Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-06
DAILY alniua aud Amerieaa.
TUESDAY, MARCH 6. 1866.
Reading Matter on Each Page
PROCLAMATION BY rmE GOVERNOR.

sions that large portion of our people have
not sufficiently recovered from the demoral-
izing effects of the late rebellion to enable
them to appreciate the blessings Of peace
that their passions have not Sufficiently
cooled to enable them TO avoid a relapse
into anarchy or military rule.
A small minority of twenty-one members
of the House of Representatives, by factious
and revolutionary proceedings, have sue
ceeded in breaking up the Legislature and
paralyzing the State Government. char
acterize this conduct as revolutionary, be-
cause il was violative Of the spirit of the
Constitution and laws, and arrested the ma
ehinerv of the State government as effect
ually as if the same had been done by force
of arms.
They have been able, under the construc-
ticn of parliamentary law which prevailed
in the House, to reduce it below what was
held 10 be a quorum for the transaction of
business. and the great body of the members
of both Houses have gone to their homes,
and legislation has entirely ceased.
When an important measure OF State
policy was proposed-a measure referred TO,
and dnty imposed upon, this Legislature
by the amended Constitution-they either
withdrew from their seats or remained and
refused to answer TO their names when called,
the Speaker holding that member in his
seat, refusing to answer, was not present SO
as to be counted as part of aquorum. After
worrying the majority in this way for sew
| eral weeks, and after the consultations OF the
| Convention of the 22d February, they have
publicly announced their secession from the
| Legislature, through the newspapers, In
| document that will not fail to remind its
| readers of the address of the Legislature of
| 1861, who transferred the State to the South
ern Confederacy.
The pretext for this legislative rebellion
was proposition to discharge the duty i'm
| posed upon the Legislature by the ninth
| section Of the schedule to the amended Con-
| stitution, which provides for 'the Limitation
| of the elective franchise by this Legisla-
| ture. There was nothing new or startling
| in this measure. From the earliest incep-
| ton of the idea of recognizing State Gov
| ernment, upon the ruins of the rebellion, the
policy of DISTINGUISHING those who had
| lately DESTROYED the State Government, and
attempted to destroy the National Govern
ment was deemed a necessity, andwas adopt
| ed and rigidly executed. In the election
| held on the 22d of February, 1865, upon the
| adoption. of the amended Constitution, rebels
were all disfranchised by an oath which re-
| quired every voter to swear that he was "ah
| enemy Of the so-called Confederate States. =
| The same course was pursued in the election
for Governor and members of the General
| Assembly, in March, 1865. The Military
Governor naturally believed that those who
had wantonly destroyed the Government
were not the proper persons to rebuild 1t, or
to administer it when re-established. This
policy and principle of disfranchisementw was
feature of the amended Constitution ap-
proved by the qualified voters of the State
No subject has been more thoroughly dis
cussed and understood by all classes for the
last year, than this subject of DISTINGUISHING
the disloyal. Several of ftheseceding members
were also members of the convention which
adopted it into the schedule and sustained
it before the people, and accepted office un'
der it, and are therefore estopped from deny
ing its binding force. All of them had beer
elected under a law of proclamation disfran
chising rebels. The pretense that th'
measure was sprung upon them suddenly, Il
therefore most manifestly a subtertuge Z
cover up the attempt at disorganization.
The resigning members appeal to thei
constituents to sustain them, and most Q
them are announced as candidates for re
election to the places they have just mad
vacant under pledge, Of course, again t
withdraw from their seats, and again t
break up the Legislature. This disclose
the whole plan of the conspiracy. They asl
their constituents to approve their act, ant
to send them back to repeat 1t. This VIII
place their constituents in the attitude OF dis
organisers-commit them to a rebellion
against the State Government, and rende
futile any attempt to fill the vacancies b.
writs of election, as the same routine woui
be repeated The danger to the State
therefore imminent.
Should the civil government fail, the mi
D itary authorities will take control of tn
/ State, and it is not likely that the Genera
, | Government will, at an early day, permit
people who will have displayed such ine'
pacitv for selfgovernmentt to attempt anotht
State organization. Nor is 1t likely, If tn
effort should be permitted, that the differen
divisions of the State will agree upon ne
constitution, and discord and a separatiO
may follow.
If the plan of the seeding members, no
so manifested, is successful, many of the IN
d portant laws already passed, including tho
! comforting important civil rights upon iree'
: men can never 90 into effect. No apropri
y ton bill can be passed; the penitentiar
; lunatic asylum and other State institution
. must be broken up and abandoned; and II
i interest accruing on the debts OF the Sta
= and all other expenses requiring an appr
= priation must remain unpaid. The cred
e of the State will be destroyed, and the bont
n of the State already appropriated must
d deprecated, so az to fail Of the objects
their issuance. Emigrants will shrn Sta
: in such confusion and discredit and capt.
h will seek investment in more TbDmising |
calities, and thus the brightest hopes of Il
State will be blighted.
Even if the conspirators should fail
= success, incalcable mischief has already be-
V done to the State Eight millions Of h
bonds are soon to be thrown upon d
- market. The ruinous depreciation of h
credit consequent upon disorganized co
dition of the State, inhicts a deep injur
V not only upon the bondholders, but up,
our works of internal improvement. d
pendent row upon a sale ct our bonds
enable them to revive their operations.
Our political prospects, too, are severe
injured. By the acts of a rebellious popu
ton we have lost our representation In I
council of the nation. Our Senators a
Representatives are in Washington aski
admission to seats in Congress. That DO
is watching all our movements with a vi
of determining whether we have an est;
Hsbed government or not, and whett
those Senators have been sent there b,
Government capable Of maintaining its {
istence and authority. They may now CT
6, clude that our people are not in tenn
~ for selfgovernment. Certainly the OPT
nents of our representation Will be furnish
>, by our present condition with IN arglim
- against our admission.
Nor is the moral effect upon the repu
ton of our State and people less to be
plored. A large portion Of our people,
out Of rebellion, are protesting reconstruc
ioyalty, while a portion of their repres
II. tatives display not only rebellious sp
but disregard for the solemn obligations
legislators and are unmindful of that dlgn
and sense Of honor which should alw
characterize the statesman.
But aside from the injury to the mo-
political and financial character Of the 81
and the danger Of dissolution, the act
r0- loss tothe State treasury, isimmense. Nea
lie a month has already been lost by the Lei
lature from business. Another month N
n transpire before the vacant seats can be ri
bv election, and then some days must ella
before the members can appear in their sc
ade Estimating the expense 10 the Legislasur.
eep $3.50 per day, and loss Of seventy q