Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-27
A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERN
MENT

We in Tennessee, are said TO be in thu
Union now. We dissent from that opin
ion. No State that has not republican
form of government, is or can be mem
Der of the Union. The theory Of the
Federal Union is an association of re
publican States for specified purposes
The colonies we're, each one for itself
recognized by the King of Great Britain
as free aud independent States. Asso
ciated together during the revolution
under the Articles of Confederation
there was no central or general Govern
ment to enforce conseriptiops or raise
and collect taxes for tue prosecution OF
the war. Being independent of each
other, they had right to erect them
selves into distinct States with such form
of government as they severally might
deem best for their interests. New York
could have become monarchy, South
Carolina a despotism, and Virginia a
republic. Each State, however, elected
TO come into Union for general pur-
poses. and these were to be evidenced
by the Constitution They agreed in
that instrument, as the leading principle,
that each State should have republican
form of government. This was sol
emn compact, and every State was
bound by it. Whatever the men who
framed our General Government may
have meant by the term, republican
form of government" it is settled and
fixed by the usage of the Government
and the States. 1t means, in our his
tory, government, representative in
character and founded on the consent
of a majority of the people. Recog-
nizing the cGpability and the right Of
men to govern themselves, the declara-
ton of the dissolution of Coleman ale
glance to the British Grown, asserted
that all Just government was founded on
the consent of the governed. The only
evidence of that consent is the voice of
a majority Of the people speaking
through the ballot box. ANY other evil
dence, however claimed or sought to be
enforced, is false, tyrannical and revo!u-
tionary. The assumption by minority
of a right TO govern the majority, is trea-
son 10 orr system, aud the men who
foist them selves into power inviftue Of
such claim, are traitors TO a republi-
can form of government
According to this view, Tennessee does
not possess the first element of republi
can government, II is not founded
certainly it is not Administrations the
fundamental idea Of the consent OF
majority of the people. The people did
not consent to the amendments attached
TO the Constitution by the Convention of
1864. The people did not elect those
who now pretend 10 constitute Legisla-
ture at Nashville The people have not |
authorized that body to raify the Con
stitutional Am endment proposed by Con-
gress. The alterations'in the State Con-
vention we're not authorized by, bnt made |
in defiance of, the sentiments of ma
joriiy Of the people. Staiutary enact
ments commanding the obedience of the
people TO an oligarchy. improyised from
a small minority, are enforced by bayo-
nets. The main idea Of the pres
ent Government of this State-the
handspring of its policy-is opposition
to the known sentiments Of the great
majority of the peoples warfare upon
the structure Of American liberty, and
is, therefore, revolutionary. If Tennes-
see is a State, she is entitled TO a "re-
publican form Of government" The
majority of,tbe people have right to
form a new Constitution which shall be
republican in form and correspondent TO
the notifications Of the Federal Con-
stitution. If Tennessee is not State, a
majority of the people have a right to
-rame a constitution republican in form
md ask for admission into the Union on
erms of equality with the other States
Ye hold, therefore, that in either event,
without regard to disfranchisement, or
ghat not the people of this State have
light to cali convention and form a
lew, or amend the present Constitution