Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-26
TENNESSEE AND sIIsSoURE--GREAT
TRUTHS FROM GEN. BLAIR.

souri, has q FLETCHER. The FLETCHER OF
the latter is her Goyernor-both in fact and
in name-ours is Secretary of State in name,
hut Governor in reality. We often feel con
strained to give him the title out Of cheer
justice TO him, though by fiction of law he
is unentitled to it. The two are par mobile
jrdtrum Missouri suffers as much under the
one, as Tennessee does under the other.
There is scarcely a perceptible difference.
They use like instruments and resort to like
modes of usurpation and tyranny.
The course of the Missouri FLETCHER has
brought forward a prosecutor in the court OF
popular opinion-a soldier of the Union-a
man who rose TO the ranl; of Major Cen
eral and who never disgraced the profession
of arms, nor wavered in his support of the
Union. Feeling that the essence and value
of Union consists in popular liberty and
public justice, both Of which the Fletcher
family in Missouri and Tennessee are en-
deavoring to extinguish, thus soldier has en-
tered the lists against them as he did against
the "rebel" enemies of the Union. Sic re-
CARDS all disunionists alike, whether they
are in arms at Richmond, or pursuing the
work Of revolution in the officials halls Of a
State Capitol, under the name of Governors
and Secretaries. His name is BLAIR. He
is now canvassing Missouii-and lately de-
livered his opening speech at Macon City in
that State. From it we extract the follow
ing which as fully illustrates our position as
theirs:
I'm the midst of a civil war, the bad passions
Of a party were readily inStilled into an instTu-
ment which is called constitution, and then the
most fraudulent practices that ever were perpe-
trated on a people on the continent of America
were invoked to give asemblance Oflaw and max re
il binding upon this people. That particular de-
vice my friends. by which this Constitution
achieves most of its evil, is in certain oath call
ed an oath of loyalty" whicl under specifica-
tons, eighty odd in number. each over and search
into the life Of every individual, who is brought
up to take this oath; and if he has in any weak
hour of his life felt sympathy FOR an erTing broth
err or a son of his own lOins who may have gone
out and taken up arms against the Government Of
the United States. he Is, unless he perjures him
self DISTINGUISHED. Ifhe has ever done an act
even some acts so slight in their character that
they would hardly reach to the dignity of a cOur-
teSy TO passing f0e-if he has been guilty of any
such act AS that he is likewise disabled to pursue
any occupation by which he may procure the com
forts of livelihood for his children and the wife
of his bosom. He is debarred from the exercise
of the great functions which were given to man
by his Maker. Why. my friends, Paul the Apos-
tie prosecuted the saints and yet he was the
greatest of the Apostles, and although he smOte
himself upon his BOSOM saying, Il am the great
est of sinners" and yet he saved more sinners
than all the other Apostles combined. But if men
in this day and generation have committed the
least of faults-that mission which his Almighty
Father has given him 10 preach His word. which
Will save souls IN the world to cOme-ls stripped
from him by this constitution. and his body is in
carcerated in a dungeon with telons, rs was the
Savior.
Yet these people hold that this is a republican
Constitution. What if the State of Alabama to-
morrow should pass an act saying that she was ad
mitted into the Union, and had her place in Con-
gress by an undisputed right, should pass an act
that any man that had ever borne arms against
the Confederate States should never be allowed
to vote, would that be constitutional? 1t would
exclude every man who had ever had a sympathy
in Alabama for the old Government of the Union,
which had shielded him and his children. and
which had brought back to him security at the
end Of this bloody rebellion. 1t would exclude in
Alabama every such man as that. Why would it
not be just as constitutional for Alabama to pass
such act that as for Missouri to pass the act
of which | have spoken? 1t shows, my friends,
absolutely power in either of them to pass
such an act. 1t is inhibited in the very words of
the Constitution, where it is described bill of
attaindcT and post tdcfO law, both OF which the
States inhibited from passing by that great
charter Of our rights. the Constitution of the
United States. bill of attainder and post tdcO
law. Furnishing man for an act which was no Of
fence at the time it was committed; Furnishing
man without, any trial, byiegisative act; punish
ing man without any proof except his own con-
fessiOn, extorted from him. which is also prOhib
tied by the Constitution of the United States
three violations of the Constitution in its most
vital points. If there "A man who had dream
in which he sympathiLed with the SOuth-when
he had his waking faculties about him, knowing
that there such bird of prey Drake in
istence, and fearing to think while awake-yet in
q dream he should behold the beautiful boy who
had gone forth from his house, and he should shed
tear in his sleep on the cheek of his wife-he
would be guilty. he would be felOn, for having
a heart that belonged to Il human being.
