Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-26
Those Memorials.

Those Memorials.
The Nashville E'nioa and American very proper
Is suggests that memorials should be gotten up by
the more honest and truthful of the original friends
of the government for the purpose OF counteract-
ing the lieing documents which lately emenated
from Nashville, and which purport to give true
statement Of the feelings and purposes Of those
who upheld the Southern Confederaey. There are
surely enough of honest men, throughout the
State, who adhered to the Union during the war,
to rebut the maiciously false testimony of the me-
uorialists; and for the sake of Union, peace and
instice, it is their duty to step forward and vind
cate the truth. Could we suppose that the authors
and signers of the documents in question, were
honestly mistaken, we could have chari,' for their
ignorance but knowing, as they do, nat they
and their party are the authors of whs ever strife
aud ill-feeling exist in the, State; knowing, as
they must that the ex-rebels are the only supper
tiers of the Constitution, and the only friends OF
President JOHNSON to be found in Tennessee the
lie is the only appropriate term to apply to the
shameless and RUTHLESS statements which they
have forwarded to Washington And should these
statements pass unnoticed by the better class OF
original Union men, the effect will be to make
them party TO the infamous transaction, whilst "
will utterly fail to deceive the President who is
thoroughly posted as to the political status of Ten
. nessee, and as thoroughly conversant with the
motives of those who have volunteered to deceive
him. r,.rr 3F rrE4sG .tf3
II Tennessee is unfit TO be reinstated in the Un-
ion. it is because its republican form of governE
ment has been overthrown, and its character de-
Graded by the radical clique that rules it. If its
people are deemed unworthy TO be trusted, 1t is
because the character of the masses is measured by
the standard erected by BRowNLow, MAYNARD
L Co, and the exceptions mistaken for the general
rule Let the Radical Congress send an honest
Committee to examine the condition Of the South,
10 to its loyalty and morality, and it will be bound
to report that law and order, peace and good will
are to be found wherever ex-rebels constitute the
mass of the population, whilst murder, rapine and
all manner of disorder rife in those localities
most distinguished for loyalty and larceny during
the war, and up to the present writing. This is the
simple truth and it is because the better class of
Southern population espoused the cause of their
own section and, having failed and submitted,
they the better class still. I'm
But are the radical memorialists really afraid Of
personal violence, provided Tennessee is renstatcd
and the military withdrawn? Not bit OF it
They prefer the condition of Territory with mil
itnry rule because it is their only chance for Office
and plumber and because they krow that free
Mllot-box will consign them to an obscurity from
which merit could never have raised them, and
make them feel the ineffable contempt for which
they have successfully labored. The Legislature
rejected the negro testimony bill, because it was
supposed il would retard the restoration of the
State and the same body, last week, laid on the
table, and for the same reason, the resolutions
which denied the truth of the statements set forth
in the memorials that have provoked these com.
Iuents. These facts prove, conclusively that the
memoriasts and the majority in the Legislature
are cooperating for the purpose of keeping the
State ont Of the Union, that they, under the pro-
lection Of the military, may continue in power;
and, for the accomplishment of this selfish aud
mcrcenary object sorry to see that the par
tics are not influenced by any very high regard for
uutd' honor and justice. '.
DO the Radicals of Tennessee desire to be, here
after, respected by their neighbors ?-to reap all
the benefits Of social and commercial intercourse
with the great majority who sympathized with the
South? If they do let them ask themselves
whether insult begets sympathy and opprcs-
sion wins confidence and respect. Had they, AT
the close of the war, recognized the rebels as
men and citizens and as such, rendered
them the right-hand of fellowship had they re-
pealed their Acknowledgement bills, and declared,
like men and patriots that peace between the Sec
tious should bring peace to the individual States
and into all the ramiications Of society, they
would, ut once, have established claim to the con-
hdence and respect of the vanquished party Let
them look at the statute books, read the modern
history Of East Teunesse aud the documents which
emenated from their distinguished Governor, and
see how far they have departed from the line Of
true wisdom, and say how far they are entitled to
respect and confidence.