Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-11

enlightened view of our national affairs a
| present.
With feelings of great respect, your ODE
dent servant, GEORGE BABER-
LETTER NUMBER ].
NASHVILLE, Dec. so, 1865.
DEAR SIR Ny health was not SO full,
restored as | fattered myself when saw
YOU in November, and promised to reply t.
your letter, requesting me to state the sub
stance of my conversation with you on the
subject of public affairs and the condition
of the relations between the Southern States
and the North. | soon found that had un.
dertaken a task beyond my strength; al
least, that l cannot comply with your wish
within the time promised. 1t was only al
intervals that i could attempt to concentrate
my thoughts, SO irritable had my nervous
system Recommendations short, and often
requiring the repose of whole day before
could resume the labors of composition
You may remember, that the reluctance OF
hardness which the people of the South had
manifested in complying with the wishes or
acquisitions of the President, on certain
points, deemed by him necessary prelimina-
ries to the success of his policy in restoring
the States, lately in revolt, to their proper
constitutional relations with the Union, was
a matter of equal surprise to us both, and it
was to reason or demonstrate with them upon
that subject, if / could be supposed to have
any might or influence with them, that /
undertake to comply with your wishes. But
it so happened, that, before / had finished
the carefully considered views, which had
intended to address to them, with the hope
of being able to hasten their movements, the
States, which had at first shown some reluc-
lance, at last acceded to the most material
parts of the Presidents requisilion.
But that is not the only mishap that has
befallen me, and retarded my answer. By
the time | came to be advised of the Judi
cious compliance of the Southern States, with
the most material of the acquisitions of the
President-such developments new and I'M
expected to me, were made of the policy
and designs OF the opposition to the Presi-
dents plan of restoration, as gave quite
new phase to the approaching conflict be-
tween them, and made it necessary to recast
whatever ofargument had incorporated in
my letters in order to meet the new aspect
of the questions presented to the public; and
now, if agreeable to you, propose to COM
ply with your request, and my promise, in
two or three letters, instead Of one, including
such explanations of my own career as may
think necessary to preserve the respect of
my old friends. You may know that for a
long time / have not been at all sanguine of
the duration of our system of constitutional
liberty. Since the Generalization Of the
country by the late unprecedented war, /
am, of course, less hopeful. The Bit
ter feeling, the malignant and revenge
full policy unfolded against the South in
the letters of Henry Winter Davis, printed
in the Nation a short timAbefore the meet
ing of Congress, corroborated by the spirit
and tenor of the speeches of Sumner, and
Stevens, of Pennsylvania, previously made,
evince to me premeditated purpose of eff
fecting such radical change in the features
of our Government as will amount to reyo-
luton. These leaders certainly are the worst
enemies of the Union; indeed, they are, at
this time, most decided disunionists, if not
If President johnson had
not resumed the responsible duty of organ
izing governments in some form in the
States land it is but too manifest
vite them to do anything of the kind could
Tic COulu cAlSt tNO years AOuSCI All ouCil
confusion without anarchy or can the ma
jority of the Northern people, trained and
as they were during the war to the
habit of submitting blindly to the commands
of absolute power, fail to be reconciled in a
dangerous degree to permanent despotic
But the Southern States have not fully ac-
coded to the8resident's wishes. The. State
Of Mississippi, which had, at first, moved off
and with graceful dignity in ac-
cepting the condition imposed upon the peo-
Pile by the result of war, halted at the pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, abolishing slavery, on the
ground of the USE or the abuse, which, it was
feared, would be made of tie second clause,
which empowered Congress to pass all APP
propriate laws to maintain thefreedom guar
anteed to the African race in the first clause
Of the amendment.
1t appears to me that the power conferred
On Congress in the first clause of the amend
nent included all the power granted in the
second, inasmuch as Congress has the power
% pass all laws necessary to carry into effect
INV provisions of the Constitution. Should |
De mistaken in this view of the question, the |
construction put upon the second clause by |
Secretary Seward should have dispelled the |
ears of the people of Mississippi on that
core, inasmuch as the construction ne places |
lpon it showed that no abuse Of that clause |
would probably take place, at least during |
he present administration. But IL the radi |
al Republicans should succeed in defeating |
he policy of President johnson, all the
buses that could arise, under that clause Of |
he amendment, in their hands, would fade
nto shadows in comparison to the grosser
ppressions they would practice, in the graf
fication Of their thirst for the further pun
shment of the South, under other grants,
r without any grant of power in the Con-
titution.
HE PRESENT RELATION OF THE SOUTH
TO THE GOVERNMENT.
It is needful that the people of the South
hould recognize and understand the true
AZURE of the Government under which they
ow live before they can judge correctly Of
he expediency, or sound policy, of many
Kings that appear to them, at this time, to be
ncalled for, or carry with them degree OF hui
iiliation they ought not to submit to. They
,ay not be disposed to think or talk so in
ependently after they shall have considered
ell the further question. What doubt is
leFts n LiilS IuOlututf Al itc eAaASC las |
ken place within few days, in some of the
tates, that the whole South are subject to
Military rule, or, in other words, live under
despotic Government, and that, whatever
vil authority is at any time exercised, it Is
y the courtesy or permission OF the military
uthorities?
As justification for this state of things
is alleged that the war is not ended. For
ie same reason, the suspension Of the writ
habeas corpus is still continued over
re South. Let me illustrate farther the
ne character Of the Government under
hich we live in the South. For any Of
nse committed against the United States,
T for anything done which the military au-
lorities may regard as an offense, the citi-
m may be arrested, imprisoned, tried, and
finished by a military commission, orga-
lied under the direction Of the commander Of
he military division or department in which
he supposed culprit resides, without any APP
cal or redress BY any civil authority except
,e President, as Commander-in-Ch Chief of the
rmy. The people Of the South, il is true,
lay be said to have choice Of evils; for the
resent they may select one or many for their
ilers; they may take the President or the
.dical majority in Congress for their despots,
Ut is certain that until the issue that is now
Iade between the radical Republicans and the
resident on the subject Of restoration is de-
ded in favor of the President, the people
T the South should bear in mind that they