Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-18
THE ~MEMORIALIsTs- AND REPRE-
SENTATION.


In a notice of the memorials of certain
Radicals to the President and the Stevens
disunion committee of Congress, we used the
following language
These memorialists, in order to retain the Offices
10 those for whom they plead and take the gov
eminent of the State out Of the hands of the people,
propose that the Federal authority shall assume
the control OF our affairs, refuse our Representa-
tiyes admission into Congress, and remit the State
10 a Territorial condition for some indefinite pc
riod during which. for all practical purposes, Ten
nrr sna occrPy ROsbon n t1s ab Or 81 no
iona, and not even much since they can have
not even q delegate. H o.
A city contemporary says this is ''palpa-
BILE blunder," and quotes as follows fromthe
memorial to the President, to show it 49,
Our delegations are now asking admission to
the House of Congress. We need not assure you
that we earnestly desire their admission. They
are, for the most part. men ON whose patriotism
and soundness of judgment We have the utmost
confidence. Some of them have done gallant SER
vice 10 the national cause in council and in the
field: As loyal Representatives and Senators of
loyal Tennesseeans. we believe that their voice
should be heard in the national councils, and we
trust that as such they may aid in deyising such
just and wise policy as will secure full and final
| success TO the friends of the Union. not only in
Tennessee, but throughout the country.
| And from the memorial to the non-eon-
struction Committee, the following is taken
for the same purpose:
| Your memorialists will say, however. that they
desire to be represented in Congress. The loyal
people OF Tennessee have not forfeited their civil
| rights by the misfortune of being surrounded by
rebels. And if difficulties should occur hereafter,
| as is TO be feared, in that event they desire TO
have voice iffsthe councils Of the nation.
| To show beyond cavil that our remark
was fully justified, and that there was nei-
ther blunder nor misrepresentation, we
quote from the memorial the sentence inn
mediascly following the one las. given
above:
But u form NJ goceran.sn, Is such, that 70 adj
mat Representatives 10 seats an Coa0ress sriH
compel the trdhdTdtcal Of tie supervising control
| Of the National GoperanUm oper oar iateraas If
fairs, therby insuring the ascendeney of the rebel
majority, your 'aemoriatisfs prefer. and they are
the loyal people of the State prefer Ire an
! territorial condition, and ereR under military
| government.
| We also quote from the memorial to the
President, the sentence Immediately follow
ing the one first above given to show the de-
sire attributed to them by us is unquestion-
able:
We hare ho,ceper no hesitafioa "a declariag that
u the consequences Of their admission must necessa-
riv 6ethe 1ihdrdtcdf Of all further restraints upon
| the rebels of Tennessee by the authorities of the
General Government, and the surrender of our
State and its loyal people to rebel domination,
that zoe are not prepared for the sacrifice.
Of course the memorialists profess to want
representation, but they say they will not
have it, unless it proceeds from less than one
third of the white men of the State, and un-
less "more than two-thirGs" are excluded
from the elections. We have evidence that
not only the memorialists are opposed to
representation in Congress, but that ma
jority of the members of the House of Rep
resentatives at the State Capitol, are hostile
to it. Witness the following from the pro-
ceedings of that body on Tuesday LAST
House resolution No. l73: That representation
and taxation is inseparable in all free govern
ments, and as the State of Tennessee is bound for
her part in the public debt and as she has elected
| none but original Union men to represent her in
Congress, therefore, be it
/ Resoiced, That our Senators and Representa-
tives elect entitled to their seats as much US
members from any other State.
| Mr.. Arnel moved that the resolution be post
pOned indefinitely. Carried by Ayes Il, Noes %
This whole matter is easily understood
Defying the most essential principle of
popular government the fepessee Radi-
Gals would keep the State irfts present dis
tressing condition till the "crack of DOOM"
before they would consent to restoration of
the ballot-box to those whom they term
rebels.