GOyemoraud
a ripid test oath, and because the election
was not recognized by the disloyal, II
was nearly unanimously adopted, secu-
ring over twenty thousand votes, many
Of the Union men being in tie rebel
lines at the time.
Under the Government thus adopted,
and hy means Of the same test oath, a Gov
eruor and Legislature We're elected, bE a
General ticket on the third of March last.
The Legislature assembled IN April, and
proceeded 10 inaugnrais the GoNerhnr
't-t. and q elect State officers 10 e7laD-
li-h a revenue, o. provide for the election
OF members % Congress ahd 10 ieslslate
I'm general matters. Under authority
conferred upou him. the new Governor
suuoiutal Judiciary pro ttHpOTe, and
ri5rgsUiz,l the entire State 10y appoint
meut. But one general election has been
held. and that only fOT members OF Con
gress, with what result Ciu appear mere
after.
The cunveutiono Of February, fJreseeing
the impo-sibiiity OF carrying out the
principle upon which they were acting,
by Keeping the political power Of the
State in loyal hands, if all those who had
bv acts Of treason forfeited their rights,
were permitted to participate in The
State Government. provided for formal
Acknowledgement, by cOnferrirg upon the
first legislature the power 10 limit the
elective franchise.
50 far. the legislation Oh this subject
has been unsatisfactory and Intellectual.
Indeed many OF the members are utterly
unequal TO the task, and yielding 10 the
influence, and dreading the power oi
numbers shrink from its performance.
4 suffrage law was passed at the spring
session, Tie result Of compromise, and
doubtful in its terms, easily eyaded and
practically defective By means Of
repeated prJclamaOons blythe Governor,
tel=graphic orders from the Press .deut, /
and the aid ~ the military, partial eE-
eeuti0n only Of lhs laws was obtained. !
50 defective was the execution Of the law,
by the officers to whom it was iHtrHsted, Z
That the Governor was constrained t0 de- 4
clare the August election totally void in i
tHenty-nile counties M the State Am 4
attempt viii be made al the present ses- !
sion 90 pas an amended suffrage law,
but IL Is doubtful whether any eiitctual 4
disfranchisement c3H pas ana still more 4
doubtful whether If passed, j. can be- I
executed, even with the presence Of the (
military; certainly. such a law cannDt i
l.e executed DO thr supervising power OF
The General Government sEould be dis
ID short, your memoriaiist,
auficipata al the first general election.
the entire civil aud Judicial power of the .
state must pass into the HANDS Of those
who have so long Oppressed them. TIE
judicial election, which Is tbe most i'm 4
p1rtaut of all. must soon occur.
by a careful consideration Of the pas
.i,,fs prejudices, and designs Of those 4
isteIy In rebellion, q correct idea Of the 4
,.,.,,,,s.. tf.v viii pursue when once more 4
installed into power may be arrived AT. I
l'oIr p,eptoriaItsts are not driven % con- l
lilt tourists nor correspondents t3r inlor- I
nation. They are all ciiizens oi lls /
state. some OF them arc natives, ana I
several Of them from official position are 4
IN daily intercourse or communication /
with ali parts Of The state, aHd with citi- /
zens of all parties aud classes. They /
claim 10 speak not from heresay or re-
..1rl, but a. witnesses admissible in court 4
The predominant feelingGf those lately /
.n rebellion Is that Of deep seated hatred, I
in many cases b "a spirit of
revenge toward the white lnionists Of I
the state, aud naughty contempt for
the negro, whom they cannot tolerate as
a freeman. The hatred for the bite
l9yslist is intensified i,y the accusation
iiiat he deserted the South in her eX-
fremity. ana IS therefore a traitor, and
by the efforts b set up a government OF
the minority. The spirit 90 revenge D.
called forth by the attempt 10 disiian-
chise them, and by the rstEliatory acts ol
the returned Union soldiers for wrongs
dome them during the war. The negro Is
Tie Mordecai who constantly reminds
them Of their defeat, and Of what they
1su9f q