The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1866-04-27
country exclusively.

gressiOnal repres entatives shall Be chosen
by the votes of persons in each State author
lied by it to elect the popular branch of it's
Legislature. This right is expressly re-
served to each State to prevent the consoli-
dation of all power in the Congress of the
United States.
If that body had the right to make the
votes empowered to elect Il the British
Parliament would not be more omnipotent.
The leaders in the present Congress have
repeatedly declared that the only loyal men
in the South are the negroes. and they in
sist that they shall be entitled to universal
suffrage, while every white man should be
excluded who cannot take the test-oath,
denying that he had ever sympathized with
any one engaged in the rebellion. Congress
has not yet ventured to annul the clause
in the Constitution giving the creation of
electors to the several States; but Mr.. Sum-
ner, who speaks for the Senate, has ascer-
tanned that the late emancipation amend
ment to the Constitution warrants the con-
cession of suffrage to the negro, and meas
ure has been INTRODUCED in the House of
Representatives to deny it to all the white
people disqualified by the test oath.
But neither of these expedients need be
resorted to now. Congress, by excluding
from the National Legislature the whole
race in the South that fought for our indie
pendence, and who contributed largely in
founding what has hitherto been looked
upon as the white mans Government, es-
tablished by his courage, intelligence, and
labor as his own freehold, and as the il
heritance of his children, renders any fur
Their disfranchisement superfuous, and his
degradation is completed by putting the
negroes upon a higher ground than the
white race in other respects, educating their
children at the national expense, feeding,
clothing, and sheltering the hundred thou
sands who reject the tempting wages which
invite them to return to employment in the
South-according to them seats in the
( galleries of the two Houses, the males at
tired in every variety of costume, the fe
males (at least the better looking Of them,
rustling in silk, (it is to be hoped not at the
expense of the Treasury;) the men repaying
with applause the recognition by Senators
of their services that saved the country,
and the woman Replying by boquets and
chances with which they are honored from
below. It is reasonable, indeed, that they
should occupy positions in the chambers
from which multitudes of men and women
of our kindred are turned away daily. The
Legislation Abeing directed for the most part
to put up the blacks and degrade the white
race in the prescribed States, it is proper
that the, favorites who take the deepest in
terest in the debates should be preferred as
the audience.
! The preference of race is exhibited, it is
true, in the name CT perfect equality. The
phrase is a thin disguise. The measures
proposed to produce this equality are all
fraught- with injustieand violatios
mental law. The FT9edmen
proceeded on confscation OF tfSs lands OF
the South, without trial and conviction of
the owners in violation Of the express terms
/ of the Constitution. It established tribunals
and created municipal code, multitudes of
judicial and executive officers to execute it,
in derogation of the rights Of the State, and
for the benefit of whole people to whom
/ the courts OF the States were open, but
which were curtailed in their r;gghtful juris
diction by the Intervention of Congress,
which the army was called on to carry into
effect, by forcing submission to the judg-
ment Of the head of each Bureau judg-
ment from which there was no appeal
The law was simply an agrarian law to
plant the black race, to supplant the white,
and make a new Government, with an army
to enforce it over the PROSTATE States. How
much wiser and better would it be to pro-
vide homes and country and refuge on
the vacant domain of the Government for
the inferior race, where they might enjoy
an actual equality among themselves-es-
tablish a government for themselves, under
the instruction and protection of our great
Republic; where they might assert sub
stantial independence, aud be stimulated by
the highest motives to cultivate the nobler
faculties of menl The vacuum left by these
contemplated on this event, be supplied
from the North and from our northern kin
dred nations.
No part of the earth is more inviting to
the white race than the sunny South. AL
its products are golden, and of cheaper &C
QUESTION than gold itself in the richest
mines, and nothing has prevented this rich
region from being filed with such pOpu-
lation but the protection. which has been
extended to the black race whilst held as
slaves by the strong arm of the white race.
Such an exchange of population, whilst
advantageous 70 both races, would make
our Government homogeneous and secure
in peace, by peaceful methods. This re-
suit is inevitable. Radical policy may
hasten it by causing it to force itself on by