lie would be criminal as all are criminals who
have any hearts, in the eyes of these malignant
devils and prosecutors of the human race. | do
not intend to include all those who have followed
the fortunes of the Radicals in what | have said
about them. l know that in civil war, that in
high party times even, when the passions of the
people are aroused, men do acts which they re-
greet and that Is one of the great distinctions in
our criminal cOde-that a man may even shed
blood in passion, and be not guilty of that
heinOus crime which demands his life in repa-
ration. Now. the great mass Of the Radical party
in this country, like the great mass of Radicals i'll
all countries are honest men, lovers of their
try. They nave, 10 certain extent, been misled
by the men in whom they placed confidence, and
mised by the passions aroused by acts at the
hands of their Neutrality-suspicious. which seem
almost to be based upon justice when we look at
noyed, and innocent men cut down by the rebels.
No wonder that there should have been eXaspera-
ton. 1t would hardly be human nature if there
had not been desire to put retaliation upon
those who did this harm, and who did this dam
age cruelty and ruthlcssly. But when Il mans
passion is so blind as to carry him to point
where he destroys his own liberty. and breaks
down his own Government, topples down the tenn
pie of liberty which secures him his rights. in
der to crafty this passion. you may be sure he
has been miSled-hOncsty-bu misled; mislcd by
the vilest set of miscreants and scOundrelS that
ever dSgracei any political party in the world
men who, IN 4 majority of instances are the very
scrapings Of the old rebel party in Missouri. d" =
This revolution which has been made in our
Government is complete in its very essence. a
revolution in which everything that is republican
Is annihiAted IN MissOuTl-till there Is not YES
tige of repubiicaniSm. and it is simply because
they dare not do it that stand here to-day TO de-
fly them-that they dare not prevent it: say
that we will, AS our fathers did in the English
revolution, carry this revolution backward TO IA
constitutional and republican form of govern
ment-n0t rs France did, into despotism. We
must do il TO be true TO our ancestors and faithful
to our posterity will disgrace ourselves, and
we will not deserve to he called ireemen, nor TO
pass the inheritance OF freedom 70 our children.
unless we undo the mischief which has been done.
We must go TO work and do it. No talterng
about it. There is n great deal too much of that.
We could have beaten this constitution by such a
majority that not even the aulaclty and lmpu-
dence of Fletcher would have dared TO have de- |
cared il passed if men had voted, but some of
them had something else to do on that day; Some |
wife. and some of them had too delicate Stomachs
and did not about voting till they found they |
could not vote any more; and some of them could |
not take this unconstitutional oath. SO they |
STAYED at home and allowed their friends to try /
and help them out Of the Scrape. Well, their |
friends did vote it down, but they could not beat
the constitution and the raScaity of Fletcher TO
boot.
Why, we had an election in st. Louis the other |
law and we never heard of such excitement there.
although the highest officer simply a commits
,ioner for "A RAILROAD The people went to the |
polls 81 mGssc, and deposited their ballots. and
he only question asked was, " Does this man be
long to the Union Conservative Constitutional |
party or is he Radical? Ii he is a Radical, he
i not fit to be dog killer, although he Is my broth
sr.' II he Is a conservative man. no matter what
his errors have bcen If he is the representative of
conservatives principles. he is like the flag which
guided our armies to victory \ voice If they
refuse 10 let us vote, then what?'I Well, Sam
Patch said some things could be done As well as
others.
.dcr myself competent to declare az to the uti-
nate resolution we shall take: but do feel com
)ctent 10 advise you 20 use your utmost efforts To
make use Of the law. because the puppets and in
of Fletcher are not the only nor the |
asst resort that you will have. | claim. aud we all
.laim that this constitution Intriuges the great
and principles Of liberty of the Consti-
ution of the United States, and the Supreme
court of the United States is the final arblteT of
neither this constitution squares with the COnSti
ution of the United States; and yet am here to-
law my friends, to tell you that the supreme |
court of the United States have already decided
hat this constitution is invalid and void. | was |
old so myself by one of the judges Of the Supreme
court in Washington, and he told me in addition
hat the only reason why the announcement OF the
lcciSian was not made was that the minority of |
hose " no held that the law was constitutional
four Judges holding IL constitutional and five de-