Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-16
RAprcAIIs,r IN TEyNEssEE.

1
considered, and unanimously approved and
adopted" on the 9th Of January, 1886, in
| this city.
Accepting this manifesto (for both were
signed by the same persons), as the very
best defense of the course and exposition Of
the desires of class small, but evidently
resolute, in Tennessee, who are endeayoring
| to retain official control OF the State, con-
| trary to the interests and wishes Of the
| people, we read il with interest, and place it
upon record for the information Of those
whom it affects, and as memorial TO the
future of the desperate expedients of persons
| professedly fayoring 4 system Of government
resting on a'democratic basis, and their wide
departure from ever essential principle Of
Republican Government.
| We do not propose TO review this elabor-
ate document in this article; but there are
some points which deserve notice simultane-
ously with IFS publication. One of these il
| that more than iwo-thirds of the white
men of Tennessee would prefer other agents
TO conduct our State administration and
the reason why more ethan two-thirds Of the
white men Of the State" should not have a
voice in the management of the State gov
eminent is, that they are rebels" and OPP
| posed to their Encouragement. In other
words, it would deprive certain present Office
holders Of official station. 1t is added in eff
| feet, that If the present officials should re-
linquish their places the Unionists Of
Tennessee and the negroes would be SUBJECTED
toa merciless persecution, and total defeat Of
| the ends Of Justice in the State. This sweeping
| denunciation Of "more than two-thirds Of
the white men" of the State, very singu-
larry, is not sustained by the production Of
| one single instance or fact. lis blindly and
falsely asserted that this vast majority of
Tennesseeans are hypocritical and untrue to
their professions and pledges, and occupy the
| position of high-wayman and liers-inwait to
stab the republic, and to subvert the constr
tuition and laws of the State of Tennessee IN
| the maltreatment Of those who are at this
moment striving to set up an olligarchy IN
the State upon the ruins of popular liberty.
1t is fsnciful assertion, based wholly oil the
timid apprehension Of those who are, or if
they are not, should be haunted by day and
by night by the revisiting glimpses OF tbs
ETHEREAL spirit of that liberty for which they
profess TO have fought, but which they have
cruelty crushed upon the moment of the ter
mination ofhostilities. There is not single
hand clasping dagger in the State Of Ten
nessec, raised either against the authority
and integrity Of the United States, or against
the will and interests OF the State. And
We make this assertion against the allega-
tons of the authors Of the memorials,
and challenge them to the proof The at
trays and brawls, the violence and murders
which have unfortunately disgraced the an
nals of Tennessee since the close of the late
war have been prompted, fermented and en-
| couragcd bv the leaders. of the very men
| who now express such trembling fear OF,
and launch such fierce inyective against, the
SPECIALIZED rebels Moreover, so far as the
negro i concerned, his civil rights, his COM
| potency to testify in our courts Of justice,
and his protection from injustice and OPP
preston, has been denied in this State by
those Representatives of the people who will
| according TO these memorials refuse 10 pay
taxes and scorn 10 send members to the
Legislature" il the people Of the State are
t-SrInitted manage tlIvil dvniestiu analrs
without the Intervention OF Federal bayo-
nets. And upon these assertions VIC chal-
lenge investigation. No longer ago than
three days, we published the statement of
an individual who came TO Tennessee with
the Federal forces, who remained in the
State for two or three years, and established
and edited paper from which the one first
publishing these memorials, derives part
of its name, fully sustaining us in these po-
sitions.
The other point deserving notice is, that
these memorialists, in order to retain the
offices to those for whom they plead and take
the government Of the State out of the
hands of the people, propose that the Fed
eral authority shall assume the control of
our affairs refuse our Representatives adj
mission into Congress, and remit the State
to Territorial condition for some indefinite
period during which, for all practical pur-
poses, Tennessee shall occupy position in
the Union, of no greater power or dignity
than that of Utah or Arizana, and not even
so much, since they can have not even
delegate. The rebellious cotton States may
come in, their people may have all the
franchises of citizens, and may exercise their
full influence in the conduct Of our Nationol
affairs, but il will not do for the people of
Tennessee! Ii is quite evident what is the
true motive and inspiration of this docu-
ument, heralded to the world under such
auspices and such circumstances.
A fact very gratifying to us, in this con-
nection, is that the names of none Of those
who distinguished themselves as the devoted
friends of the Union, in the days of its sorest
trials, appear attached TO either of these
memorials. Since The war has closed, those
Tennesseans who exerted the greatest infu-
ence in opposition to separation, and who
chung closest and most powerfully to the
cause of the Union as agains; rebellion, du- |
ring the "rebel" tenure of the State and its |
capital, are reioiced at the end of bloody |
strife, and are readiest TO accept and recog- |
niEe the facts OF restored Union, in the sup
preston of armed resistance. The true ad- |
vocates of peace have no such fears as those
expressed with so much emphasis and in so
MANY forms in these memorials. And il |
Is also noteworthy. that the memorialists
,dopt language much softer and milder when
addressing the President, who knows great
leal more of the people Of Tennessee and
heir feelings than they do than when adj
lressing the raging committee Of radical
,aucus Of Congress headed by Charles SUM
,cr and Thsddeus Stephens.
When these documents reach their resPec-
i've destinations, they viii receive their APP
,ropria,c appropriations. They will net at
Get the President, but win be hailed a. -
raluable contribution to the archives of the
..,,,,, ~, e 4 b.1 I